Early Potty Training Practices For 1-Year-Olds

We are definitely in the early phases of potty training my 1-year-old daughter.

For those new here, I have a 22-month-old daughter and a 4-year-old daughter.

With my first daughter, we were able to get her potty trained by 2 and a half.

• Read More: Helpful Potty Training Tips For Girls

So we are naturally hoping to do the same with our second daughter.

If yall have been keeping up with the blog, then you have probably noticed a bit of a pattern with our second child.

She has been hitting milestones a little sooner than her older sister.

The only exceptions have been that she is still breastfeeding and not quite fully sleeping through the night at this age

• Read More: What To Expect Extended Breastfeeding A 21-Month-Old Toddler

But other than that, she started crawling and walking before her older sister did.

And she even started getting teeth and eating solids before her older sister.

So it’s not really surprising that she would start showing an interest in the potty sooner than her older sister as well.

She has actually been showing an interest in the potty since she turned 18 months at the beginning of this year.

So the following practices I will be sharing below have been things we have been doing since she was 18 months old even though she is 22 months now.

If you are interested in some early potty training practices that will work for 1-year-olds, then just keep reading.

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Can You Actually Potty Train A 1 Year Old?

Before I get into some of the early potty training tips I have for my 22-month-old, let’s talk about this.

Can you actually potty train a 1-year-old?

Some sources will say that many toddlers are not ready to potty train before 2 due to their inability to control their bladder.

While others will say that it can be done.

I ultimately say it depends on the child.

A child will let you know if they are ready for it or not.

According to Baby Center, signs of readiness for potty training include:

• Coordinated enough to walk and run
• Has regular bowel movements at relatively predictable times
• Has dry periods of at least 2 hours during naps
• Can sit down for 2 to 5 minutes
• Can pull their pants up and down themselves
• Dislikes the feeling of a wet or dirty diaper
• Shows interest in other people’s bathroom habits
• Demonstrates a desire for independence and cooperative
• Can follow simple instructions
• Can communicate either verbally or physically they have to go

Based on some of these signs, my daughter is definitely showing signs that she may be ready.

Especially when it comes to pulling her diaper off and also communicating that she has to pee.

Even though she was showing some of these signs as early as 18 months, I just did not feel like she was fully ready.

And even now at 22 months, I still don’t think she is not quite ready.

So based on my experience, I just think it’s better to wait until they are at least 2.

When my older daughter was 2, her verbal communication had improved greatly and she was staying drying much longer which made it more ideal to commit to potty training.

This is just my personal preference.

I know that we are all looking forward to the days of not changing diapers and if you want to start potty training before 2, then have it.

But I also know that you can’t rush this process and have to follow your child’s lead.

Now that we have an idea of whether it is possible to potty train a 1-year-old, let’s get into some of the early potty training practices I use with my 22-month-old daughter.

Early Potty Training Practices For 1-Year-Olds

Get A Potty For Them To Practice

My very first potty training tip for 1-year-olds is to get a potty for them to practice

This was probably a no-brainer considering this is a post on potty training.

But if you are even considering potty training your 1-year-old, then you need to have a potty handy.

We are using the same potty that we used with my older daughter which is the Fisher Price Comfort Potty.

We have had this potty for the past 2 and a half years and we really liked it with our older daughter.

It has a high back and armrest that makes it comfortable for toddlers to sit still for a little while.

And it also has a splash guard and a removable bowl for easy cleanup.

I will link it below if it is still available on Amazon.

Start Talking About Pee Pee and Poo Poo

My next early potty training tip is to start talking about peeing and pooping.

This can be done during diaper changes when you are changing them.

Identify what’s in their diaper to them and let them know that they have to start telling you when they do one of them.

If you know how to sign for poop or potty, then you can start signing to them as well.

What will eventually start happening is your child will start signing, saying that they peed or pooped, or starting patting their diaper to let them know that something is there.

This leads me to my next point.

Make The Switch To Pull Ups

I know I may have some parents disagree with me on this, but I believe that the transition to potty training is through pull-ups.

Some parents believe you should opt out of pull-ups and just go straight to underwear because the pull-ups are still a crutch.

But I think you can still be successful in potty training even with pull-ups.

With this post being on early potty training tips, I definitely think pull-ups should be considered.

More so because of the motion that is needed.

As your child learns how to use the bathroom, they have to learn how to pull their pants and underwear up and down.

And I believe pull-ups are perfect for this.

They are designed to be training underwear so they can get in the habit of pulling it up and down when they go to use the potty.

Plus they are helpful when you are still in the early phases of potty training when your child hasn’t quite developed that bladder control that is needed.

I personally prefer Huggies Pull-Ups because of their ability to refasten the sides of the pull up which is great for on-the-go.

Take Them To The Potty As Soon As They Show Signs Of Having To Go

Once your child starts demonstrating signs of having to go or looks like they are about to go on themselves, you need to take them to the potty immediately.

And I do mean immediately.

Stop whatever it is you are doing and take your child to the bathroom if they are showing signs.

My oldest daughter used to run and hide when she had to poop so that was how I knew that she needed to be taken to the potty.

My youngest daughter gets really still and starts grunting which is how I know she is pooping.

So when I see her doing this, I stop what I’m doing and take her to the potty.

Sometimes, I am successful at getting her on the potty on time.

Other times, I am not.

The main thing I’m trying to convey is for her to make the association with using the potty if she has to go.

Start A Potty Routine

Another thing you can start doing when your toddler is showing potty training readiness is to start a potty routine.

This is essentially a routine in which you dedicate time to take your toddler to the potty.

In the early phases of potty training, you may not be taking them all the time.

But you can definitely start taking them around predictable times that they might have to go.

Some of these times would include when they wake up in the morning, before and after naps, and before bedtime in the evening.

Another time we will sit my toddler on the potty is before she gets in the bathtub.

If your kiddo is anything like mine, then they like to pee in the bathtub once they get in.

So to help prevent that, we try to sit with her on the potty for a few minutes before putting her in the bathtub.

As you get further into your potty training journey with your toddler, then you can start upping the times that you take them to the potty more.

Try To Stay Positive And Patient During This Time

And my last tip for potty training a 1-year-old is to try to stay positive and patient through this process.

I want to emphasize try here because it can be tough to remain positive and patient during potty training.

As I said above, we are all looking forward to the days of no longer buying diapers.

But we can’t rush this process.

All we can do is be consistent and continue to encourage them to use the potty every day.

Expect that this journey may not be easy and be ready for regressions to occur.

Potty training my older daughter was definitely one of my least favorite phases.

But I had to remember that it is just a phase and that it will pass.

She learned how to use the potty and is still doing well to this day at 4 years old.

Now that I’m going on a second potty training journey with my second daughter, I want to set realistic standards and have the right mindset going forth.

Your Turn

Well, those are some early potty training practices I use with my 22-month-old daughter. I want to hear from you all now. What are some of your potty training tips for 1-year-olds? Do you think it is even possible to potty train a 1-year-old? Let me know in the comments and while you are still check out my previous post below. Until next time!

• Read More: Extracurricular Activities For 4-Year-Old Girls

Love,

Just Jass