How Early Can You Start?

How early can you start to potty train your child? In this informative video, Teeny Teh explains how in Malaysia it is very common for children to be potty trained as soon as parents start to observe “elimination cues” from their infants. As early as 2 months old, children are being potty trained. It takes more time for the parents though to observe the elimination communication being put out by their children and then for them to carry the child to the elimination station.

What is an Elimination Station?

Here in the video, the elimination station is a bathroom sink for the 2 month old and a portable potty bucket for older children. Coming from my occupational background in dealing with minimizing the spreading of germs, I would recommend using a utility sink used only for potty training or holding the child over the toilet and then when he is done, washing them in a sink marked for baby’s bathing. You can then sanitize these areas daily.

Do Babies Want to be Clean?

What is really interesting is the concept that babies really want to be clean in their diapers. We can surmise this from the fuss they put up when they have soiled diapers and how happy they are when they have just been rescued from a dirty diaper. If you try Teeny’s method, your child is trained from early age to let you know when he has to eliminate. You just have to make the transition to going to the toilet on his own to do the eliminating when he is able to walk well on his own. The down side to Teeny’s method is that not many single working mothers which is these days more the norm that not, will have time to do this. Most of them will only have their six week maternity leave and if even if they started using elimination cues this early to begin potty training, it would take someone with dedication to take over after single moms returned to work and continue this method for months until the child was able to make it to the toilet or potty on his own motor ability .

My children are all adults now and potty trained. LOL. I wish I knew about this method when they were infants and toddlers. I think I would have given it a try, at least with one of them. 🙂
Learn more about elimination cues and going diaper free.