Do I put her off and how?

[jimmyjammyjumbo]

Firstly I’ll start by saying I had a nightmare time training dd1 and it took well over a year to have 3 dry days in a row and she still now at 4.5 has the odd accident. I have washed a lot of urine and poo soaked clothes, carpets and sofas in my time.

I want to avoid any of that with dd2 but I also think part of the problem with dd1 was perhaps missing the boat and mixed messages. We stopped and started a lot really.

Dd2 is 2.4 and very articulate and wants to do everything her big sister does. I would happily leave her in nappies for a long while yet as it is far easier than cleaning carpets but she yesterday declared she wanted to wear pants, helped herself, put them on, had a massive tantrum when I dared try and put nappies on. Yesterday we had one success on the potty but today we have had none. Not a single wee on the potty. She’s been sitting on it every sodding 20 mins and sometimes in between and every single wee has been on the floor or sofa. Now I am well happy to just put nappies back on and be done with it but if I force her into nappies am I making it harder in the long run? What do I say? No sorry you’re too little to wear pants? Or just keep going and hope it gets better?
How do I know when to start in the future? Surely it’s not great to keep stopping and starting?

[teaandbiscuitsforme]

My 22mo refused to wear nappies and I was recommended the Oh Crap book because I didn’t have a clue what to do, especially with everybody saying just leave it until they’re much older. Having gone through it, I don’t think your DD is too young - I understand your hesitation though!!

Oh Crap recommends training between 20 and 30 months (ideal for you) but one of the key ideas is that you don’t introduce underwear until week 3 or 4 because it can give them the secure feeling like a nappy so they wee. Might be worth a read and see what you think?

[jimmyjammyjumbo]

Thanks. I’ve heard great things about this book so I think I’ll buy it and wait and try again after Christmas. I put her back in nappies this morning and she didn’t even question it and hasn’t even mentioned the potty today! Although she didn’t tell me when she had done a wee.

Hopefully in a few months she will catch on a bit quicker!