My first son was potty trained by the time my second was born, and that alone I thought was because he was my first and I had more time to help him learn. The art of potty training with cloth diapers started very early. Probably earlier than most people even think about beginning to potty train.
I began around 11/12 months with elimination communication. Cloth diapering helped speed the process along. Since cloth diapers aren’t meant to stay on baby’s bums for more than two hours they become very uncomfortable to sit in.
The combination of cloth diapering, elimination communication and consistency is how I potty trained both of my boys before two.
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Potty training my first born
Yes, it was easier because I did have all the time in the world to ask him every hour ‘do you need to go potty?’ Needless to say he really took to it well too. I know every child is different and this was just my experience and what I did to help my children learn this skill.
Because it is a skill. Let’s face it; aiming, wiping, listening to your bodily functions, that can all be difficult!
Although, I feel like we underestimate the intelligence of babies, even at a young age. They really can understand far more than we think! And if given the chance, they will show you just how smart they are by their actions and their development.
I began by teaching him the signs for potty, poop, and change (during diaper changes). I started signing with him very early on, so he picked them up quickly. Anytime he was doing one of the three I would repeat the sign and say it out loud as well.
We invested in a simple toilet for him like this , which I actually put in the living room for about two months. This was so he could sit on it and be comfortable with it. Basically, normalizing it. My husband and I took him to the bathroom with us whenever we would go. We also allowed him to go outside (only number 1, although number 2 did happen once…then a dog ate it! Hah! Gross but still funny!)
Then eventually as he would pee/poo in his diaper he would do the sign associated with it. That is where my use of elimination communication begins. I didn’t go full on with EC simply because we just went with what was best for our children and family.
More on EC
Here’s the site I did all my research on EC.
Getting Started with EC: the When and How of Elimination Communication – DiaperFreeBaby
I had also heard about EC before diving into the internet for info. There was a great article in the Wall Street Journal a few years ago about how Vietnamese mothers and grandmothers would do a particular whistle when the child was going to the bathroom. The child would then associate that sound with going to the bathroom and when it came time the mother would know (because we all know the signs of potty time from our children), then use the whistle to compel the child to use the bathroom. Then over time the child would be used to going and didn’t need the whistle cue anymore.
Naturally, I thought that was fascinating and learned our western term for it. That combined with consistency and cloth diapers, potty training is pretty effortless with my second son.
Potty training my second
Gus took the reigns. Without my knowledge, he just wanted to start getting on the big boy toilet and pee like dad in there too. I had a tiny toilet already, which wasn’t often used by him.
I did the same signing and word association as my first. We are toward the tail end of the training process. He doesn’t usually go potty through the night. Occasionally, he pees just once but more often than not, he is dry in the morning.
He eats a snack and then goes potty first thing in the morning. He tells me when he’s about to poop so a lot of this part is on me to get him on the toilet before it comes out. We have accidents still. Being diaper free does require extra towel on hand because they still happen. He doesn’t make it in time or I’m not on my consistency.
He’s only 20 months and on track to be fully potty trained by two years for sure.
On my end, I need to ask him often if he needs to go. I need to just keep up with that consistency. That is really the key to potty training, even with cloth diapers or EC, it’s about commitment and consistency.
Potty training with cloth diapers
Obviously, any diapers can be used to potty train. However, cloth diapering gives you the advantage because since they don’t hold 8 hours’ worth of pee, your child becomes uncomfortable in a soiled diaper. They feel it more so they can actually feel what their body is doing and the sensations that are happen before and after. They learn that just as a side effect of using cloth diapers.
So, when he was going in his diaper I could tell, he could tell, and even after he was done, I put in him on the toilet just to create that association.
Needing to change the diapers frequently is useful for potty training. That gives me an opportunity to let him be diaper free and learn his cues.
Acceptance of accidents were something I kept in mind. If there were things, like my rug, I didn’t want him to pee on, I rolled it up.
I didn’t yell or make him feel bad for peeing outside of the toilet because when that happens kids can associate them getting in trouble with going potty and I certainly didn’t want to foster that. It would regress everything I had worked on! Simply going, ‘Uh oh! You went potty, where do we go potty? In the toilet silly!’ then I’d walk him to the bathroom and sit him on the toilet while I cleaned up.
Overall, I wanted this to be a positive and smooth learning experience. Gus has been pretty different in the potty training season. He took the lead and I’m just keeping up with the consistency.
Anyone else going through this season currently? What has worked best for you?
In gratitude,
Tayler
