Thursday, January 8, 2009

To train or not to train...

Warning- topic ahead that most likely will be of interest only to other parents of toddlers. A preemptive apology to the rest of you.....

A few weeks ago Isa started telling me when she'd had a poo. Granted, she has some pretty obvious signs when she's doing her business so I usually already knew that she'd done it. Still, it was cute to watch her walk over the baby gate that goes to the hallway with her bedroom (and thus changing table) and tell me "poo poo" indicating she wanted her diaper changed. Well, last week she started telling me BEFORE she had the poo. This is certainly not happening 100% of the time but it makes me wonder if it means we're ready to at least experiment with potty training. If nothing else, I could try putting her on the toilet when she gives me the warning and maybe avoid changing a few poopy diapers. That's not a bad thing, right?

But, in reading through my various baby books, this sort of half training is never mentioned. The books deal primarily with what to do when children are ready for the whole deal which I knew we aren't at this point. Isa definitely can't undress herself, isn't waking up from naps dry, or for that matter, giving me any sort of indication that she even notices that she pees. This will really be as much Mama-training as anything else.

So, fellow mamas (and others), what do you think? Get her a potty and give it a try? Just wait until she's actually ready for full-on potty training? Is it worth the hassle? Would it even work?

And just to make up for this whole topic, here's a video of Isa being her usual wacky self:

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

she just cracks me up! that video is awesome.

i have no clue about potty training - Elsa is certainly nowhere near ready. but maybe someone with an older kiddo can help - and I can learn something too. :-)

Anonymous said...

well, not that i have an older kiddo, but i would think that she's telling you for a reason. and, if it means not changing as many poopy diapers...i'd be all for it. I'd also think that it would get her used to what her body is telling her, and that would make pee-training that much easier. You have to think about all those parents that do EC'ing (Elimination Communication)--they put their kids on the potty whenever they show any signs of needing a bathroom break. Maybe do a search on ECing ('cuz she's obviously "communicating" her eliminations). She might just be very aware of how her body feels...and that is not a bad thing whatsoever. Get a potty, and she if she's interested. If she's not...she'll let you know that too :0) Love you and IsaB!

Sam said...

I think you should try it. Most of the kids I work with start the other way around, but if isa is starting with poo-ing first, I say go for it because Most of the kids I have worked with have a harder time mastering the poo-ing. I think if she is telling you about it, she's ready for something to happen!

Jennifer said...

I would take her lead. She sounds like she definitely does NOT like the poop in her diaper and is now letting you know before it comes. Sounds like now's the time to put out the potty chair and introduce the idea of pooping into the potty instead of the diaper. There's a great book "Once Upon a Potty" by Alona Frankel that puts it all in kid terms. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Potty-Girl/dp/1554072840/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231633219&sr=8-4. Good luck whatever you decide; I had boys and that's a whole other matter!!

Anonymous said...

Do it! My daughter started out that way. She didn't like the potty seat though -- I mean she like it to play with , to put her dolls in, but not to actually use! She wanted to sit on the real toilet, so I got her a ring that goes on the toilet seat so that she wouldn't fall in. And fyi, naps and night time is VERY advanced potty training and doesn't tend to happen at the same time as awake, normal potty training...

los cazadores said...

Isa B is beautiful. Just thought I'd stop by and say Hello.

Cindy

Becky said...

I had to stop by and comment, Isa is adorable! My daughter was potty trained at 2 years 1 month. If I had waited until she was dry at nap times and over night, she still wouldn't be potty trained and she turns three on Friday! I did exactly what you are thinking about....I could tell when she had to poop (she had constipation issues) and sitting on the potty helped. It also lessened dirty diapers. She also had to have surgery in that sensitive area and so this lessened the dirtiness in that area while her incision healed. She never used a potty seat, I just always put her on the ring on the big toilet. I then spent my spring break and lived and breathed potties and going potty on them! By the end of my week off from work, she was trained!