First Potty Poop!

Lilah took her first poop on the toilet today! Yes, she is only 17 months old. No, I don't think it was a conscious choice. I just happened to catch her at the right moment and get her onto the toilet at just the right time. Is she going to let me know when she needs to poop from here on out...highly doubtful. Am I alright with that? ABSOLUTELY!

Toilet training is a process. When to start, which equipment to choose, which approach to take...the answers to these questions are going to be very different for every child and every family. You know your child best. The most important thing you can do is pay attention to the skills your child has and the cues that your child exhibits. Familiarize yourself with how your child learns best and base your decisions on that information. Remember to choose a non punitive approach, provide lots of support and encouragement and relax and enjoy the process.

When To Start

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, "most children become physiologically ready for toilet training at around eighteen months of age—that is, their digestive system and bladder have matured to the point where they can delay a bowel movement or urination long enough to get to a potty." It is important to note, however, that children "are usually not cognitively ready—able to associate the need to eliminate with potty use, to remember to use it, and to resist distraction long enough to complete the process—until sometime after their second birthday."

Armed with this information, I decided it couldn't hurt to get a child toilet seat and at least start to get Lilah used to the whole idea of toilet training. She was very excited when it arrived and was eager to use her new Elmo step stool to get up onto the toilet. For several weeks, I have been letting her sit on it when she has shown interest and we have also been trying to get into the routine of using it before her bath! More recently, there have been a few occasions when I have been able to 'catch her' just as she is about to have a bowel movement. Before today, putting her on the seat has been unsuccessful. Regardless, we talk about telling Mommy when you need to poop so that we can poop in the toilet instead of in the diaper. Eventually she will catch on.

Choosing a Potty

I opted to go the step stool/child seat that goes directly on the toilet route. Choosing whether to use a potty chair or a child seat is definitely a personal choice. I don't believe there is any evidence out there that suggests one works better than the other. Personally, I could not stand the idea of having to dump out and clean a potty every time my child went to the toilet! Gross! I would rather be able to just pull the flush! That being said, there are a number of factor to consider when deciding which option is right for you.

I went with the Baby Bjorn toilet trainer. http://www.babybjorn.com/us/products/bathroom/toilet-trainer/toilet-trainer/.
It fits snugly and securely onto the toilet seat and the opening is the perfect size (even for my daughter's tiny little bottom). It has a small rubber handle on the back making it easy to hang on a potty hook.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4020541

The Process of Toilet Training

I am fully aware that this process is going to take a long time and I am most definitely not in a rush. I fear that far too many children experience unnecessary pressure when it comes to toilet training and end up having very negative experiences which may or may not delay the process and/or affect their development.

I know that I am beginning the process of toilet training very early by most standards, but my intentions at this point are not to have Lilah fully toilet trained anytime in the near future. Right now, it is just about getting her used to the equipment, familiarizing her with the process, and talking and reading about it. My job as a parent is to keep my eyes open for the signs that she is ready. For now, we are taking things one step at a time...it will happen when it happens.

One final point...

A girl has a vagina. A boys has a penis. Poop comes out of our bum and pee comes out of our vagina or penis. Start your children off on the right track by giving body parts and bodily functions their proper name. One of my biggest pet peeves is when parents don't do this!

Happy toilet training!

For more information on toilet training go visit HealthyChildren.org: (http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/toddler/toilet-training/Pages/default.aspx)