Anyone here followed 'Potty Training for Boys' by Cave & Fertleman?

[somewherewest]

...sounds a lot easier than Gina Forde, but is it too good to be true?

[Chicklette]

Hi, I've just embarked on it using this book. How did you get on?

[PostmanPatPat]

We're trying to follow this book too. So far day 1 went ok, a few accidents but one wee in potty and one on the toilet. Day 2, two wees in potty, one poo in the potty and two accidents. Day 3 all accidents so far! No sure if to give up for a bit (especially as he doesn't like wearing pants or sitting on the potty). Will ask him of he wants to continue when he wakes from his nap.

How did you get on Chicklette?

[Chicklette]

We are doing pretty well I think. We have taken it pretty slowly/gently, as the book recommends. I guess we have been doing it for about 4 weeks and he is almost 100% potty trained in the house. To be honest, apart from the first few days there hasn't been that many accidents. Although in the early stages he was much more successful when naked from the waist down. He has been in pants outside the house for the last week and we have only had 1 or 2 accidents. I think the most useful thing I took from this book is to avoid getting into a power struggle with DS about sitting on the potty and to try to trust him when he says he doesn't need to go. I say to him " do you need to use potty/ need a wee" he invariably says "NO!!" So instead of forcing him or getting into an argument I usually manage to say "ok, maybe later" and then often he takes himself off to the potty a few minutes later. We celebrate wees and poos enthusiastically(!) and did all the stuff about them choosing pants and pottys and have made a real effort to stay calm and patient. He is 2.7. I'd say the first week I thought about stopping as he had some great days then some days when I felt he didn't get it but I'm glad we persevered. I still feel like it's early days but it's all going pretty well. Good Luck!!

[Chicklette]

I often 'cajoled' him into wearing pants/ taking nappy off more than it recommends in the book. If I said " do you want to wear pants?" And he said "NO!!" I would then say "which pants do you want to wear blue? orange? Etc till eventually he would choose a pair.

[somewherewest]

We've been using it for a few weeks with 2.10 yo DS. He now wears pants all the time indoors and we've only had one real accident. Like Chicklette we found we had to be a bit firmer to get him into pants in the first place. He just kept saying no. Eventually we went cold turkey on nappies in the house, after a week's telling him that would be "no pants in the house starting Saturday" to give him time to adjust to the idea. We have used bribery (biscuits) quite extensively!

I think the most useful thing I took from this book is to avoid getting into a power struggle with DS about sitting on the potty and to try to trust him when he says he doesn't need to go.

Definitely our experience too.

[PostmanPatPat]

Great! It's brilliant to hear that the book is working for both of your ds. Thanks for the advice about trusting him to go when he needs to, and not reminding him too often, I will try to follow that.

My ds is 2.8 so a similar age. We have stopped for the moment as we've been having power struggles over other issues, but I think we'll try and restart in a few weeks when my husband is also off work. I feel he is ready, as he managed a few wees on the potty, and he seems to be able to hold his wee a bit now. I will take him out to choose pants and another potty to get him excited in advance, so hopefully the answer to do you want to wear pants will be yes! But if its no, like you I'll be a bit firmer.

Thanks for sharing your experiences :)

(Sorry for typos in original post)

[somewherewest]

If anyone feels like comparing notes I'd be interested to hear how venturing out of the house goes. We haven't tried yet. We're going away next week but we're going to give it a go the week after. DS is now basically potty trained indoors but won't go anywhere near a toilet - it has to be a potty!

[somewherewest]

PS our other useful tool was 'Pirate Pete's Potty', although DS was disappointed not to find 'pirate potties' in Mothercare

[atticusfinchatemybaby]

marking place. Would love to get an idea of how many days you needed confined at home before even attempting to venture out. I'm totally prepared for changing pants/trousers while out and about, just feel like going out too soon could break the concentration needed to start getting the hang of it.

[dameagatha]

Interested to hear how you get on - have read the book & it seems sensible.

DS1 is 2.2 & started himself (copying older cousin) well before 2nd b'day. Since then we've had (at home & nursery) several days / runs of days in pants, using the potty & loo seat. But the novelty's worn off & I've got fed up washing 3 sets of clothes stressing both him & me. So he's back in nappies at home & nursery, though we often ask if he wants to use the loo & sometimes he will go.

Do I just need to keep going at his pace until he decides he wants to do pants full-time then?

[Chicklette]

We are about 6 weeks in and I'm happy with the progress. We've had a few accidents recently but they can all be explained by being in unfamiliar places. He is happily using toilets when we are out and about which is great but he still needs gentle reminders. The great thing is that you don't have to be confined to the house as it's fine to put a nappy on for large chunks of the day. We didn't go out nappy less for about 4 weeks, then we just bit the bullet and went out and had no accidents. We took a plastic cup (!) out with us and DS was happy to go in that for the first couple of days!!