We regularly receive questions from parents who want to potty train their children. Some want to do it early, others are afraid of crossing the child's boundaries.
A few years ago, we wrote an email to a customer and we have actually had it lying around for a while and thought that maybe there were some who could get some inspiration.
See the response below or find training pants and potty here.
Hi,
So your daughter is 8 months old, exciting. Regarding potty training. It depends a lot on how much you want to make of it. Ours was an experiment and we definitely don't regret it. Children have a natural instinct that tells them to pee and poop away from themselves, but we train them to do it all over themselves. And then we expect them to suddenly want something else after a couple of years.. It doesn't quite add up, in my opinion.
When children are under two years old, they can't control their open/close mechanism yet. But if you meet their need for "elimination," as it's called in English, their sense of when they need to go will be strengthened and they can give a signal in advance. That's how it works in most places in Asia and Africa, where diapers are not used at all. So it's not about controlling it but about giving a signal and then meeting the child's needs, just like we give them food and sleep and so on.
Our own experiences are really positive. My son sat on the potty from 8 months, never with a demand for success. Slowly we learned his signals and he hasn't pooped in his diaper since. It goes in the potty or toilet. That's what he feels best with, we can tell. He is now almost two years old and has been able to hold it for a long time, surprisingly. We take off the diaper and put him on the potty at fixed times or when we sense there is something and then he pees 9 out of 10 times and there is no pee in the diaper. However, there are still tears in the diaper and that's also completely okay. We don't have the opportunity to be 100% attentive to it all the time and that's what the diaper is for. But we feel good that he has a natural relationship with the potty and toilet and finds it completely normal to eliminate there instead of in the diaper.
I get calls from parents of 3-4-5-year-old children who say that they show no interest in the potty at all. Children are physically ready to ditch the diaper between 20-28 months, but they don't necessarily come and say it themselves. If you have done a little groundwork with the potty and are attentive to signals and take the initiative yourself, it will go like a breeze. Patience and coziness are the keywords, but many parents avoid conflict and choose not to take a stand. If you choose to put your child on the potty already when they can sit, you give the child all the prerequisites for having a relaxed relationship with the toilet and elimination, and everyone will ultimately be happy! Cloth diapers support this process, as you can always see if there is pee and the child will start to feel that the diaper is wet, a direct consequence in that way.
So please continue to put your daughter on the potty, but don't expect anything, just enjoy! Let it develop naturally and soon it will become a lovely ritual and you will become more attentive to her signs and she will feel that you are listening to her.
There are English books on the subject - diaper free baby, elimination communication, etc. You can find them on amazon.com. However, they deal with diaper-free babies and go all the way, but less can also do it. They can certainly be a good inspiration and provide lots of facts.
