Helping Hands - Volume 1
Thursday, May 25, 2006
As a new mom, I often find it very discouraging when I read articles on parenting that are limited to one viewpoint or advocate a particular parenting style as the "right" one. It is easy to become bombarded with the latest research that claims our mothers and fathers reared their children incorrectly. While there has been much progress in understanding how babies grow, learn, eat and sleep, it seems to me that the tried and true methods of our predecessors are often placed on the backburner, or even disregarded completely. I have decided to begin a regular post entitled "Helping Hands" with the aim of compiling tips of the mothering trade. Readers are invited to share their opinions on the selected topic and impart some wisdom on motherhood and parenting. Let us begin the first volume with a topic that currently holds much interest for me.
Potty training.
My daughter is now 10 months old and I finally have a good idea of when she usually goes to the bathroom. She has started to walk with minimal assistance and has taken a keen interest in anything she can touch, which includes the toilet.
I've read stories of babies who have been toilet trained at a very early age. One such story talked about a woman who spent three months in India visiting with her family and discovered that diapers were not used. In fact, the grandmother was shocked to learn of our "fancy Western" ways. She insisted that her grandson experience the freedom and "if he pees, we'll wash it off the floor. If he poops, the dog will eat it." They could easily identify his elimination routine, used sound effects while he was on the "potty"(a virtual whole in the ground) and were very patient. The mother did her best to continue the potty training upon returning home but experienced difficulty seeing as we live in a completely different culture. Though there were more accidents, she stuck to it and at 13 months of age, her son was able to indicate when he needed to use the washroom. He is now 18 months old and is completely trained to go on his own. Pretty amazing, isn't it?
So my question is, what are some ways you've tried to train your child to use the potty? What type of potty should you buy or should you just stick with a regular toilet? Do you have any helpful tips? Use your helping hands and type them in the comments section. If you have a suggestion for our next topic, please feel free to let me know. I will be conducting a poll shortly on how early parents (plan to) start potty training. Keep your eyes peeled! And thanks for your help and advice!
7 COMMENTS
My best advice for potty training is that when you and she are BOTH ready to train just jump right in. Don't start putting her in pull-ups thinking that she'll train that way...it DOESN'T WORK!! Put her in underwear and she'll soon learn that it's uncomfortable and keeping dry is the best bet! My other bit of advice with this one is to make sure she's wearing PANTS too! I learned that one the hard way! It's too easy for mistakes to leak thru the sides of underwear, but pants will at least save any carpet you have! Good luck in your search! :)
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have any helping hands on this one. Aside from maybe putting a training potty out and getting kids used to seeing it, or used to sitting on it before making a leap. Thats when you're certain they are ready. I don't think that helpled any though, lol.
ReplyDeleteBTW...I love the new pic! :) Sorry, somedays I'm a LOT scatter-brained! LOL
ReplyDeleteMy advice would be to wait until they are interested. I tried to potty train my first, a boy around his 2nd b-day. Didn't work at all. I got frustrated, he was unhappy. He ended up not being potty trained until he was 3 1/2. I know it seems like a long time, but once he was ready it only took a few days. My daughter on the other hand was potty trained at 2. She pretty much did it on her own. They actually ended up potty training at the same time. They started asking questions about the toilet, complaining when they were wet or stinky. I don't know. I don't really think there is a "perfect" way to train your kids. Trial and error I guess.
ReplyDeleteI heard on the radio, several years ago, that in China, most children are potty trained well before two yrs old. I was in disbelief but I guess it can be done.
ReplyDeletewell, I too hate blanket advice and people who think their way is the only way. As a parent you have to do what works for you and your family and what makes you happy.
ReplyDeletePersonally I don't potty train. When my first was potty training age (18months in my new mommy mind) we worked on it and it went no where so I quickly thought it wasn't worth the hassle to keep up with the Jones' or whoever. Some time later she asked me to take her to wal-mart for princess panties because she was a big girl. She never had an accident. The same method worked with the next 3. Boy needed a little encouragement but not much, baby is still in diapers and that's fine. No one goes to K in diapers so just relax, do what you want, and enjoy your darling!
I am scared of potty training! Of course, my guy is much too young for it, but I don't know how you ever get it to work. I think training pants just make it worse.
ReplyDeleteYou know what I have found interesting about parenthood? All the mothers of young babies that I know in person are generally so kind and very willing to share their experience but not judge. I expected to be bombarded with the "mommy wars" but havne't found that to be the case. Then there are the mother's of older kids. Yowsa! Most of them have been so rude to me! "When *I* had kids. . . " I think they are just defensive b/c so much has changed even in just the past ten years. I don't know.
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