Stopping/Starting potty training

[JudeB]

I need some advice please! My DD is coming up for 2 1/2 and has been showing the usual 'text book' signs that she is ready to start potty training. So my DH & I took the plunge this weekend as we had 4 clear days at home & she has been running around house & garden with no nappy & potty close by. However, apart from one successful wee (interestingly enough whilst she was fully engrossed watching a video & not in sight of either of us) she has had no other successes and is weeing/pooing everywhere - and telling us after each event.
We have tried not to put the pressure on & encourage her to sit on the potty afterwards (which she does quite happily). If we ask her what the potty is for she tells us it's for wees & poos so the understanding is there. She also knows she'll get a sticker each time she's successful (a litte bribery never hurt!!)
Anyway, my question is this - should we try to continue now that we've started as I've read that you shouldn't really go back to nappies once you've started or does it appear she's not ready & instead of trying to 'train' her, wait a few months & see if she's any more ready? I don't want to send out the wrong message to her if we abandon the whole process as it might then appear to her that its OK to not keep trying.
Any advice greatly received - sorry for the rambling - never have been good at putting things briefly!!

[SoupDragon]

I'd say put it on the back burner for a while if you've not seen any improvement. This is the stage where we used pull ups with DS1. We still encouraged him to use the potty and to tell us when he needed to go but it didn't matter if he had accidents. We had 1 unsuccessful attempt at 2y6m and tried again at 2y10m when he got it within 3 days - the difference between the 2 attempts was quite remarkable. He was clearly ready at the 2nd attempt.

DS2 has shown absolutely no signs at 2y6m that he,s ready so we're leaving it!

[singingmum]

My daughter was a nightmare when it came to pt also.She now uses the toilet.Have you tried to get her to read a book on the potty mad but both my children found that it made using potty fun.
Also don't use pull ups as they actually only teach them that if they have an accident it's ok as no consequences i.e. not wet or uncomfortable.
Take a day when you can give child plenty of attention as they need to learn why they are holding privates when getting funny feeling.My daughter would run in a circle holding herself and shouting wee wee it didn't matter where we happened to be.Girls are harder to potty train as my son was a dream had quite a shock at all the wet patches etc on floor.Don't panick and throw the textbook out window you'll know when she's ready.Lat her go to the loo with you that to can help as you can say mummy has that funny feeling and then go she will then know that,that is the correct reaction.She may even prefer the toilet my daughter didn't use potty for long neither did my son.
Don't worry if she seems slow to use it she might not be quite ready.Hope this helps
singingmum.

[SoupDragon]

Can I just say that we found pull ups great for "taking a step back" in potty training. You can pull them up and down easily when your child shows an interest in using the potty/toilet but no, accidents don't matter. We found it better than going right back to nappies, which you can't pull up and down.

For the actual "full on" training, I agree that cold turkey (straight to pznts) is the only way to go.

[singingmum]

soupdragon
Wasn not being rude your message came up as mine did.Sorry.
From personal experience although used pull ups to see how child went both kids seemed to disagree with them as did friends although must agree def easier than nappies and are good if nappies no longer seem comfy for toddler.
Sorry if misunderstood new to messaging and keep getting ditracted by monsters.

[codswallop]

I always think you get to the worst ever day andthen carry on. Ours was 5 pairs of trousers...

[SoupDragon]

Singingmum, I didn't think you were being rude I just wanted to clarify when I used pull ups. They are indeed useless for "proper" training but I found them invaluable for the months between attempts.

[JudeB]

Thanks to SoupDragon & Singingmum for their advice. I put DD in pull ups a month or so ago, thinking they would encourage her as more like pants but I've found that they didn't make the marked change they claim!!! However, I didn't really use them in conjunction with the potty (had hoped that the cold turkey approach would work this weekend) so I think that'll be my next step. Maybe use them when out & bare bums when in? What do you think?

[Ghosty]

I tried DS at 2 and a half .... had 5 days of hell and loads of washing and carpet cleaner so put him back in nappies. Tried again at 2 yrs and 11 months and he was dry in 48 hours ...
If poo is the problem well, that's another story for us ... only just sorted that out and he is now 3 yrs and 8 months!