Toward the end of last week, Thursday and Friday-ish, she wasn't going in the potty near as much as she was Monday and Tuesday-ish. Maybe once a day; I think she didn't go at all in it on Friday. Maybe it is a two steps forward one step back kind of thing. Well, as of Sunday, she started doing a sign for potty! We were teaching her to pat her tummy with both hands when she potties. On Sunday she suddenly started patting her chest at random times. We were thinking "Now what is that?" She has a bit of sign confusion, signing "all done" when she actually means she wants something. But it didn't take more than 2 pats before I realized that she was doing her version of the potty sign. She pats her chest while she sits on the potty, and pats her chest while she goes potty! By Monday we were thinking "This is fantastic, but she needs to learn to pat her chest or tummy before she needs to go." We were going to start patting our tummy and her tummy before we take her to the potty. But today, just one day later, she is starting to pat her chest right before she has to go!
This morning, she was sitting on the floor and looked up at me and patted her chest. I said "You have to go pee-pee?" Thinking she was currently going pee-pee, I swooped her up and promptly stuck her on the potty. As soon as her little fanny hit the seat she starts to tinkle! Yay! She did it! She told me she had to go then she went! No more than an hour later, my husband was sitting at his computer and she toddles up, taps him on the knee and pats her chest! He scooped her up, managed to get her tights and diaper off, sits her on the potty, and she tinkles! I'm so excited I can barely stand myself! She continued to do this throughout the day. I didn't even have to stare at her to wonder when she needed to go. I was even making dinner and she was playing in the kitchen, she grunted at me, I looked at her and she patted her chest. I took her to the potty and she tinkled! She tinkled in the potty ever single time she had to go today that she was at home. She only wore two diapers - one during her nap, and the other while we were out this afternoon. My next question is; How am I going to find panties to fit someone this tiny?
She will be 13 months old on Thursday. Just shy of 13 months old, she has learned to potty in a little potty, has learned a simple sign for potty, and has started doing her sign to communicate with us that she has to go potty. We started sitting her on the potty on August 13. Now, less than a month later, she tells us when she needs to go and goes in the potty regularly. This is seriously revolutionary! My mother-in-law asked why we would want to start potty training her so young - the answer is simply: because we can! I know my baby is a super-genius and all, but I truly believe that every baby could learn. Maybe at different paces, maybe at different ages, but the fact of the matter is that you do not have to wait until age 2 or 3 to start potty learning. Don't delay, start today!
That is AWESOME! WTG Mary Abilene! You're right, I do think babies can do this at an extremely young age - a lot of it is the parents' unwillingness. Shoot, if I only had one child, I'd have Brandon (18 months) potty trained yesterday. He talks up a storm and even tells me when he has to poop (pee is another story). Unfortunately, I have A LOT going on right now, and I don't have time to rush him in there and strip him down every time he says the word. It takes A LOT of diligence, time, and patience on the parent's part to potty train, and I say if you have the time, go for it! :)
ReplyDeleteNichole, good point! My point of view is always from the "only one child" view where I have ample time and energy to dote over my baby! :) She is also out numbered!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on #4, btw. I'm hoping for 4 myself! :)