Potty training 11 month old

**Trpta108** · 08-11-2011, 02:02 PM

The family is from Slovakia and this is quite normal there. What would you do?

Pipsqueak · 08-11-2011, 02:15 PM

Your home , your business your rules

if you aren't happy then I would refuse to do it
I am a bit like Rickysmiths - I ask the parents to successfully start it at home for at least a week if possible.

Whilst it may be the norm for Slovakia I would be telling them that a child is not developmentally ready and doesn't understand
Its a hygiene issuse for your home and other children
Its a cleaning (constant) issue
Its could be detrimental to the child

**little chickee** · 08-11-2011, 02:22 PM

There is no way i would even attempt to potty train such a young child.
The child will not be ready physically or mentally.

Will the child be able to tell you he needs the toilet?
Or do you spend all day in and out of the bathroom every 5 mins?

Just thinking about it makes me shudder.

If the parents insist i would tell them they need to start at home and if by some miracle the child grasps the concept and is clean and dry you will continue - but i doubt it!!

**The Juggler** · 08-11-2011, 02:24 PM

do you have a policy. my policy states that children need to be started off with potty training at home and be able to tell me or indicate they need the toilet when they start in pants here. with a child of 11 months you are potty training you are simply putting them on the potty and hoping they can go.

**jane5** · 08-11-2011, 02:33 PM

I would say no to this request.
All the parents will be doing is guessing when the child will go on the potty and in my setting I do not have the time to do this because I have other children to care for.
As the others have said it is a hygiene problem as well.

I have a 2 yr old that is starting to use the potty at home but his is not ready yet and I am working with the parents to encourage him but I will not accept him without pull ups yet. There is no way I would accept an 11 month old with out a nappy.

Do the parents still use nappies and the potty as well or have they just put pants on the lo?

**PixiePetal** · 08-11-2011, 02:40 PM

as above!

once successful and mostly reliable at home, I will continue it.

**markys** · 08-11-2011, 02:45 PM

I know that it's possible - we are originally from the Czech Republic and it's very similar there. I was (and lots of people I know) also potty trained before the age of 1 but in my belief it's not the child who is potty trained but the parent. Talking now to my mum about how it went, the main thing is pretty much watching the child closely and reading the signs, then grabbing them, running to the toilet/potty and if you are lucky, you will have made it on time. The child will eventually learn to make some sorts of sounds (grunting, one-syllable words, etc.) to say they need a toilet.
As a childminder, I would personally never agree to that unless the child is already potty trained from home and can communicate really well that they need a toilet, which is not going to happen at this age. We are a setting where we can have up to six children under the age of five so it can be very busy at times, so there is a big chance that we will fail to spot the signs or hear the right sort of "grunting".

**Nature'sKids!** · 08-11-2011, 05:40 PM

Elimination communication!!

**mufftie** · 08-11-2011, 06:26 PM

Oh no definately not !in struggling with a 2.5 yr old at the mo , parents tell me he's,trained but he certainly isn't ! It's a right royal pain in the ass

**VeggieSausage** · 08-11-2011, 07:56 PM

Big no no, you won't be able to go anywhere or do anything!

**tulip0803** · 08-11-2011, 08:20 PM

My Mum insists that I was trained at 9 months - this seemed to consist of sitting me on the potty with a drink in front of the telly, or with a pile of books or toys, every 15 mins until I weed! She did not do it when my brother and sister came along as she was already dealing with a toddler.

I wouldn't attempt it. Like the others I have a policy that states that they start and home for at least 1 week and if successful will carry on - if not successful will have to try it again in a few weeks/months. Again I would state hygiene reasons and that you cannot spend all day watching just one child for signs. I had to tell one potty training mum that I could not let her daughter run around my house with no knickers on - she would use the potty naked but forgot with knickers - for hygiene reasons.

**Trpta108** · 08-11-2011, 09:42 PM

Thankyou for all your replies. I wish I had a policy. I guess I just have to have a chat and explain what several of you have said, that I will support after she has been dry for a week. I guess i could put her on the potty regularly as long as she wears pullups.

**moggy** · 08-11-2011, 09:47 PM

As said already, I would research Elimination Communication (EC). There are plenty of babies who pretty much never wear nappies but it is the carer who learns to work with the baby's signs and signals about their body's needs. It is very common/normal in many cultures round the world and is a niche interest in USA/UK. Of course, that does not mean it is practical for you to get involved in- but certainly do bear in mind this is not a 'crazy' suggestion from the parents. I'd talk with the parent more about how they would plan to go about it and try to avoid jumping to conclusions too fast. It may be that they EC at home but have nappies with you- it is not an 'all or nothing' thing with such a little 'un.

**JCrakers** · 08-11-2011, 09:52 PM

No, wouldn't do it, my house my rules

Not got the time to faff about with an 11 m old on a potty...no way

**The Juggler** · 08-11-2011, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by moggy

As said already, I would research Elimination Communication (EC). There are plenty of babies who pretty much never wear nappies but it is the carer who learns to work with the baby's signs and signals about their body's needs. It is very common/normal in many cultures round the world and is a niche interest in USA/UK. Of course, that does not mean it is practical for you to get involved in- but certainly do bear in mind this is not a 'crazy' suggestion from the parents. I'd talk with the parent more about how they would plan to go about it and try to avoid jumping to conclusions too fast. It may be that they EC at home but have nappies with you- it is not an 'all or nothing' thing with such a little 'un.

i don't think op was suggesting parents shouldn't be potty training the baby just whether she could suggest to parents that this method/this early training is not practical in a CM setting.

**little chickee** · 09-11-2011, 09:52 AM

Elimination communication - i saw a tv programme about this a couple of years ago - it was hilarious!

Parents were feeding very young babies with a nappy placed under them but not fastened - when baby weed they replaced the nappy. Babbies were left lying on unfastened nappies - again when they weed nappy was changed.

hhmm - whats the difference from fastening nappy and changing reguarly?

Toddlers were running about weeing and pooing all over the house. parents seem to spend a large amount of time cleaning up.

Also spending ages holding babies and toddlers over the toilet waiting for them to wee. When they did wee parents would proclaim that they were toilet trained!!!

Apparently they would get the idea and stop weeing and pooing everywhere aound 2 - 3 years old - the same time as most nappy wearing toddlers.

Biggest heap of nonsense i have ever seen!! ( Just my opinion!)

**JCrakers** · 09-11-2011, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by little chickee

Elimination communication - i saw a tv programme about this a couple of years ago - it was hilarious!

Parents were feeding very young babies with a nappy placed under them but not fastened - when baby weed they replaced the nappy. Babbies were left lying on unfastened nappies - again when they weed nappy was changed.

hhmm - whats the difference from fastening nappy and changing reguarly?

Toddlers were running about weeing and pooing all over the house. parents seem to spend a large amount of time cleaning up.

Also spending ages holding babies and toddlers over the toilet waiting for them to wee. When they did wee parents would proclaim that they were toilet trained!!!

Apparently they would get the idea and stop weeing and pooing everywhere aound 2 - 3 years old - the same time as most nappy wearing toddlers.

Biggest heap of nonsense i have ever seen!! ( Just my opinion!)

Agree totally..Each to their own but I personally think its not the correct approach (my opinion only) I would definilty not agree to it in my setting

**JCrakers** · 09-11-2011, 10:07 AM

Out of interest where they using disposable nappies on the programme? If so what a ****** waste after 1 wee

We have enough problems with waste

Really hope they were washable

**Trpta108** · 09-11-2011, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by moggy

As said already, I would research Elimination Communication (EC). There are plenty of babies who pretty much never wear nappies but it is the carer who learns to work with the baby's signs and signals about their body's needs. It is very common/normal in many cultures round the world and is a niche interest in USA/UK. Of course, that does not mean it is practical for you to get involved in- but certainly do bear in mind this is not a 'crazy' suggestion from the parents. I'd talk with the parent more about how they would plan to go about it and try to avoid jumping to conclusions too fast. It may be that they EC at home but have nappies with you- it is not an 'all or nothing' thing with such a little 'un.

I don't think it is a 'crazy' suggestion, I have heard and read about EC, I was even planning on trying it with my 5th baby. But as you say it is all about reading the baby's signs and be ready to throw everything you have in your hands to run to the toilet, and with 4 other children it just wasn't going to work for me. I will talk to the parents how we can make it work for all of us.