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As some of you may know, DF and I are planning TTC this December(if we're not already pg now!) If all goes to plan Lily will be at least 21mths old or if already pg, then 18mths old when the baby is born. What do i do about toilet training? Should i start early well before the birth or is this too early or should i wait til after, which i really dont want to do?
If you can get her trained before you give birth that is great, as they don't recommend training during the time of a new baby's arrival. We were going to train Kameron in the 4wks Andrew had off after Lachlans birth and alot of places said don't do it while there is a new baby, as the child will feel like you are forcing them to get rid of nappies. If you are pregnant now (fingers crossed) 18mths is probably a bit too soon imo.
Love
You can try Teagan but unless she is willing to co-operate then it's no point.
Mason had shown interest to sit on the toilet before I had Angus (he was 22 mths when Angus was born) but he didn't do anything on it.
He regressed with his speech after his brother was born and he also refused to sit on the toilet or potty as well.
ISKWYM about not wanting to have 2 in nappies but in the end it is really up to them.
From experience, the best advice I can offer you is to start toilet training when Lily is ready, not when it suits you. We had a dreadful time with Christine because I was convinced that she should start toilet training at 18 months because of the warmer weather, and she just wasn't up for it.
You will most likely notice little changes in her behaviour that indicate she is ready to start moving out of nappies, if you want to encourage her, maybe put the potty in with the toilet and start to talk to her about how 'big people' go.
If you do start toilet training and she acts distressed about it, you might just have to put it off a few weeks and try again. I fully understand your desire to have your toddler out of nappies before the baby comes, but you'll have to guage if it's possible by her behaviour, not by a calendar. I wouldn't wish on anyone the battles we had with Christine, because I was determined that she COULD learn it. I knew better the second time around and let Sam learn at her own pace, when she was ready. They were both well out of nappies before they were two, but the second time around was a lot easier on me!
Kerrie
Harry was 21 months old when I had Grace and he was nowhere near ready to toilet train (he is still resisting the idea now). My advice to you would be to not worry about it until after you have had the baby, if all goes to plan and you have another bub when Lily is 21 months or so. IMO 18 months is too early, but all toddlers are different.
I actually think having the two in nappies was easier in the beginning, because I could just change them both and be done with it. The last thing I wanted to be doing when Grace was a newborn was trying to get Harry to use the toilet. Now both of them are older it feels like the right time to start training him, if only he would agree!
Bon
I say do it when Lily is ready i have been trying Kimberley since she turned 2 she is now 2½ and is only just starting to go on the potty or the toilet without us asking.
Lily will let you know when she is ready.
Tegan,
My tip is have a potty that she can play with etc ASAP..
I learnt this from my sister whom had a boy that the summer after his second birthday she bought a potty & started trying to teach him to sit on it etc...
But he was petrified of this thing he was now expected to sit on... So it made him scared & afraid of it & he began hiding whenever he went.
With Maddison, as soon as she could sit on her own, I would get her up in the morning, make her toast & sit her on a blanket, sitting on her potty infront of the TV, she loved it & would kick her legs singing to HI5, she would pooh & wee quite often as that was the time she'd generally do a pooh & so we'd cheer & clap together...
By the time she was 20 months she was fully trained (almost by herself) day & night... As it wasn't something we just one day introduced, she had played with the potty & come to enjoy sitting on it!
She would even at around 14 months take her nappy off sit on toilet & yell out "Yay!" I knew she'd been.... So clapped & really made a big thing of it... It was not so great when she was 18 months & would carry the potty to the toilet to tip out herself & just spill it everywhere!
But I think having it around prior to training really helped & we will get one soon to have around so Indah can play with it etc. maddy would wear hers (clean) as a hat etc & put her dolls & teddies on...
Sorry rambled on there, but maybe if you grab one now & just have it where she can play with it, so it's not introduced one day & then start training, let her get used to it!!!
Ok Good luck with TT & #2!!!
Id have to say to wait until little Lily is ready. In my experience though..after baby is born..while there can be a period of adjustment and regressing..it doesnt take long for the older child to want to be a "big" and separate from nappies and babies. It happened with all 3 of my girls, where they would want to use big girl toilet..wear big girl knickers not like baby such and such...hope this helps.
Jo
As much as having 2 in nappies is an extra expense, if Lily is not ready then don't push the fact as it will only cause further frustration and confusion for her. I was thinking of doing the same but my DD was not ready so I didn't push the fact. She hadn't got to the stage where she'd tell me her nappy was dirty, she would have been happy to sit in a yucky nappy all day give it half a chance. :-s
I think now he is born, she's gone through a few stages where she has given up the dummy as she is the big girl now and only babies need dummies, and gradually we are working on the whole toilet issue.
We have a very basic potty in the bathroom, she always comes in with me now and will sit on her potty (with her nappy still on) etc.
I let her wear knickers for a little while during the day so she can feel how much better it is. She's only just grasping the concept now but has a long way to go and when I look back, she was no where near it at 20 months.
Once your 2nd baby is born it's amazing how quickly the older one grows up. My little girl went from being my baby to this independent little thing, we still have a while to go with the potty training but she's only just grasping the whole concept now.
Fingers crossed this is the month for you btw :D
Tracey, that's a pretty good idea. I might give that a go! She loves to play with everything, so it can't hurt! :)
My Mum always put us on a potty as soon as we were sitting like Tracey suggested, like Tracey said it gets them use to sitting on the potty and while they are eating sitting in front of TV they will often do something in it.
I tried to toilet train DD1 when she was nearly 2, we bought a potty for her ages ago, but she didn't like it and we bought a special seat that had a step and handles for the toilet which she seemed to like (made her feel like a big girl). But she just wasn't ready and when I had DD2 I had 2 babies in nappies. She finally graduated to going to the toilet by the time she was 2 1/2 during the day only. But she did it when she was ready. DD2 was a breeze she was toilet trained during the day by 18 months, but again it wasn't something I did, it was something she wanted to do. By 2 years old she was out of nappies day and night.
So I agree with what others have said, you could give it a try and see how she goes, but if she's not ready don't push her.