How much credence should I give to that "signs of PLing readiness" list, lol

[Harmony96]

So since I was pregnant, I've gotten weekly updates on what was happening in the pregnancy, and then when DD arrived, the emails changed to what's happening w/ your baby (and now toddler). One of the topics this week was PLing readiness, and one of the signs was if they stay dry for 3-4 hours. I've been keeping a log of DD's input and output over the past few days... and she's closer to 3-4 TIMES an hour than 3-4 hours.

I'm not antsy for her to train or anything, really, and she is still somewhat young, but I read these lists and then wonder if she's ever going to "fit the mold." For another example, at 8 months when we started solids, she still hadn't reached all of THOSE "readiness signs" either. But she was way ready and has never had solids trouble.

[curlytop]

I do not know how old she is now, but I would start at least giving her potty opportunities when she wakes up, before and after meals, etc ( several times a day) to get her and if needed make a cue sound when she does go. She will need to learn to recognize when she goes again. Do not be a nazi about it but give her the opportunity to learn that the potty is the appropriate place for elimination and then encourage her to go longer stretches. I have been PT ECing/ PLing my 7 month old since she woke up dry from a nap around 3 months. I would assume that your child will begin holding it and not going as often when they realize there is a reason to hold it ( saving for the potty).

[Harmony96]

Originally Posted by curlytop I do not know how old she is now, but I would start at least giving her potty opportunities when she wakes up, before and after meals, etc ( several times a day) to get her and if needed make a cue sound when she does go. She will need to learn to recognize when she goes again. Do not be a nazi about it but give her the opportunity to learn that the potty is the appropriate place for elimination and then encourage her to go longer stretches.

That bolded is the part I'm having a problem balancing.

Originally Posted by curlytop I have been PT ECing/ PLing my 7 month old since she woke up dry from a nap around 3 months. I would assume that your child will begin holding it and not going as often when they realize there is a reason to hold it ( saving for the potty).

My DD is 18 months. Today, she woke up from her nap and was already wet. I nursed her, and a half hour later I set her on the potty. She had also been sipping water quite a bit. She sat there for about 12 minutes and nothing. I just don't know when she's most likely to go b/c by the time she makes any noise at all in the morning or after her nap, she's already wet. I've been writing down when she has a wet diaper and when she eats and naps, to see if I can see a pattern if it's all on paper, but I only have 3 days' worth and someone in one of my other threads told me not to get too bogged down in that.

This isn't the first time I've tried ECing, or even the 2nd or third time. I could never make it work. DD was never frustrated, but I never had any catches and just gave up. Now she's really too old for ECing and I fear that PLing will now be a years-long process.

Sorry... pity party over now.

[dragondance]

Dd finally went more than twice a day when we got a potty chair and she could watch a movie while sitting on the potty. Then she got better at it. (And now, she goes back and forth with diapers and undies and nekkid and peeing on the floor and then back to diapers *sigh* .)

Although I don't know if I agree with lists of readiness in general. Like the teething biscuit box that says babies should be crawling on hands and knees before they are ready to chew on a teething biscuit?

[Harmony96]

Originally Posted by dragondance Dd finally went more than twice a day when we got a potty chair and she could watch a movie while sitting on the potty. Then she got better at it. (And now, she goes back and forth with diapers and undies and nekkid and peeing on the floor and then back to diapers *sigh* .) Although I don't know if I agree with lists of readiness in general. Like the teething biscuit box that says babies should be crawling on hands and knees before they are ready to chew on a teething biscuit?

heh I hit reply to post and the whole paragraph that you edited in popped up too and surprised me.

I think DD would be perfectly content to sit on her potty for a movie-length time... but only if I'm right there next to her. She gets antsy and then just randomly stands up. But then will sit right back down if I ask her to. She's only peed in the potty once but I think it was a fluke thing and we'll probably have to just put the potty away entirely and wait until she's 4. *sigh* Good thing she's a tiny girl, we should be able to make do w/ the infant and premium prefolds we have and not have to go into the toddler ones.

[cravnp99]

I've totally been wondering the same thing! I keep telling myself not to wait too long or it will be harder because she will have figured out that eliminating in her diaper has been "working for her" for the past 1.5 years and she won't want to stop what she's doing to potty!

I thought I would start sometime this month (17 months old) but I keep putting it off and thinking maybe I'll wait til 18 months... I want to try working with her this summer because I'm not working over the summer and it's warm weather for nekkie time...

I think it's the all or nothing part of me that has trouble with this... I'm not really good at these transisions... I was scared of the bottle/sippy transition, but she did just fine with it. I think I need to give her more credit than what I think she's capable of.

The past couple of days she has put her own dish in the dishwasher & closed the door... has helped me put laundry into the dryer... and wiped up water that she spilt on the floor. THEN, WHEN I WASN'T EVEN LOOKING, she hung up the wet dishtowel on the drying rack in the laundry room! I thought dh must have done it when he got home, but he said he didn't! I couldn't believe it!

So if she understands all that.. I'm sure she can figure out pooing and peeing in the toilet.. I think she just doesn't have the patience to sit (and neither do I!) Guess I'm going to have to bring a whole stack of books into the bathroom, because she loves to sit and read books. I read one book four times in a row because she kept handing it to me to read again.

[starsandlollipops]

.. each child will do things in their own time, and all we can do as parents is show them the way.. let them know what's 'next' and that it's ok to go to the potty.

I have been trying to get my 27mo old to PT since I was preg. w/ DS (whose now 3 mo old).. nothing. She screams when I bring the potty out, I have one in each bathroom, and even the one that goes on the seat. I'm not pushing it, although she's started pooping in the bathroom she'll run in there and close the door, ask me to turn on the light and then tell me to go away- when she's done, she flushes the toilet. All this, while wearing a diaper! Silly girl! FWIW, DD would wake up dry when she was about 18 mos, and could go awhile w/o needing to be changed, but when DS was born, I think she's regressed a bit..

Anyhoo, I just thought it would make you feel better to know you're not alone and that your DD will come around when she's ready.

[Harmony96]

Originally Posted by cravnp99 I've totally been wondering the same thing! I keep telling myself not to wait too long or it will be harder because she will have figured out that eliminating in her diaper has been "working for her" for the past 1.5 years and she won't want to stop what she's doing to potty! I thought I would start sometime this month (17 months old) but I keep putting it off and thinking maybe I'll wait til 18 months... I want to try working with her this summer because I'm not working over the summer and it's warm weather for nekkie time... I think it's the all or nothing part of me that has trouble with this... I'm not really good at these transisions... I was scared of the bottle/sippy transition, but she did just fine with it. I think I need to give her more credit than what I think she's capable of. The past couple of days she has put her own dish in the dishwasher & closed the door... has helped me put laundry into the dryer... and wiped up water that she spilt on the floor. THEN, WHEN I WASN'T EVEN LOOKING, she hung up the wet dishtowel on the drying rack in the laundry room! I thought dh must have done it when he got home, but he said he didn't! I couldn't believe it! So if she understands all that.. I'm sure she can figure out pooing and peeing in the toilet.. I think she just doesn't have the patience to sit (and neither do I!) Guess I'm going to have to bring a whole stack of books into the bathroom, because she loves to sit and read books. I read one book four times in a row because she kept handing it to me to read again.

I wish nekkie time was an option for us. We are renters w/ carpet everywhere and no backyard.

Oh about the books thing... DD had a board book today while she was sitting on her potty "not" peeing or pooping, lol... and every time she turned a page, she'd keep pinching her belly in the book. She never did cry about it or anything, just pulled the book off of her belly and went on.

That's so awesome that she does all those "chores." My DD doesn't do anything on her own, usually, but she does throw away trash and close doors and put stuff back and put stuff in. I don't know if all that means she's cognitive enough to PL though.

[Harmony96]

Originally Posted by starsandlollipops .. each child will do things in their own time, and all we can do as parents is show them the way.. let them know what's 'next' and that it's ok to go to the potty. I have been trying to get my 27mo old to PT since I was preg. w/ DS (whose now 3 mo old).. nothing. She screams when I bring the potty out, I have one in each bathroom, and even the one that goes on the seat. I'm not pushing it, although she's started pooping in the bathroom she'll run in there and close the door, ask me to turn on the light and then tell me to go away- when she's done, she flushes the toilet. All this, while wearing a diaper! Silly girl! FWIW, DD would wake up dry when she was about 18 mos, and could go awhile w/o needing to be changed, but when DS was born, I think she's regressed a bit.. Anyhoo, I just thought it would make you feel better to know you're not alone and that your DD will come around when she's ready.

(and at her needing privacy and even flushing the toilet after pooping... she's just missing one step! lol)

I just hope my DD is "ready to come around" before she's 4 or 5.

[tessa1002]

I don't pay much attention to those things. DS has met ALL of those "readiness signs" for a while now, and he still wouldn't pee in the potty if his life depended on it. So frustrating!