Early potty training

[zaichiki]

Is potty-training age EVER connected to giftedness? What do you think?

 

We have 4 kids.

The two oldest have been identified as gifted so far.

One of those happily potty-trained right around his second birthday. So -- not early. He has a lot of characteristics of highly gifted learners (:banghead::banghead::banghead: ).

The other took off her diaper at 20 months and announced that she was done with it. There was no training period: she just made the decision and was accident-free beginning that day. I had NEVER met a cild who had done that at the time and I was shocked!

 

My third was potty-trained for a few months right at 2, but then we re-introduced gluten into his diet and didn't realize the impact it had until we removed it nearly 3 years later. He was accident-free starting the day after we removed the gluten.

 

The 4th is a trip. At nearly 15 months she has decided that she will use the potty. She wakes up dry and wants to go sit on the potty right away. She uses it immediately. She asks to go (points to the bathroom door) several times a day. When she sits, she goes immediately and can't wait to flush. She still wears and uses a diaper, but needs far fewer changes during the day, which our pocketbook thinks is pretty awesome. So, I think she's training. It's been a week now and she's very reliable. Ha! This from a kid whose only real spoken word is "Mama."

 

Do others here have experiece with early self-trainers? Could this early desire be linked to giftedness? (NOT saying that a late trainer is not gifted)

[2smartones]

According to GDC, it's one of the things that could be an indication, yes, but it's not a sure sign or anything. Personally, I think it belongs in the list of gifted characteristics, yes.

 

I have a similar story. My first just up and decided he didn't want diapers anymore. In fact, he absolutely HATED being wet from the day he was born. He's the logical, OCD-ish, perfectionist type. My second was fully trained at 17 mos, but he came right out and told us he didn't WANT to use the potty. He's the creative, defiant, messy, lazy type. I mean, why give up quality playtime to do something as mundane as going to the bathroom? :rolleyes: He always thought it was fun to go at the same time as big brother, because they could "cross the streams" (think Ghostbusters) and make a splashy pee mess in the bathroom. (Boys are insane right from birth, I think. :lol: ) He was nearly 3 before he finally gave up diapers for good. :glare:

[musicianmom]

Well, after spending time around other parents IRL and on these boards, I would say that the 2nd birthday IS considered early for today's kids.

 

My oldest, who is probably gifted (no testing to confirm it), started using the potty at 12 months. I set her on it just to see what would happen, and she figured it out on the second try. Now, she was not fully trained out of diapers until age 2. But I figure we saved a lot of diapers in that time by her using the potty consistently a few times a day!

[LittleIzumi]

Both of my kids show signs of giftedness. One would still be in diapers if I let her (and she admits it--she has asked me to put her back in them several times). She'd rather keep doing what's she's doing & not worry about peeing. My other girl potty trained herself before she was 2 (daytime--it took until 3 before she was dry overnight). She does seem to be "more" gifted, but she also had serious sensory issues (which may also be tied to giftedness apparently, at least according to some), and the absolute sensory freak-out she had when wet really helped her get out of diapers. I showed her the potty twice around 18 months & she potty trained. She "regressed" for a couple of weeks but then started again on her own & was completely potty trained before her 2nd birthday.

[Momling]

I doubt it. Anecdotally... I recall helping my friend potty-train her 3 1/2 yr old, who has turned into a very academically gifted student. We would put him on the toilet where he would happily read books, oblivious to his bladder and bowels. He was almost 4 by the time he potty trained.

 

It's seems more likely to me that potty training age is related to culture, or to parent persistence, or to personality traits of the child...

[Paige]

My niece was fully potty trained before 15mos. She did it very quickly too and of her own initiative. She is not gifted. She is bright but not what I'd consider gifted.

[catz]

I doubt it. Anecdotally... I recall helping my friend potty-train her 3 1/2 yr old, who has turned into a very academically gifted student. We would put him on the toilet where he would happily read books, oblivious to his bladder and bowels. He was almost 4 by the time he potty trained.

 

It's seems more likely to me that potty training age is related to culture, or to parent persistence, or to personality traits of the child...

 

:iagree: My oldest is quite clearly leaning towards profoundly gifted and is now age 10. He trained very late - about 3 1/2. I was lazy, he was lazy, a perfectionist, and is still to this day slow to try new things. We also never had a good schedule to attempt potty training - we were out of the house at different times every day. I wish I would have used cloth diapers - I think that can make a big difference too.

 

I think a number of things go into a kid potty training - GTness may or may not play a role. Much like reading! Above kid was also not an early reader - I was lazy and never thought of encouraging him or having early readers around. Jumped 5-6 reading levels in kindergarten without any prompting. He potty trained the same - a decision made and never an accident after that. My 2nd is that way too - they are all or nothing when they do things.

[Tracy]

I am so jealous. My 3yo know all of his basic phonics and can count to 100 but refuses to sit on a potty.

[Plink]

My youngest gave up diapers (day and night) at around 15 months - I adore her and think that she is charming and brilliant; but I think that about all of my babies. One spoke very early - she must be gifted! Another could sing in perfect tune before he spoke - gifted! Signing at 4 months - another gifted baby! ...Not really.

 

Babies are adorable, and they learn so much so fast. It is easy to view their accomplishments as extraordinary. I doubt that potty-training (in isolation) would any bigger indicator than the many other milestones of childhood.

[Mergath]

In my opinion, no. Potty training age has very little to do with intelligence. Cultural norms and bladder size/control have much more to do with it. Some kids are highly intelligent but have bladders the size of a pea, or they just aren't physically developed enough to have good control. Honestly, I think it has about as much to do with giftedness as when a baby's teeth come in.

[Donna]

My boys trained at an average age both started around 2 and by 2.5yo were fully trained night and all.

 

My dd was very different. She had such problems with having a dirty diaper than she made herself so constipated around 9 months old that she screamed when going. She also cried and pulled at it the minute she had urinated. I tried the medication to loosen her stool and it made her even more unhappy.

 

One day when she was 11 months old she was in the bathroom while I was going and she wanted up so I pulled her diaper off and set her on the potty, she did her business (bowel mvmt) and let me know when she had to go from then on out. The constipation problem disappeared. Wet diapers took a little longer but she was fully trained even at night by 17-18 months.

 

Forgot to add...I don't think the actual potty training has anything to do with giftedness though the sensory issues that led dd to be potty trained early probably had something to do with it.

Edited March 10, 2011 by Donna

[patchfire]

In my opinion, no. Potty training age has very little to do with intelligence. Cultural norms and bladder size/control have much more to do with it. Some kids are highly intelligent but have bladders the size of a pea, or they just aren't physically developed enough to have good control. Honestly, I think it has about as much to do with giftedness as when a baby's teeth come in.

 

:iagree:

 

I have at least one kid that understood the concept at least three months before the body was physically developed enough. Since physical development isn't linked to giftedness, how could successful potty training be?

[Staceyshoe]

Interesting thread. Both of my kids PTed at an average age. My oldest, who is highly gifted, potty trained at 2 yrs 9 months. My youngest, who I'm guessing is of average intelligence, PTed just after turning 2.

 

For those whose gifted children do PT early, do your children also tend to have sensory issues? I can see where there may be a correlation there. A child who hates being wet/messy is more motivated to PT early, and sensory issues do tend to go along with giftedness.

[catz]

I am so jealous. My 3yo know all of his basic phonics and can count to 100 but refuses to sit on a potty.

 

ROFL - this was definitely us! We used to joke that our 3 year old could give a dissertation on why he couldn't/wouldn't sit on the potty. He knew letters, basic phonics, was doing math problems, etc. :D

 

My daughter potty trained overnight right at 3. She really wanted to go to preschool and I told her she had to be able to use the potty to do it. Refused to even try prior to that.

 

I know a family with 3 kids all trained at about 18 months. Their oldest 2 are bright, wonderful, fun kids but not gifted (the youngest just turned 2 - older 2 are the same age as our kids). They did use cloth diapers and have a highly motivated mom.

[Storm Bay]

It depends on how early. Back when I was little (can you hear the violin? I did post on the mothers over 50 thread;)), most mothers potty trained quite early. There were no good disposables, etc, and you had to use old fashioned (aka old school) diapers with pins. It was common to be toilet trained by two.

 

However, both my sister and one of her sons, both second children, potty trained themselves at 18 months. Both are gifted. However, I don't think that in and of itself that is an indicator; it has to come with other things. That said, I also know highly gifted dc who potty trained late, because just like reading, giftedness and being early don't always go hand in hand.

[Tracy]

Uh, well my first child took FOREVER to train. He just wasn't interested. He could read before he could use the potty. He could assemble snap circuits before he could use the potty. He just wouldn't do it. I started telling him to change his own diaper at 4. He finally figured it out by almost age 5. I was sweating bullets over the whole thing. I thought it would never happen!!

 

Wow. Thanks for sharing this. DH and I just decided to hold off on potty training ds3. I just have to keep remembering that he is not going to be 20yo and still in diapers.

[silliness7]

no experience...just green with envy. :D

 

I have no hopes of getting my 26mo on the training potty til summer. :glare:

[zaichiki]

It depends on how early. Back when I was little (can you hear the violin? I did post on the mothers over 50 thread;)), most mothers potty trained quite early. There were no good disposables, etc, and you had to use old fashioned (aka old school) diapers with pins. It was common to be toilet trained by two.

 

However, both my sister and one of her sons, both second children, potty trained themselves at 18 months. Both are gifted. However, I don't think that in and of itself that is an indicator; it has to come with other things. That said, I also know highly gifted dc who potty trained late, because just like reading, giftedness and being early don't always go hand in hand.

 

Yeah... I'm not looking for "proof" that the baby is gifted :lol: I was just wondering about the connection. I mean, it's SO uncommon to hear about 15 month olds just deciding to potty train on their own (or 20 month olds just removing the diaper and being instantly potty trained after NO prior attempts by the parents), that I was wondering if it was common in that population (high IQ). It's very uncommon to hear about other things that highly gifted kids do, ya know?

 

I know that early potty training in and of itself has no bearing on IQ. Dh grew up in Russia, where, m-i-l tells me, babies are trained by a year almost without exception. Of course, there's a lot of routine and evacuation communication going on there. Most of the babies aren't training themselves. :D

 

The first time it happened here (with dd#1) it was weird (cool, but weird). Now it's just spooky! (Oh don't get me wrong. I appreciate it. It would be really cool if she'd start talking now too.) ;)

[Dinsfamily]

I am so jealous. My 3yo know all of his basic phonics and can count to 100 but refuses to sit on a potty.

 

My oldest (gifted) was easily potty trained around 3yo but his younger brother (possibly gifted) could read a full year before he was potty trained at 3.75yo. He likes to do things on his own schedule and is oblivious to suggestions otherwise. At least he was potty trained before going to preschool at 4 (I was nervous).

[Guest House of Lovelock]

I don't personally think so! My kids are all completely different "levels" and they all potty trained early. I think the incentive was the trick, changing it for each child - to what they would be motivated by! All 4 were done with diapers by 20 months. My life is a trillion times easier! :)

[Storm Bay]

Yeah... I'm not looking for "proof" that the baby is gifted :lol: I was just wondering about the connection. I mean, it's SO uncommon to hear about 15 month olds just deciding to potty train on their own (or 20 month olds just removing the diaper and being instantly potty trained after NO prior attempts by the parents), that I was wondering if it was common in that population (high IQ). It's very uncommon to hear about other things that highly gifted kids do, ya know?

 

I know that early potty training in and of itself has no bearing on IQ. Dh grew up in Russia, where, m-i-l tells me, babies are trained by a year almost without exception. Of course, there's a lot of routine and evacuation communication going on there. Most of the babies aren't training themselves. :D

 

The first time it happened here (with dd#1) it was weird (cool, but weird). Now it's just spooky! (Oh don't get me wrong. I appreciate it. It would be really cool if she'd start talking now too.) ;)

 

I've never heard of a 15 month old self training, so that's a new one.

 

I once read a parenting book (NOT one I followed) that explained a way to have your dc trained from the start because babies give signs, etc. They'd put them on the potty, hold them, etc, etc. You have to take them right away. Can you imagine interrupting nursing to do this? (mine frequently had to go during nursing when they were tiny.) She learned it from observing Mayans, I think it was, and claimed to have done it with at least some of her dc. I don't know what she did at night; if she mentioned that, I've forgotten.

[Luanne]

Every kid is different when it comes to potty training. My niece trained herself at age 20 months. She is not gifted ... bright, but not gifted. My daughter is definitely gifted, but did not train until 3 1/2 (she was too busy learning how to write her name and such). LOL

[babysparkler]

My most gifted refused to use the potty until his 4th birthday :glare:

[mom2scouts]

Not in my experience. I have a very highly gifted son who is now 19, but I didn't think he would ever be potty trained. He was reading novels in preschool and still going in his pants and he didn't seem to care at all.:glare:

[nitascool]

With mine it was more sensory related.

 

My oldest PTed at 16 mo. but relapsed after a weekend with Nana at 19 mo. I was in the hospital having a baby and couldn't take him to the potty so she put him back into diapers. grrr. He can't stand being dirty even now. He has mild SPD.

 

My 2nd was 2 but he was premature. At a year he would insist on being changed immediately after pting. He trained both day & night in 24hrs. He has sever SPD.

 

My 3rd has accidents still at 6. It is not a physical issue. Also he is always dirty. Can't tell when his face or hands are dirty. You know a typical boy. :lol: he is normal sensory wise.

 

My 4th was 18mo. and she did it on her own. We only provided the place. I was trying to train her brother at the time. She has mild SPD.

[Storm Bay]

Not in my experience. I have a very highly gifted son who is now 19, but I didn't think he would ever be potty trained. He was reading novels in preschool and still going in his pants and he didn't seem to care at all.:glare:

:lol: None of mine potty trained willingly, but the oldest age was 4. How old was your ds when he finally potty trained?

[elizabeth]

Not in my experience. I have a very highly gifted son who is now 19, but I didn't think he would ever be potty trained. He was reading novels in preschool and still going in his pants and he didn't seem to care at all.:glare:

Thank you for posting this. Dd is 14 and would not , not , not use the potty seat for anything but a hat. Yep she was reading Harry Potter with relative ease and wearing diapers at night. Then one day my very smart mama brought a special antique wooden child's toilet. She used it immediately and never needed diapers again. Darn grandma is always showing me up. She got wise after her own children took apart her phones and toasters, locked her out of the house (I was 3) and she had to ask the nice man next door to take the door off its hinges. She finally gave up and put us in the nearby Montessorri at 3, 4, and 3 years of age respectively. Any time I bemoaned some fresh he** from my very capable and highly stubborn little miss she just smiled and said I deserved it in spades . Now dd is a delight in every way but as a toddler...there are no words. She was just awesome in her resilience, stubborness and focus. I am just glad she was out of diapers prior to kindy. Don't even ask. I am here. Do you think that went well either???!!!:lol:

[Snowfall]

Sorry...nevermind. :001_smile:

Edited March 22, 2011 by Snowfall