Is My 2Yr Old Ready for the Potty? Need Help Potty Training!

Rewards worked well with my daughter. She was fully potty trained by 28 months. Something as simple as a sticker can excite a toddler and motivate them to go. When my daughter would use the potty I would let her pick out a sticker and we would put it on her potty. She did the best with the portable potty on the floor at first, and then after a month or two she moved onto the big potty. I think they feel safer on the floor at first so I wouldn't push the issue of her using the big potty, I would let her use the portable until she is comfortable with the 'big one'

I also rewarded my daughter with an M&M every time she went on the potty. She would get so excited after she went potty that she would run in the kitchen and yell M&M!! So I know that motivated her to go. Hopefully this helps!!

Similiar situation happened to me with my son. He was doing well at home, but held it at school - we decided he wasn't ready. We've continued to encourage using the potty at home and will try again at school in another week (1 month after the 1st attempt at school). We do have a "Time-Out Frog" timer that we actually set for 30 minutes. He runs to the bathroom every time it goes off and will actually go in the potty 3 out of 4 1/2 hour increments. We're also using a sticker chart.

Hi, this sounds normal, your daughter seems to be wanting to stay 'your baby' a bit longer because in a few months she won't be the baby anymore. Patience, it will be just fine. J.

She is definately ready. Karen's advice seems good. you can look through back posts about this topic.

I loved the concepts behind "Potty training In just one day" or is it three days?? Its a process but you can speed it up by being postitive and CONSISTENT. Potty trainign is more about the mom than the kid, seriously. be consistent.

It's obvious that she has some kind of bladder control so now you just have to direct her to the proper place.

Start telling her to sit on the potty every 15-20 minutes. Let her know that if she sits on the potty and pees she will get a reward, an M&M or Skittle. Show her the reward but she cannot have it unless she pees in the potty. It may take a while for her to give in. This is all very new and foreign to her, after all. But once she does, make it the most fantastic thing, clap for her, sing for her, whatever gets her excited about what she just did. Then give her a reward. Have her help with the clean up since it is her pee and this helps later with other clean up. But sit her down every 15 - 20 minutes like clock work. Sooner or later she will go. Even if a trickle comes out make a big deal out of it. I've had my share of stubborn ones too, lol. Don't wait for her to go sit on her own cuz she's showing you that she doesn't want to. So it's time for you to be in charge rather than her and you tell her to sit regularly and make it part of your routine. She should sit when she wakes, before and after meals and drinks, before laying down, before leaving the house, before and after everything so she gets into the new routine. As she starts to go, play it by ear if you need to continue having her sit on your time, or if she just needed to get over that first hurdle and then she will willingly go on her own. Just reward her each time she goes and she'll start getting into the routine.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

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She seems to have the ability--but she doesn't have the TOTAL interest yet. You could consider backing off a bit...and let her take the lead. You'll know when she's really ready.

From what you said she is totally ready. You just need to find a way for her to be comfortable with peeing on the potty. You can totally do it before December!

While she is showing some cues I don't think she is quite ready yet. I'm not sure how long you've been doing this, but I'm wondering if it is new enough to be a novelty for her?? My daughter had a similar start. We started training my daughter around 30 months. She peed everytime we put her on the potty for the first 3 days. Then she pooped in the potty and it freaked her out. We postponed potty training for quite a while and just finished daytime training a few weeks ago around her 4th birthday. Even after she was showing more cues, she fought us with terrible tantrums and would hold it until naptime or nighttime when I put a pull-up on her. It was a very long and frustrating process for us with a lot of trial and error.

Another thought I have is that I wonder if it might not be better to wait until after the baby is born. I know that probably sounds like a crazy idea, but a lot of kids regress when a sibling joins the family. She might soon get interested in potty training only to change her mind when the new baby arrives. I'd factor that into your decision. Best wishes and congratulations!

I seem to be in the minority here, but I think you should back off. Try again in a month and see if she's more ready. The average age for potty training is 36 months, so she is very young. I personally wouldn't do anything at this age that makes her cry. I bet she trains by December, but if you have 2 in diapers, you have 2 in diapers. Lots of moms do.

I agree she has most of the readiness signs, but if she doesn't want to/ can't, then she's not ready. Months, even weeks, make a big difference. Give her a little more time.

You are doing this at the perfect age!!! You need to read the 3 Day Potty Method:
www.3daypottymethod.com

I bought this ebook and it is amazing. It suggests age 22 mos as the ideal age and if you wait till after 2 1/2 it only gets much harder. I seriously believe that's why we see so many posts of parents with kids ages 3+ having the most difficult time. Kids are set in their ways and have their own opinions by then and it only gets harder. My 2nd child is due in Dec as well and I'm SO HAPPY I trained my daughter 8 mos ago (she was 23 mos). She had a few relapses over the summer but overall she is doing amazingly well. With this method you use ONLY UNDERWEAR, NO PULL-UPS/DIAPERS. I do break one rule of this method, I put a pull-up on her at night. I am not ready to do the night training, I love my sleep! And I know come Dec I will be getting close to no sleep... Anyway, if you don't want to buy the ebook, which comes with free mentoring by the author and I highly recommend this, I will email it to you. Just email me at ____@____.com luck!!!!

ps. after reading the previous posts, I must say 36 mos is way too long to wait! Especially if your daughter gets the concept! Do not back off, you are only caving in then to what is easiest (diapers are easier really but they are the lazy way out!) and not sticking to your role as the parent - to guide and train your child to be independent.

Our older son refused to pee in the potty for a long time. My mother suggested letting the faucet run just a little to help him relax. It did the trick! Just keep with it! And good luck!

A., I went through a similar situation with my daughter. She was closer to 3 and doing many of the same things as your daughter. It also sounds like we have similar approaches to potty training. Anyway, my advice is to be patient. In many ways it sounds like she is ready, she just needs to reach a comfort level with the potty. I think when that happens she'll move really quickly to just being trained. until then just keep doing what you are doing-the potty books/videos, rewards, having her see when you go, etc.