One week in and feeling a bit stuck!

[MiniMarmite]

DS will turn two in a couple of weeks and we started potty training, just to see how it would go, at the end of last week.

He's done really well in that we had lots of accidents in the first three days but since then he has been able to go up to 3.5 hours between wees/poos, hasn't had any accidents when we have been out, has used a toilet when we have been out at the shops (this was quite scary for him at first).

He isn't yet telling us when he needs to go though and has about one accident per day and doesn't really appear to notice or care when that happens! I don't mind the accidents at all but I want to make sure we progress beyond this point.

I know he has achieved a lot and I'm hugely proud of him but I just don't know where to go from here.

I feel like going back to nappies would be counter-productive but I'm not really sure how to encourage him to tell us when he needs to go. Maybe it doesn't really matter at this stage (so young and after only a week) but I feel like he will continue to have regular accidents until he 'gets' this aspect of going to the toilet.

I try to encourage him to think about it so if I notice that he is showing signs of needing to go, has slightly damp pants, we are about to go out etc I ask him questions b efore telling him that I think he needs to go. This has worked a couple of times. I gate the feeling that I am nagging him by asking if he needs to go too and can see it sometimes makes him a bit resistant to the process.

Any advice, much appreciated!

[Seona1973]

It took ages before ds told me he needed to pee - he also potty trained fairly early. I took him regularly to the toilet i.e. I didnt always ask if he needed to go, I told him we were going to try for a pee. I always got him to try before we went out and made sure we were near-ish to public toilets when we went out. It is early days if you have only been training for a week - it will come in time so I wouldn't go back to nappies especially if he is having very few accidents.

[MiniMarmite]

Thanks Seona, that's reassuring.

We go out a lot so we're making sure we all go before we go out and as soon as we get back (and while we are out if it is for several hours) so that he gets into the habit - but then it feels a bit like I'm not giving him the opportunity to tell me! I guess it is just a case of perservering and allowing him the responsibility of asking when it isn't going to be a disaster if he has an accident (such as when we are at home).

[Roo83]

I agree with pp, it does take a while. I found the way I got ds to ask was not to take him at home, just put the potty in the lounge (or wherever he was playing) and tell him to ask when he needed to go. When out I always take him (especially if distracted, like soft play or somewhere) and he's 2yrs 4mnths now. I think the younger ones do need a bit more prompting as they get very easily distracted.

[greedygoose]

Marmite - your post could have been me! I am also at the end of week one and have a dd who has hardly any accidents but does not really have the vocab to tell me, she has dragged me to the potty a couple of times but I am staying strong and can see that pullups would really not help to go back to. The pooing is a bit hit and miss but I have potty trained my other 2 at this age and it has been really worth it IMHO. Something will click! just sending you well done vibes....

[MiniMarmite]

Thanks Goose and Roo,

I'm feeling quite positive today as he has been dry all day (not even any damp patches which seemed to be the main problem earlier in the wee) and I've only been reminding him (i.e. taking him to the potty/toilet) every 2 hours or if we're going out/arriving home.

Sounds like your DD is getting there if she is dragging you to the potty Goose.

[cmutter]

I potty trained DS #2 about 3 mnths ago and he is only now telling me when he wants to go, but not all the time. So whenever I go to the loo, he does too, it's our little routine. What I'm struggling with at the moment is keeping him dry during naps and nights. I'm less concerned with nights as he's only 2 1/2 yrs but I can't get him to stay dry during naps which is a pain when he falls asleep in the car. Any advice?