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Behaviour/development

Gina Fords 'potty training in one week' - is it ever really that easy???!

83 replies

mumsgonemad123 · 18/12/2011 21:52

so i read Gina Fords little book from cover to cover, decided that my twin boys, aged 2 years 5 months were definately ready according to her criteria, and decided that Christmas time would a good time to start as no tots groups for nearly three weeks, nothing much planned, all shopping done, family all live very local and hubby off work, an ideal time to be at home and really concentrate on it. Was hoping that by Christmas day we could be over the hump so to speak.

End of day one today and i am completely frazzled and really not looking forward to tommoro!! one of the boys managed one wee in the potty all day and the other boy managed nothing. My boys are VERY lively at home and kind of feed off each others energy, running and bouncing around and that is the main problem, just cant get them to be calm enough to sit on their pottys. Its frustrating cos i know they are ready, they are very verbal and talk in complete sentences, very capable of understanding instructions etc, old enough now to have some bladder control, etc, etc, but they are livewires and just wild at times to be honest, i talk to them and they just dont listen, completely shut off from what i am saying usually cos they are interacting with each other.

I would really appreciate any advice, success stories, moral support, any input really. Am i being unrealistic to expect any success on the first day? anybody think Gina Fords method is flawed? Should i be waiting till they are closer to 3 years old? help please!!!

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Cinderfella · 18/12/2011 21:54

We need it in about 10 days; but we were out and about every day at groups, nurserys etc - maybe if we'd been at home it would have been quicker but I didn't want to train at home and then retrain again when out and about. DC was 2.2 when trained.

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idealism · 18/12/2011 21:56

did this my dd when she was 2 and a half - worked out really well. Did it with my ds and was a nightmare and he didn't train until 3 and a half. different kids, different styles. just remember they will do it when they are ready...

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mumsgonemad123 · 18/12/2011 21:56

cinderfella, did you use pull ups when out and about or keep with pants the whole time?

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StitchingMoss · 18/12/2011 21:56

Firstly, I think you're mad/brave to contemplate training at Christmas with so much else going on!

My potty training story (only trained one DS so far!): started first time round at 2 yrs 8 mths (Feb this year) and it was a disaster (as far as I was concerned!). One wee in the potty, constant accidents, lots of stress, stuck indoors going mad Sad.

Stopped after two days, tried again in April (DS 2 years 10 mths) when the weather was warm and we were in the garden. DS was dry (day and night) in 24 hrs Shock!

DS2 is now 2yrs 2mths and like your boys is very verbal, speaks in full sentences, fantastic comprehension, but I'm not contemplating potty training until the Spring! Grin

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welliesandpyjamas · 18/12/2011 22:01

Tried it your way with DS1. Awful, followed by years of toilet ishoos.

Let DS2 use the potty when he was good and ready, i.e. no potty training as such. A lovely, peaceful experience, and he has only ever had one accident since moving to pants about 4 months ago.

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Cinderfella · 18/12/2011 22:08

Pants all the way - I took every pair we owned and sometimes we used them all Blush Grin and sometimes we managed to use a toilet/potty.

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mumsgonemad123 · 18/12/2011 22:17

Yes, stitching moss, i think i am possibly a bit mad for going for it over Christmas!! although we are planning a very low key christmas, we really wont be doing anything much other than visits to Grandparents who all live within 2 miles. I think if i dont start to see some results by day 3 i will postpose, just wondered how long others stuck with it when no apparant success at first??

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BloooCowWonders · 18/12/2011 22:19

Don't do it yet ! Wait til summer hols.

My dd did it in 2 days but only once I forced the issue just before her 3rd birthday. Total of 1 accident. Ever. So easy. Can't think why I battled so long with dc 1&2 at about 2.5 rather than waiting til they were really ready.

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pinkhebe · 18/12/2011 22:22

I used the book with ds2 and we got there in about 1 week (tried a very haphazzard way with ds1 and potty training lasted months!)

The first 2 days I let him wander around with no pants on (I think she said that they should wear pants), I nearly gave up after the first day and a half, but it then clicked, and then after he was used to sitting on the potty and weeing I put pants on him, eventually moving up to trousers. But we did do it in the summer!

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smartyparts · 18/12/2011 22:22

I think, if you leave it long enough and until the child is ready - it's easy.

DS1 was 2.2. He announced he didn't want to wear nappies anymore (having been to play at a friend's who was using a potty), and that was it! No accidents, nothing. At night though, it was another 10 months before he was dry.

DS2 was much later - almost 3. But again - he instigated it, and was dry straight away.

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Tgger · 18/12/2011 22:30

I trained both mine nearer 3 and it was relatively painless. However, the Gina Ford way didn't work with DS, although I did take things from her book. DD was pretty easy. I'm definitely in favour of waiting until you are really sure they are ready and then it's done in a very short time really.

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BlastOff · 18/12/2011 22:30

Another one who says wait. I waited until ds was almost three, and he was dry in 24 hours. Honestly. Two accidents first morning. One the nExt morning. That was it. And at 2 he was talking well, able to converse etc but just thought I'd wait until his baby brother was a bit older. I will definitely do it 'late' with the baby too.

He has been dry at night since then too.

If it isn't working just stop and try again later (I'd say in about six months)

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Flisspaps · 18/12/2011 22:31

The problem that you have is that your boys haven't read the book Wink Smile

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NotJustForClassic · 18/12/2011 22:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Twunk · 18/12/2011 22:34

I waited until Ds1 was 3.1 and it was done overnight. He'd tried the loo whilst still in nappies and got the general idea so i decided when he was ready and Just said "in the morning you'll wear pants" and never looked back. Tbh I can't be arsed to 'train' so I don't and I won't with Ds2 hopefully.

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trice · 18/12/2011 22:46

I was poorly when dd was little so didnt really notice that she was getting a bit old for nappies at almost three. She just took her nappy off and insisted on using the toilet from that day on. Had a couple of accidents in the first week but perfect ever since. Perhaps I could have trained her a few months earlier and saved a few nappies but it certainly was easier doing it later.

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mulledfishandfrostedlilacs · 19/12/2011 06:37

Gina ford is flawed full stop.

I'd wait, when they are properly ready it's a breeze.

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redgecko · 19/12/2011 07:04

Did the Gina Ford potty method with DS when he turned 2 and it worked fine. Stayed in and went cold turkey for the first few days. 3 days in it looked like DS wasn't getting it and we were just about to give up and leave potty training for a few months. And then everything suddenly clicked, so we persevered for another week or so. One fully potty-trained DS (during the day) at age 2.1 (he's now 2.6 and we've had no regression). So it can be done, as long as they're ready.

We did bare bottom indoors for the first few days, then moved onto just pants and have never looked back.

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CiderwithBuda · 19/12/2011 07:27

It worked well for us. I read the book one night and next morning DS (2.10) woke up saying he didn't want to wear nappies any more!

It sounds to me like your boys aren't ready yet. I would leave it a few months.

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seeker · 19/12/2011 07:38

I advocate "Seeker's Potty Training in 10 Minutes"

Honestly. Ignore anyone or anything that tells you to potty train. Particularly people from the older generation, who didn't hqve washing machines or driers and for whom early potty training was an essential, or people from the younger generation who regard child rearing as a race.

Carry on with nappies calmly and not even thinking about getting rid of them. At some time between about 2.5 and 3.5 your child will say "mummy, I don'tnwant to wear nappies any more" to which you reply "ok darling, here are some pants and there is the loo" Or potty if you prefer, but f you have a step and the child is old enough you can go straight to the loo.

If the process causes you even a moment's stress you're doing it too early.

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HoneyandHaycorns · 19/12/2011 07:40

We waited too, and dd was dry within 24 hours. Can't remember how old she was, but nearer three than two!

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DoodleAlley · 19/12/2011 07:49

We did the Gina Ford potty training and I found it really helpful.

Have you had a good look at the questions to ascertain whether they are ready or not?

I think with boys potty training is more a process than event. We found it took longer than a week to get him listening to his body but I think bits can be quite focused on what they are doing and so it can take a while for them to learn to not only listen to what their body us saying but also to act on it.

I really rate the Gina Ford process just take the timescales with a pinch of salt. I really like her suggestion of having potty trained come visit as it worked well with DS.

But I think the key is her list of indications that your child may be ready.

Good luck!

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zookeeper · 19/12/2011 07:49

I did what seeker did except that when they were nearer to three I started to offer them pants instead of nappies and got a step for the toilet - one day each took the pants and that was that.

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seeker · 19/12/2011 07:52

The only way of knowing if they are ready is if thy tell you they are. Honestly,there re better things to do than staying in sponging carpets and saying "do you need a pee? Are you sure? Really sure? Shall we just try? Oh, dear- let's go and change your trousers. Next time tell mummy, won't you?"

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ProfYaffle · 19/12/2011 07:54

I used this book. I can't remember dd1's exact age but she wasn't far off 3. She got it within 3 days - although the book freaked me out as it said something like the dc should get it within 24hrs so I though dd1 was failing! Good old Gina.

dd2 wasn't quite so straightforward, she 'got it' in the same amount of time but is much more prone to being lazy so had more accidents as a consequence of putting of going.

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