After you've gotten the environment ready, you're ready to start observing your child and watching for the following signs which indicate he is about to urinate or have a bowel movement:
- Crying or fussiness just before going
- Grunting
- Squinting
- Red face
- Kicking legs or flailing arms
- Squirming
- Muscle tension, especially in the abdomen
- Reaching for or touching the genital area
While your child is actively urinating or having a bowel movement, you may notice:
- Active pushing
- Contraction of the abdomen
- A faraway look
- He stops nursing briefly and then resumes
- He stops other activities and then resumes
- Reaching for or touching the genital area
Your child may also have his own unique signs and body language. Over time as you watch your baby carefully, you will begin to pick up on these. Babies sometimes very early on develop a special sound to indicate they'd like to nurse, and likewise, he may develop a special sound to indicate his potty needs. You can encourage this by making the same sounds yourself while he's going. Some parents like to make a soft s sound while baby is urinating or just hum. Another name for infant potty training is elimination communication. So, think of it as a mutual exchange between you and your child. He will begin to pick up on your signs, just as you are picking up on his.
In addition to watching for and learning your child's signs, you will want to get to know his routine (which you can control to some degree by determining bedtimes, bathtimes, playtimes and feeding times) and his body's timing. How long is it after he eats before he's ready to have a bowel movement? Does he urinate first thing in the morning? It helps to write these times down while you're looking for patterns and getting to know how he operates.
When your child is ready to use the potty or even if it's just close to time, you just securely hold him over it and let him go. Clean any residue with toilet paper and / or wipes afterward. Some children start to recognize where they are and what they are supposed to do there early in the process so even if they are not completely ready, a couple of minutes after you begin holding them over the potty, they're ready to use it.
Of course, for safety reasons, never try to prop your child on a toilet or potty chair at this age and don't ever leave him unattended. This is an active process that involves parent and child interacting closely, carefully and constantly.
When Does Infant Potty Training End?
Eventually, your child will become more aware of not only the urges and sensations associated with using the bathroom, but also the routine you have already in place. Once he starts walking, you can guide him to the potty and when he's able to follow verbal commands, you can simply tell him to go potty. There will be a period of time where it is still you who shoulders the responsibility of knowing when it's time to go, but slowly you will see your child's potty independence emerge. Play it by ear and make sure you're backing off sometimes so that your child can step up to the task.
One of the great bonuses of this method is that many of the issues parents face who begin potty training their children later are removed. Your child will already be used to the bathroom environment, won't be afraid to use a potty and won't need to be introduced to underwear, for example. This can lead to earlier independence in some cases.