baby led potty training

The age a child can anticipate varies, much the same as anything developmental. Some will manage it earlier than others, and some on the other end of the spectrum of readiness will be later than most. One child of mine potty trained themselves at just after 2nd birthday, and was dry at night before eldest child nearly 4 years older was dry.
I've known people who've done EC and it doesn't seem to save a great deal of washing, the baby sits on a towel in the high chair and in the car/ buggy/ lap. A fair few wees were caught, and poos. Difficult to have someone look after the little one for a couple of hours so nappies are used and the baby is cool with that, or you go somewhere you can't easily whip out a potty,they aren't trained. When they are ready they do it very quickly. It means a bit of time from the parents, many do it in the summer when they can play out with no bottoms on, so any accidents don't make puddles or piles indoors. Some children genuinely have issues but most late nappy wearers don't

harrigran, same here, my three were on the potty very early - almost out of the womb onto the potty 🤣! All clean and dry by 2 and certainly dry at night by 2, 1/2. No problems at all , I was born in 49 and my Mum did that with me and my siblings. My GC on the other hand were not toilet trained and I worried that one of them would begin school in a nappy - fortunately that didn't happen but I understand is is quite common now.
Whatever happens most children get there in the end ! It is more difficult now as all parents work and have busy lives. I didn't work when our children were pre school age , when I did return to employment I went part time and was fortunate to be able to take the children to school and be at the gates at 3.15. It wasn't easy financially when the children were small but we managed somehow!

Exactly, momb, and a child is not potty trained until it can take itself to the potty or toilet when it needs to.

Potty training needs to be done in a relaxed way and the longer you wait the easier it is. 2 years old is a reasonable starting point

My mother did this with my brother and I, and I watched her do it with my much younger sister. Basically as soon as anything went in one end she would hold the other end over a potty. Seemed to work!

Oldnproud

Glorianny

BlueBelle

Never had a problem afterwards gloriana mine both boys and girls were all trained and never had accidents (unless they were out playing whenolder and left it too late and flew in clutching their bits) because although at first you watch for the signs which is your ‘training’ their brains then convert that to that feeling means I do that
I hope it catches on because this ‘let them do it in their own time’ is nonsense and seeing kids of 3/4 stinking with full Pooh nappies is gross and no good to have that hanging around their little bits for long

Your children were not "trained". Control of bodily functions does not happen until between 24 and 36 months usually. Their brains do not "convert" anything. There may be a response to being sat on a potty, that is still not training, which is only really completed when a child can anticipate needing the toilet and control the function until they get there.

I was thinking what a strain this imposes on the mother who presumably has to be the one watching the baby and carrying the potty around wherever they go. Most children now are cared for by both parents and often others. They are usually in some sort of day care by 1 year when all of this will be abandoned.

Sorry *Glorianna, but I disagree with you about control of bodily functions not usually happening until between 24 and 36 months.

I trained my own at 18 months and so did most of the other mothers I knew at that time. Most of these toddlers were perfectly capable within only a few weeks of recognising when they needed to go, making that known to the parent, and being able to contain it for a short time while the parent got the potty or put them on the toilet. The 'strain' on the mother that you refer too was very short-lived.

I do recognise, though, that this initially requires a level of adult attention that would be extremely hard to provide in a nursery setting, so I totally understand why most parents now wouldn't dream of trying to train them so young.

In fact, I believe that my 17 month old dgs could quite easily have been trained in this way a couple of months ago if he only had one carer,, but consistency is key,and as he is in several different childcare settings each week, trying so young could do more harm than good.

It's not my theory. It is the theory of most people working in paediatrics. www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/toilettraining

Interestingly there was a theory around when I was training to teach that early toilet training caused children to become anally retentive and therefore inclined to be over controlling and neat. It's all Freudian of course.

Glorianny

BlueBelle

Never had a problem afterwards gloriana mine both boys and girls were all trained and never had accidents (unless they were out playing whenolder and left it too late and flew in clutching their bits) because although at first you watch for the signs which is your ‘training’ their brains then convert that to that feeling means I do that
I hope it catches on because this ‘let them do it in their own time’ is nonsense and seeing kids of 3/4 stinking with full Pooh nappies is gross and no good to have that hanging around their little bits for long

Your children were not "trained". Control of bodily functions does not happen until between 24 and 36 months usually. Their brains do not "convert" anything. There may be a response to being sat on a potty, that is still not training, which is only really completed when a child can anticipate needing the toilet and control the function until they get there.

I was thinking what a strain this imposes on the mother who presumably has to be the one watching the baby and carrying the potty around wherever they go. Most children now are cared for by both parents and often others. They are usually in some sort of day care by 1 year when all of this will be abandoned.

Sorry *Glorianna, but I disagree with you about control of bodily functions not usually happening until between 24 and 36 months.

I trained my own at 18 months and so did most of the other mothers I knew at that time. Most of these toddlers were perfectly capable within only a few weeks of recognising when they needed to go, making that known to the parent, and being able to contain it for a short time while the parent got the potty or put them on the toilet. The 'strain' on the mother that you refer too was very short-lived.

I do recognise, though, that this initially requires a level of adult attention that would be extremely hard to provide in a nursery setting, so I totally understand why most parents now wouldn't dream of trying to train them so young.

In fact, I believe that my 17 month old dgs could quite easily have been trained in this way a couple of months ago if he only had one carer,, but consistency is key,and as he is in several different childcare settings each week, trying so young could do more harm than good.

It may not be the nursery nurse’s job, but changing dirty nappies for a 3 or 4 year old is not either.

mumofmadboys

I think it is an automatic response to having a cold potty against your skin.

I think you are correct.

I think the old cloth nappies were so uncomfortable the babies more or less trained themselves. Mine certainly did by about a year to 18 months old. The disposable ones are so comfortable for the babies, why bother until little peer group pressure times at 3 year old kinder?

The nursery nurse soon had them trained

Not her job though, it’s the parents job.

And yes Glorianny, I realise many are back at work. But that’s the point, how much childcare is delegated to others? The nurturing and caring is what being a parent is all about.

It sounds like it is the parent who has trained herself to spot the signs and react quickly, but if she is not available at the precise time, it won’t work.
My daughter soon learnt to use the potty once we started but she was about 18 m old. My son was not interested but when he was 19 months old, and I was back at work p/t , his childminder trained all her charges one sunny week in the garden. Job done.
Some mums might resent a third party getting involved if they are exceedingly precious about it, but it made my life easier.

BlueBelle

Never had a problem afterwards gloriana mine both boys and girls were all trained and never had accidents (unless they were out playing whenolder and left it too late and flew in clutching their bits) because although at first you watch for the signs which is your ‘training’ their brains then convert that to that feeling means I do that
I hope it catches on because this ‘let them do it in their own time’ is nonsense and seeing kids of 3/4 stinking with full Pooh nappies is gross and no good to have that hanging around their little bits for long

Your children were not "trained". Control of bodily functions does not happen until between 24 and 36 months usually. Their brains do not "convert" anything. There may be a response to being sat on a potty, that is still not training, which is only really completed when a child can anticipate needing the toilet and control the function until they get there.

I was thinking what a strain this imposes on the mother who presumably has to be the one watching the baby and carrying the potty around wherever they go. Most children now are cared for by both parents and often others. They are usually in some sort of day care by 1 year when all of this will be abandoned.

Thing is though, this kind of potty training only works if the child's mother (or another constant carer) is looking after it all the time. Mothers who have to leave their young kids with other people while they're at work won't be able to do this.

And I do not think one can accuse a mother or father in that position being guilty of lazy parenting.

My mum's trick was to turn the tap on while the baby was held over the potty, the sound of water seemed to create a reflex action.
When teaching I've had children come to school still not potty trained at 4/5 and they would have cheerfully sat in a dirty nappy all day. The nursery nurse soon had them trained.

mumofmadboys

I think it is an automatic response to having a cold potty against your skin.

I feel an invention for a warmed potty seat coming on!

I think it is an automatic response to having a cold potty against your skin.

Nothing new then😂
My two were ‘trained’ the same way. It did require a bit of effort and trailing the potty everywhere though.

Never had a problem afterwards gloriana mine both boys and girls were all trained and never had accidents (unless they were out playing whenolder and left it too late and flew in clutching their bits) because although at first you watch for the signs which is your ‘training’ their brains then convert that to that feeling means I do that
I hope it catches on because this ‘let them do it in their own time’ is nonsense and seeing kids of 3/4 stinking with full Pooh nappies is gross and no good to have that hanging around their little bits for long

Toilet timed is a really good term to use. Toilet trained I reckon is when they can either get themselves to a toilet or potty or ask for it.
But if it saves nappies especially in the winter go for it.

An older friend of mine always said her son was toilet trained at 6 months much to her DILs annoyance. Much as I loved her she couldn't understand the difference.

Yes I did this with my DD. I held her over the potty from six weeks old, after feeds and before bathing. It helped cut the number of terry nappies used each day as I didn't have a washing machine. You soon learn the signs and facial expressions of your baby.

I think years ago most babies were ‘trained’ like this. My sister and I (1950’s) babies certainly were, and so were both mine (1970’s) babies.

My DS said that it was ‘toilet timed’ not ‘toilet trained’.

Perhaps, but it saved a lot of dirty cloth nappies, and no children still in nappies when 3 or 4 years old.

It has to be about 39 years since I gave that a thought and I’m not going to start now.

Yes, as Glorianny says they’re not potty trained - they are in training. I confess to being one of those lazy parents as I never potty trained mine. She just decided one day, a week after she’d turned two, that she no longer needed nappies and that was that. Only a couple of accidents.

These babies are not "trained" their mothers respond to the baby and provide somewhere for it to do whatever is necessary. If they are not catered to immediately they will just do it. They do not have the capacity to delay the physical action.
It does mean you have to be constantly available for the baby. And there may be a later problem when the child becomes more active.