Basics of Infant Potty Training

March 10th, 2009 Filed Under Baby Potty Training

Baby weeing on toilet Infant potty training sounds like a daunting task for those who are unaccustomed to the idea that a child younger than 6 months old can be trained to use the toilet. There may even be the concern that this is something that you shouldn’t do. Be sure, though, that for cultures around the world, even your own, this has been something that has been done successfully throughout history.

Let’s make one thing clear. Calling it “infant potty training” or “infant toilet training” is somewhat of a inaccuracy because you are not really training them to use the toilet on their own nor are you teaching them to control their bladder. What you are doing is what is known as elimination communication, for lack of a better phrase. You, as a parent, are learning to be able to tell when it is that your infant has to pee or poop. The child will then be learning to be notice when it is that they have to go and learning to communicate that they have to go to you. You become better at “listening” to what your infant is trying to tell you and your child gets better at “telling” you what he or she needs.

It starts off with you, while your child is at a very early age, watching closely to see when it is that your child is “dirtying” or “wetting”. You look for things that the infant does when they go and what happens just before. It could be a face that they make, an amount of squirming that they do, or a sound they make. You will notice trends very early on. You have to know exactly when this is happening which requires the child to go without a diaper. This doesn’t mean that they have to go naked but it does mean you have to be able to tell the exact moment that they are going.

This will take a good deal of time during your day to watch this but not much more than you would probably be anyway. Count this as a good excuse to bond with your child. Not only will you benefit from this extra amount of bonding time but your child will as well.

Once you see that they are going or about to, you gently pick them up and securely hold them over the place that you want them to pee or poop in. This can be a toilet, waste basket, small bucket, bowl, or whatever is convenient for you. You will want to do this quickly but without panicking. Your baby will respond to your emotions and reactions and you want them to respond calmly.

When your infant is “using it” you will make a sound like water is running. In many cultures the sound made by the parent is ’ssssssssssssssssss’ but there are others who will simply say “go potty” or something similar. The idea behind this is that you are conditioning them to relate the sound you are making with the action they are taking.

Once you get to a point where you are able to tell that they have to go then you will start making the same sound. This is done so that they are able to connect that this sound is goes along with the feeling or sensation they have just prior to going potty. By doing this you are helping them make the connection between the feeling just before they go potty and the action itself.

Once they have learned this they will be able to help you know when it is that they have to go so that you can get them to the toilet or waste receptacle. After they have learned control of their bladder and their bowels, they will not only be able to tell you but they will be able to take themselves to the potty resulting in a proud moment for both parent and child.

If your baby is older than 18 months, then find out how to potty train your toddler , easily, in just hours.