Potty time is fun time- how to know if your baby is interested in pottying.
I was in an IEP meeting for my daughter, with my 10-month-old charming the socks off everyone in the room by smiling, giggling, and waving. He showed off his voice, showed off his ability to high-five, and then crawled around to the side of the copy machine to go fill his diaper.
Sound like something that your little one does?
This is a great indicator that he may be ready to try sitting on the potty!
Since I’m familiar with the early potty readiness signs by reading about elimination communication previously, the next week I purchased a little baby-sized potty and set him on it at a few times a day during our normal routine (explained below). That weekend he did all his pooping, and a few pees on the potty! We both are enjoying how much easier it is to clean out a potty than a diaper, and it’s providing fun bonding time as well.
While we don’t have any intention of having our 10-month-old go diaper free, getting him used to sitting on the potty and eliminating in it is way easier to clean than going in diapers, and keeps potty training from being such a shock. Since we’re starting out early and relaxed, there’s no pressure on anyone.
Signs that your infant may be interested in sitting on the potty:
- He goes somewhere else to fill his diaper rather than just where he happens to be during his normal play.
- She squirms while nursing, and then a few seconds later you feel the diaper leak through. This can be a sign that she’s holding her urine for a longer amount of time, rather than just going whenever.
- He goes at consistent times during the day. Always during the bath, right before you leave to bring the other kids to school, at night right after his bath..
- She is showing interest in doing everything that you’re doing. You have a spoon? She wants one while she picks up her finger food with her other hand. Your keys, cell phone, and the computer keyboard are all the most interesting thing ever.
- He is resisting diaper changes, preferring rather to sit up or crawl around.
The Lazy Mom’s Guide to Infant Pottying
I don’t do full-on elimination communication, but I do like the idea of offering the potty to a baby who may be happy to use it. A couple generations ago it was common practice for babies to sit on a potty chair at consistent times through the day (source). In the 80s parents started trying potty training later, with the fear that early potty training would harm the child’s development. Surely we can have a happy medium somewhere between these two extremes, right?
When we offer the potty to baby who is ready for it, without expectations that he actually will go diaper free, we get the best of both worlds. We save having to clean poopy diapers, and we avoid extra stress on the baby or his parents.
Here is when I offer the potty for my little guy:
- When I go. This is super simple. I’m sure I’m not the only mom who has a bathroom full of children whenever I’m in there. So I just take off his pants and diaper, and set him on the potty.
- When he wakes up from nighttime sleeping or his nap. After we get downstairs I offer the potty. I’d be changing his diaper anyway, so it’s not much of an extra step. I take this time to wash my face and put on makeup (his pottying has meant that I’m wearing makeup way more often now) in the morning, and clean my bathroom after naps.
- During a diaper change and before his bath. If I’m changing his diaper anyway, once it’s off I just let him sit on the potty for a minute or two unless we’re short on time, in that case I skip.
What do you need to start?
- I personally like a potty (this is the one we have) that sits on the floor. It’s easier for the babies to squat with, and this squatting promotes good elimination hygiene. This is the same reason that the Squatty Potty works so well for adults. Another potty for the baby also lets you both go at the same time.
- Shirts that don’t snap at the crotch are helpful, but not necessary. If you are using a snap bottom shirt, just snap it up above his shoulder when he’s sitting, so that it doesn’t dangle in the potty.
- A little song! I sing to him when he goes and if he is a little resistant to sitting there at first. Our song is an adaptation from one of the songs that my daughter’s preschool class used to sing and it goes like this, and we clap along with it, “Hurrah for (baby’s name), Hurrah for baby! Someone in the bathroom is singing hurrah for baby! 1-2-3-4, who you going to cheer for? Baby! That’s who!” Any song with clapping or finger motions is fun.
- A flexible attitude. It’s natural to get really excited if your baby has gone in the potty a few days in a row, and to start celebrating your soon-to-be diaper free status. But make sure you stay flexible. It’s common for babies to have ‘potty regression’ as they meet different milestones, or for other reasons. This is more about offering the potty than it is about early potty training.
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This is great! I started putting my daughter on the potty at certain times throughout the day at 14 months. It was nice to be relaxed about it and keep expectations low. At 22 months I finally got more intentional and going diaper-free was not bad at all–I think we probably could have stopped with diapers sooner had I been more on the ball.
That’s great Candace! 22 months for being out of diapers is excellent :)
I’m a believer! My daughter was completely trained by 19 months. Even I don’t believe it sometimes but it was SO nice to not have to wash diapers any more!
That’s great! It’s nice to hear success stories that it doesn’t always have to take til they’re 3!
As always, such simple and accessible information! I did EC with my youngest from 6wks (full time during the day with some back-up from cloth nappies. Our compromise was to use disposables at night) It was a great success. Full time EC isn’t for everyone of course and starting from a young age has the challenge of sometimes being so effective and successful in the early months that when it becomes more challenging as baby becomes more mobile it can feel as if you are going backwards. It’s important as you’ve said to suspend expectations and just enjoy the journey (and the greatly reduced number of soiled nappies/diapers!).
Thanks so much Charlotte! It’s all about compromise and what works for your family :)
It’s so nice to see someone who isn’t afraid to let their child use the potty early. My 18 month old was very ready to train and we went straight to underwear. He’s much happier overall and we are on week three with only a few accidents now. I am facing criticism from many people who say there is no trophy for early potty training. I did it for my son, not me. He was in cloth diapers and really hated feeling wet at all. Anyway, nice to run across some support!
I’m so glad it worked for you :) People get defensive about parenting, I don’t know why they say stuff like that. I can’t get my baby to nap for more than 20 minutes unless I’m holding him, but he poops in a potty… some things just come easier to some families/babies than others, people need to relax :)
I’ve noticed it helps with fussiness too! I just picked that up in the last couple days – if he’s getting cranky, take him to the potty and see if that’s what he wants. Sure enough, it’s worked a few times!
With my first daughter we started very early, around 6 months. I felt at first it was a “waste” but by the time she was 18 months old she was going fairly regularly on the pot and by the time she was 2 she was officially potty trained (an accident every now and then, but nothing major). It really started to sink in when I would see kids her age (she is now 3) that are STILL not potty trained, and they consider my daughter extremely early. It’s so nice to not have her in diapers and my son (17 months old) at the same time. There was a little overlap, but not long and not too much.
However, my son, is a different issue. He’s got a completely different personality and I did not start him at all until about 2 months ago (at 14 months). I’m regretting not giving him more “free time” and learning when he needs to go earlier, b/c right now, I don’t have a clue and he screams when I bring him to the potty. So, different child, different timing. Hopefully we can get him rolling soon, since we are expecting our 3rd baby around his second birthday!
You’re right! Different kids are so different. My 2nd was similar, no interest in the potty, even until he was 3. I had to make him sit on the potty every hour at 3 (he learned in about a week). I’m hoping this one will be easier since he’s open to sitting there :)