potty training an 18 month old ??

[mr man]

i just had EM off lo mum asking advice.

ill keep it short as poss.

lo is just 18 months and mums asking if she is ready for potty training becasue for some reason she is pooing in the bath, mum thinks she is holding it in and doing it in the bath, and going to a certain area of the house to wee when no nappy on ( but not in the potty).

im a lttle confused thou and not sure about passing advice becaseu lo is so different here ( as some children are - acting different in cm house etc).

when here lo has three poos every day (730 -530pm) theyre never the same and often leave a burn type rash which is very painful within secs on doing the poo )sorry for being grafic :o - in nappy and ive not noticed any times she has stopped still or gone to an area when possibly having a wee in her nappy.

mum has asked can i follow what they are doing at home - i dont know the full extend of this yet as lo is not with me till tomorrow.

again confuseing becasue mum has asked for my advice but then says can i continue with what theya re doing....

has anyone had this - any advice will be great thanks. hope ive made sense.
also the pooing in the bath for an 18 m old ?????

[sarah707]

18 months is generally considered very young... especially to be consistent in different houses.

Refer them to your policy which will probably say that you will support the parents IF the child is confident, able to hold on, asking regularly etc for a week or so at home first.

hth :D

[rickysmiths]

I agree with Sarah, 18mths is very young.

I personally won't potty train, there are some jobs that the parents I feel need to do.

That may seem harsh but I don't have the time or the right conditions in my setting to do it. I am out and about,nursery/school runs, going to toddler groups etc etc. I can't and won't change my entire routine for one child so it impacts on the care the others receive.

A good example is what will happen to me in the next 6-9 months, I currently care for 18mth, 21mth, 24mth and a 30mth old so they will all be potty training through this year a potential nightmare if I do it all.

I recommend that when the parents think the child is ready they take two weeks holiday to crack it at home in familiar surroundings. When that has happened I will then carry on and I won't use pull ups I want them in pants (with plenty of spares!!)

[The Juggler]

i might potty train at 18 months if child was happy to use and regularly using the potty or toilet at home and could communicate somehow that they needed to go. this is unlikely (but not impossible).

Doesn't sound like this is the case with your LO though.

I would say if child is using potty or toilet at home for 2 weeks reliably with only a few accidents then you will start also. Then see how it goes. :thumbsup:

[marnieb]

18 months is far too young - unless they can TELL you when they need to go to the loo!!

If it helps both my own kids went through phases of pooing in the bath when about 18 months to 2 yrs. In fact, dd went every bath time for almost a month, no matter how many times she went in the day! It's a very natural thing for them to poo in the bath as its nice and warm and relaxing and they just let everything go!! ;)

[candy cat]

a bit young.... pooing in the bath sounds like it hurts her to poo maybe and in the water is more soothing?

[Bluebell]

I was going to say the same as Tabitha - if the poo is a bit sore as you say it may be better for lo in the bath?

As for following what they do at home that is a strange one - do they want you to predict when she is going to poo and run her a bath??!!!!:rolleyes:

[VeggieSausage]

My policy is that parents must take a week at home and do the initial potty training, I will then support them and carry on here. However they must be trained enough to be in pants and are using the potty/toilet reasonably at home. Why try at 18 months and make it a long laborious trial with more accidents than anything else rather than leave it 8 months and do it in a short time.

I think sort out the other probs before potty training is even attempted, signpost them to a health visitor. Also if you have other children to look after you can't possibly be potty training such a young child. Poor you!!

[ChocolateChip]

I also agree that maybe lo needs to see a hv if her poos are constantly making her sore, and that that needs sorting out first.

My potty training policy says that parents need to discuss their plans with me before they even start, (so I would not be following their plans the very next day especially with one so young) then the parents need to start off at home for a week or two and I will support the training providing the lo is fairly reliable etc.

Think you just need to put across your view of how lo is at yours and whether you think she is ready or not, but the issue with her poo needs sorting first otherwise it may hamper any progress if they do decide to go ahead with training.

[gigglinggoblin]

I would offer to sit her on the potty a few times during the day and time it if you can for when you think she might need to poo. I wouldnt spend all day in there but if she is holding on until she knows it wont hurt then she may do it in the potty, I have a mindee who has done this since about 12 months old. However I would still insist on having a nappy on until she can reliably tell you she needs to go.

[mr man]

thanks everyone.

i thought of the soothing effect when i was replying to mums EM.

mum wants to give her the option which is all great, all i can see is 'lets be reslistic here' becasue i have seen no evidence of potty training.
i have another mindee who is 30 months and jsut about to start the potty isssue he is really ready too.

i jsut menrioned to mum ( hope im right with my own opinion) that the signs for potty training are that they dont have such wet nappys all the time and when they wee its a good wee and they can feel the sensation. - konwing the feele]ing. but also needing to communicate. ( this lo doest speak yea its gaa gaa , dadda and thats it) and also showing an awareness to understadning instrucions too - simple ones i mean.

theres probably loads mor ebut they waht i ahve just picked out.


im gald mum is not insisting this, and i like the idea of the potty training at hime. i may insist this.

thanks again for yuor advice. i feel better know even thoughi kinder knew anyway. :)