Can anyone give me pointers on potty training my 20 month old little girl?

Question

I think I have tried almost everything. I have used the wet sensation pull ups. I have tried letting her wear underwear to get a feel of wet vs dry. I have let her sit on the potty to become comfortable with it. I also communicate with her about boo boo and pee pee and I tell her that it goes in the potty. I don't know what else to do. Please help!!!!!

Answer 1

Every child is different, but here's my experience with my two girls ... I'm a father of 3yr old twin girls. They showed a little interest in toilets when they were 18 months old, so we were thrilled that we might have them out of diapers early. Such was not the case. They preferred to use their diapers and we decided not to make a big deal about it. Quite a while later we started to talk about 'being big girls' and how that included 'big girl panties'. We just continued to have these kinds of conversations now and then until they decided that they wanted to be big girls. It was pretty much a quick adjustment. Every time they went to their potty we would just make a HUGE deal about it .. call each other over, hugs & kisses & clapping. That was the only 'rewards' we used. I think my wife and I must have been quite a sight hopping around the bathroom! It became a fun game for my girls and they would often try to race each other to see who could 'go on the potty' first. We kept them in diapers at night for another couple of months. They both had a couple accidents during the day and night, but not too many and not for too long.

So, from my experience, Don't Worry too much about it. Don't do any of the negative stuff .. I don't see how it's really productive, and it seems just a bit on the mean side, to me. It never really made sense to me, Why make your children feel bad? or uncomfortable? or dirty?

They _will_ learn .. just let them do it on their own time with lots of encouraging words and actions from you.

Answer 2

Whatever method you pick, be consistent with it. If you want to use pull ups, do it, but stick with it long enough to give it time to work. Or if you want the undies method, same thing. Just pick something and stick with it - some kids take weeks or even months to figure this out. Also, reward her efforts - no matter how small. You can praise her for sitting on the potty all the way to acutally using the potty. Rewards can be just about anything you feel comfortable with and will actually mean something to your daughter. If your daughter isn't getting the hang of it and is resisting, take a break from it. Back off and give her some time. In a month or so you can try again - it isn't worth making it into a power issue. Good luck!

Answer 3

First off, don't stress. For most kids, 20 months is still a little young yet. I have 25 months twin boys and only one is really ready for training (can pull his pants up/down, realizes when he goes in his diaper, etc.). What i've been doing is 1 - not push it, getting into a battle of wills over this is not worth the grey hairs. 2 - keep the potty available as much as possible - even if it means putting it in the living room with you during the day. 3 - I bought da'Boys the Bear in the Big Blue House potty video and that's helped my other one realize that the potty is even available. So something like that (book, video) might help you.

One more suggestion - I read the Parent's magazine guide to toilet training and it helped prepare me as much as anything.

Good luck to you !!
Lissasis

Answer 4

In my opinion 20 months is a little young to be potty training so it's probably going to be a little tougher but if you're up for the challenge then go for it! Try getting her excited about using the potty. Get her one of those plastic ones that go on the floor and let her pick out some stickers and let her decorate to make it more special. Let her pick out her own big girl panties. Take her to the candy aisle at the store and let her pick out her own rewards and tell her that she only gets a reward if she uses the potty but make sure to take away any other candy she already has or gets occasionally so that she knows that she only gets candy (or whatever the reward is) when she uses the potty. Make sure to give her lots of praise too.

Answer 5

Well, I would just second some of the advice above, wait a while. The physical age at which a child can 'hold it' looks to average about 30 months for girls. Not that you can't get them to have interest in the potty. My first was peeing before two, my second is just now being consistent at 2 1/2. Check out the link for an idea of what is normal. It's probably fairly rare to have full control before two, so just relax and make it fun like some of the suggestions. We give our daughter certificates, she loves them and hangs them behind the toilet.

Answer 6

If shes only 20 months old then you need to give her more time, a child will let you know when they are ready forcing the issue is going to frustrate her and drive you insane, My daughter used the potty on her own 3 days before her 3rd birthday, and like you i tried everything thinking that she should already be using the potty, but one day we were sitting at the dinner table and she looked at me and said mommy i think i need to go poop, and I said go ahead honey you havea pull up on, and she said no it feels icky in my diaper, she got up from the tabble walked into the bathroom got on her potty chair and went, from that moment forward we have never used a pull up.

Answer 7

She probably is not ready yet. It really is a little too early for most kids. Most kids are not ready until 2 to 2.5 years old and many are not fully potty trained until 3-3 1/2.

Many Dr's will tell you not to bother starting before the age of 2.

Answer 8

Just like other responders...don't stress as it is too early to expect her to catch on. I don't think the problem is with her at all. If she is 3 and still in diapers with no interest, then you'd need to be just a little concerned.

My advice is to stop trying to force the issue with pullups right now altogether...you wouldn't want any negative feelings associated with them. And they are way more expensive than diapers, too. But keep the potty out and ask her if she needs to go...but other than that lay off for a couple more months. What has worked for me is to sit her on the potty everytime you change her diapers...before you put the new one on to set up association with the diaper change at least. But don't expect her to go, or tell you when she needs to go. Praise the heck out of her anyways when she is on the potty.

Answer 9

try to take her to the bathroom before giving shower put cold water on her she will do pee. then if she starts doing that take her in the mornings before brushing the teeth and at bed time. I am doing the same with my daughter she is doing great on pee. But when its time for no 2 she runs for the pull ups. I put underwear during the day time. Still working for nights and for number 2.

Answer 10

When I was potty training my daughter we started about the same time you are. I had Winnie the Pooh underwear and that had a lot to do with motivating my daughter...she wanted Pooh underwear like mine. Also...everytime that you go to the bathroom take her with you...see if she wants to get on the potty and try. That helped with mine because she wanted to be a big girl like mommy. Hopefully this helps.