I have been ECing my 15 month old daughter part time since she was 3.5 months old. It was going really well when she wasn't mobile.

She started walking at 12 months and hasn't wanted to stop since. She doesn't seem to cue as often as she used to, since she is moving and playing more.

I don't know if she is just too busy to notice that she really has to go or that she just doesn't want to get interrupted to go. She doesn't want to go on her little potty anymore (and hasn't since she learned to crawl off it at 9 months) so she has to be on the regular toilet with a little seat on it.

She occasionally walks into the bathroom and sits down and waits for me to take off her diaper and set her on the toilet. Recently she has been peeing more (yesterday she had 6 wet diapers and went every time she was set on the potty!)

I am just not sure what to do. I have tried going diaper free (using undies) but that doesn't seem to change anything for her. She still lets me know in different ways that she has to poop (mostly), but peeing is getting harder and harder to catch.

Do you have any suggestions on what I can do to help keep her dry?

Answer:

EC'ing gets easier with some babies once they start walking and become more mobile, but I've generally noticed the same thing as you – the little ones get busy and pottying isn't so much of a priority.

The best way I've found to deal with this is just to make going to the bathroom a part of her routine.

Make it a matter-of-fact thing – “Oh, it's time to go potty now. Let's go.” and then go ahead and take her. You can go, too. Both of you go into the bathroom and you can go first, then let her go, to show that regular bathroom breaks are the norm.

You can also try having a few board books, or old magazines in the bathroom for her to look at. Some moms have found it helps to put colorful pictures up on the wall for the little one to look at. Others have a little basket of toys or a mirror.

I know you said underwear isn't working, but have you tried training pants? They're more absorbent than regular underwear, which might make them a good choice.

If you're in the Northern Hemisphere like me, and going into winter, I know the thought of anything that's going to soak the pants and the socks if there's a miss isn't pleasant. But it could help motivate her. If it doesn't work at all, or frustrates you, just let it go.

I would say just continue to offer the potty and watch for her cues. And do make going potty part of her routine. You can get a feel for how often she's going to figure out your timing.

I went through a period like this with my daughter when she first started walking and remember it being really frustrating. But I just kept offering her the potty and tried to make it a regular part of our routine. It was just a few months after she started walking that everything “clicked” for her and she was fully potty trained.

So hang in there and remember that eventually, she's going to be going in the potty every time 😉