On "Potty Training"

-When did you start?

the 8th or 9th month.


-How did you start? - how did you introduce the potty, how many times a day, etc?

We let DS sit on a potty every morning for a short while so that he is familiar with it and plays with it (DS usually poos in the morning). Now when DS needs to poo his facial expression will become very serious (or even cry for a brief period [just 10 seconds - so we need to be very sensitive]), and we will put him in the potty immediately, and he wil poo brilliantly there then.

We only introduce the potty for pooing but not peeing yet, and at most once a day. Actually we consider ourselves doing part-time elimination communication, not potty "training" - because we concern not about the "control" (though DS does hold on for 15 seconds :D ) but the "release" and responding to the need.


-How do you get them to stay on the potty?

We find that if DS still hasn't "finished" yet (judged by the amount of "output") it is easier to persuade him to stay longer. We usually use two methods:

1. If DW is the main one helping, I will sit on a IKEA little baby chair and pretend that I am also pooing (I make some noises [mmming "Jingle Bells"] and do some hand signs)

2. Or we just give him something (e.g. a book) to read so that he forgets to leave.


-A few of the sites I've just read have suggested that you need the child to be able to communicate verbally more than lo is able to at the moment (we have 'bye', 'hi' and 'woof' at the moment...)

DS is not very interested in hand signs or words. Though he is an early walker (impulsive and motor-driven), apparently he will be a late speaker. Today is the first day he really does "bye bye"! :D