Oh Crap! Potty Training by Jamie Glowacki

[QueenBMum]

Hi there,
My little boy is 2 years and 2 months old and we are starting potty training on Friday. I've read the oh crap! Potty training book by Jamie Glowacki so going with that way of doing it.

Anyone doing it this way and can send me some positive stories?

My little boy is on movicol as he has been holding his poops. He's also very stubborn and not at all pleased with any sort of change. I'm committed to potty training come he'll or high water but it would be nice to have some support on this journey.

I don't want to tell my family members as this can get very competitive (sister in law has a boy of similar age and every time we talk of our boy it's very much "anything he can do I can do better" attitude).

[teaandbiscuitsforme]

I did it with my DD at 22mo because she was refusing to wear nappies any more. It went really well and I'm now looking forward to getting to the stage of potty training my 17mo DS!

There are quite a few people who have used it so definitely people to ask for advice.

[Littlecaf]

We used it with DS at 3years. It worked. Just do it.

[Sparrowlegs248]

I used that method with ds1 at 2yrs8 months. Older than planned as had another baby and avoided potty training for a bit! Worked a treat.

[LittleBearPad]

2.2 is pretty young for potty training.

[Doublechocolatetiffin]

I used that method with my DD at a similar age and it was really good. She was dry day and night within a week. I hadn’t planned on getting rid of night time nappies but she didn’t use them after the first day so after a few weeks of dry nappies at night we stopped using them. Day one was really hard work, but I think the method is great. Good luck!

[QueenBMum]

Thanks everyone who provided positive stories. Just about to start day 3 and it's going well. Main issue is my son is happy to do everything himself when naked but when clothes went on things changed. He struggles to get his shorts on and off (they are elastic waisted so pretty easy) it's just not a skill he has mastered yet. Also he insists on taking the shorts completely off rather than push them down to his ankles. We are doing a lot of practicing and hopefully that will come good. Night training is not as successful but that was always going to take longer.

I feel we could have started sooner because when my son was 21 months he started refusing the nappy (we use cloth nappies) I hadn't read the book then so missed this opportunity.

[Mol1628]

2.2 isn’t too young! I know kids that are reliably trained before they turn two. My sons were 2.3 and 2.5. Some kids are over 3. They’re all different.
I found pyjama bottoms were good for getting them to learn to pull up and down, just those with no pants underneath.

[Mol1628]

Oh and also we practiced trousers up and down at times when he didn’t need a wee. Made it into a game. Takes the pressure off

[QueenBMum]

Thanks Mol1628 for your suggestions I'll give this a go. Also I ignored the person who said 2 years and 2 months was too young. I also have friends with children who successfully potty trained at ages varying from 18 months old to 3 years old. Each child is unique.

Not sure why that comment was written. Did that person think their one sentence was going to change my mind? Did they think they were doing some public service? They were definitely not being supportive of my decision (which is what I asked for in my original post). My original post asked for positive stories of people using this method. I guess this is the price you pay for a public forum.

[OhHolyJesus]

Worked for us for DS at 20months. Took 4 days for a poo on the potty. Was brilliant.

[athingthateveryoneneeds]

I suppose my only comment would be - be careful. If your son is witholding poo and is already on movicol, you may inadvertently reinforce his poo witholding habit. I potty trained my dd at a young age (well, we sort of fell into it really, I genuinely thought she seemed ready) but she ended up with chronic constipation that we are still trying to sort at age 4.5. It's been a nightmare and if I could go back I would have left her in nappies for longer. Everyone is different of course, but that's our experience.

[CatRen27]

We used it for dd at 2y 3m and went really well. Poos took 2 more months to get from nappy to potty but didn't lead to accidents, she just held it until the night nappy went on. I wish I'd started earlier, go for it!

[Shmithecat]

You can't train for night times. It's more physiological than simple training. A hormone needs to be in production to stop the need to wee at night. And I'm not a fan of 'forcing' potty training. They're ready when they're ready and no book will hurry that along without much stress on you and your dc.

[Shmithecat]

Poos took 2 more months

2 months???? Potty training should take no where near that long! A clear sign your dd wasn't ready.

[Mol1628]

Poos took a long time for my son too. He was dry day and all night 12 hours so definitely ready but he wasn’t keen on the sensation of pooing into the potty or toilet so he’d hold it and then go at the last minute and sometimes it was too late.
He was ready but it just takes longer for some kids and isn’t a straightforward process. If I’d waited longer I suspect it would have been the same steady learning and getting used to the sensation process.

[ForEverlong]

The whole concept of “being ready” to potty train is a modern one. If you look at the stats throughout the last 30-40 years the average age of potty training has moved later and later. This is not because children are less ready now than they were in the 80s!

[SoyDora]

Worked for my DD2 at 20 months, she was reliable with wee and poo within 3 days.
I would also be careful re poos though if i were you. DD1 was on movicol when we potty trained her at 2.4 (had no choice but to train as she just used to take her nappy off and go and wee on the toilet!) but it definitely made her poo withholding worse. It took us a good year to sort out.

[PotOfMemories]

The whole concept of “being ready” to potty train is a modern one. If you look at the stats throughout the last 30-40 years the average age of potty training has moved later and later. This is not because children are less ready now than they were in the 80s!

Actually it's backed up by clear research showing that forcing children to potty train before they are ready can lead to long term issues.

It's not some airy fairy modern parenting "concept", it's scientifically backed NHS advice.

[SoyDora]

When I tell people that DD2 was trained at 20 months I get snide comments about pushing her before she was ready.
She was ready. She was reliably trained in 3 days, and dry at night at 2.1. She’s now nearly 3 and hasn’t had an accident since. Just because they’re trained early, doesn’t mean they were ‘forced’ before they were ready.
DD1 at 2.4 just took her nappy off and went to the toilet when she needed to go. It did cause issues with her withholding poo, but what else could I have done? Tied her nappy up with sellotape and forced her to wee in it?

[Wallywobbles]

At 18 months (maybe less) dd2 said no more nappies. It took 2 days. Dry night and day. It's the child not the age. She is still very determined.

[PotOfMemories]

Some kids will of course be ready at 18 months. Current advice is all about waiting until your child is ready. That may be when they are 15 months or when they are 3.

[SoyDora]

Of course PotOfMemories. My point is that on thread and IRL people seem to get all judgey when you mention potty training before 2, as though it means you must have forced them into it before they’re ready. A lot of people seem unwilling to believe that some children are ready at that age.

[PotOfMemories]

soy, yes, just like a lot of people seem unwilling to believe a 3 year old might not be ready!

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

I tried this with DS who was also on movicol when he was 2 years 4 months. Had a post on here and everything. Traumatised him because he was just not ready, he didn’t sit on the potty all day so poos were a no-go, but weed standing up well. Anyway, left it after 1 day. Tried again at 2 years 8 months ish and he got it in 3 days.
I know you said you refuse to believe that 2.2 is too young, but you also said that each child in unique, so keep that in mind if it looks like it’s not working! Just because friends have had success young doesn’t mean you will. Good luck!
P.s DS is now off the movicol too, sometimes has a hard time pooing on the toilet but I do think potty training helped in a way! Also have really worked on his diet and actually give him the baby’s prune pouches sometimes. But obviously I don’t know the reason for your child’s movicol!

[SoyDora]

Maybe we should just trust everyone to make their own decisions about when their child is ready 🤷🏻‍♀️.