How to Conquer Early Potty Training
Elimination Communication has been growing in popularity across the country over the last few years. Moms using this technique start potty training their babies from birth, forgoing diapers. The idea was based on moms in India who carry diaperless babies around, seemingly without any accidents. Instead of relying on diapers, with Elimination Communication moms count on their intuition and mother-child relationship to determine when to hold their child over over the toilet. Subtle changes in behavior can indicate that it’s time to go and verbal cues — “Shh”-ing for urination and grunting for poop — can help babies make the connection.
If Elimination Communication sounds intimidating, sign language is another way you can communicate with your baby before he learns to talk — the baby pictured above is signing “potty.” Babies are able to grasp sign language earlier than they’re able to form words. “Children as young as 9 months can communicate through signing,” says Dr. Linda Acredolo, a child development expert and co-founder of the Baby Signs Institute at the University of California. “And we’re finding that parents can even use sign language with a child as young as 12 months to make him an active and excited participant in the potty training process.”
You can teach your child the five basic sign language signs for potty training on your own — potty, more, all done, wash and good job — or you can do it with the help of the Baby Signs Potty Training System. A kit designed for babies 12 months and up, which includes a DVD, reward stickers, a board book and a parent instruction book. By using the signs, or a combination of the signs and verbal cues, along with a potty chair, you should be able to have your tot out of diapers before age two.
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My mom claims to have potty trained all five of her children by one year old, in Viet Nam. So it’s hard for her to believe kids in America are wearing diapers until three or four.
I started potty training my own daughter at 7.5 months old. She was really AWESOME at it for awhile. And then her nap schedule changed and so did her use of the potty. She’s nearly poo-trained, but seems to be on strike for urinating. She’s 19 months old now and I aim to do the three day method when she turns two years old, if she’s not trained by then. Some friends think this is “ambitious”. I think it’s old school and the way to go. THANKS for this piece!
I wrote up my EC experience here:
http://www.tinyironfists.com/2010/01/my-girl-likes-to-potty-all-the-time.html
Hope it’s helpful to someone out there!
a+
Souris