I was reflecting on potty training my 2 children. I have one girl who was potty trained after she turned 2. And I have a little boy who was potty trained at the young age of 15 MONTHS!!! That's right people, I said 15 months. My son has hydronephrosis (Hydronephrosis is distention and dilation of the renal pelvasis and calyces, usually caused by obstruction of the free flow of urine from the kidney, leading to progressive atrophy of the kidney.)So we are in close contact with a wonderful Urologist.
On the day of his renal ultrasound the doc talked to us about potty training. I thought and said "but he is a boy, it takes them longer!" NOPE that is a myth. Not true at all. The doc went to Sweden ( where they do everything bigger, better, and more beautiful than Americans) They start potty training their children before a year of age.
Here is the method that our doc taught us. Every 30 minutes take your child to the potty. Sit there until something happens. Not 5 minutes, not 10 minutes, a LONG TIME! Bring books, crayons, toys. You will be there for a while. You may say to yourself ( as did I) "This is insane! We are on the toilet all day long!" But trust me my friend, it will pay off in a few months, maybe even sooner. I was stressed a lot. But it was so nice to not have to pay for diapers.
Consistency is the KEY. Children learn by repetition. When I would go to the grocery store, I would take my son potty before we left the house, then when we got to the grocery store, and then after we checked out. NO pullups allowed. A child will say"Hey I have on a diaper, I can just go here." When they don't have on a diaper, they get upset and ask to go potty. You may ask "But didn't he sometimes have embarrassing and inconvenient accidents?" Of course he did!!! He is learning something new. We can't expect them to be perfect. So bring 2-3 changes of shorts, shirts, socks, underwear and maybe a change of shoes. Don't forget a change of clothes for you. Just keep it all in the trunk. Bring some type of sanitizer and towels and maybe even a plastic trash bag, for the carseat, if an accident happens in the car.
My mother always talked about how a child should be potty trained by 2. She also, talked about how messy and yucky it was to change an older child's diaper. I am not kidding, that is something I can't stand doing. If a child can lay down by themselves and tell you to change their diaper... Enough said. The time would be 6 months before that! LOL
My point is, we underestimate our children's abilities and intelligence. We underestimate ourselves as parents. That's exactly what I did when my daughter was potty training. I started her at a year old. She would actually go on the potty and do the deed. A close and older friend of mine told me that my daughter was too young to potty train. So my young & naive self stopped. IDIOT!!! (I am speaking for myself) I can't believe I listened to someone else about what I should have done with my daughter. Now I trust my instincts. I am more confident in my abilities as a parent and judging my children's abilities. I am here with them 24 hours a day! I should know what is best for them. Not someone who sees them maybe once a month.
Both of my children stopped wearing diapers to bed around the age of 2 & a half or 3. Thank God!
So if someone is reading this that is interested in potty training at an early age- I say go for it. You don't have anything to lose but everything to gain. No diapers and plenty of one on one time with your sweet little angel. And if it doesn't happen, don't give up. Be consistent. Good luck!!!
