Not ready? Please help!

[Tractorprincess]

Ds is almost 3. Up until about 3 weeks ago he wouldn't even entertain the idea of wearing pants or sitting on the toilet but has been a bit more willing recently.

I've been trying to potty train him for 8 days now but he's still having 3-4 accidents every day.

He is doing lots of wees in the toilet or potty, mostly when prompted or bribed but he does ask to go sometimes too, he's very pleased with himself when he manages to do it really right, but he's not pooing on the toilet at all.

He's just pooed on the floor and actually cheered and clapped himself! I Even though I'd been asking him to go on the potty. It started off well and he did a poo on his potty but since day 2 they've all been in his pants or on the floor.

Should I stop and try again in a few weeks?

Although he doing really well I thought we would see a bit more progress after 8 days.

[BeeMyBaby]

Have you put him straight into pants or did you give him a couple of days being bare bottom? Sometimes this can speed up the process as it's easier to tell they don't have a nappy on. If you've been doing bare bottom and he's still having that number of accidents per day on day 8 then I don't think he's ready yet.

[Tractorprincess]

Yes I did bare bum first 2 days then pants and clothes.

[Lollipop30]

Don’t even contemplate clothes until he’s totally got bare bum. He doesn’t really sound ready tbh, what’s his speech/understanding like?

[Tractorprincess]

His speech is a bit behind but he can tell me he needs the toilet. He can say "mummy I need a wee wee on the toilet please". It's just his pronunciation that's off, but I can understand him.

I think he gets the jist of it that the toilet is for wees, I don't think he fully understands the difference between wees and poos yet.

I find there's so much different advice out there I'm confused, some say bare bum, some say pants so they can feel when they're having accidents.

[Tractorprincess]

When he got up this morning he asked to go to the toilet.

I put him in a pull-up this morning because he just take any more poos on the floor, and within half an hour he was running around looking like he needed another wee. I prompted him to go but he was having none of it, next thing he went out into the hall and shouted "look mummy the wee come down now".

I went to him expecting a wee on the floor, I think he expected that too, but he'd done a poo in the pull up.

So I sat him on the potty and just told him that's a poo and we need to wipe your bum etc, then he did a wee on his potty.

He thought the poo was very funny, at least he's aware that he's going now.

I think I might try him in pull ups for a few weeks but keep on getting him on the toilet as much as possible, he hen try again in a few weeks.

[cherrryontop]

I wouldn't bother yet, it sounds more stressful than it needs to be.

I waited until 3 and a half and nailed it in a couple of weeks. If I had done it 6 months before it would have been a long stressful process. They need to be physically and mentally ready, able to communicate properly and understand the need to stop what they are doing to go to the potty.

[Lollipop30]

Hmm maybe wait. I didn’t bother with pull ups found they dragged out the process. Better to wait until they’re ready then do it in a couple of days. For me I knew my children were ready when they consistently told me they needed to go or we’re going as it were. They didn’t know the difference, my daughter still doesn’t but she’s been dry night and day since Xmas but often says the wrong one.

[wonkylegs]

Thing is every hold is different so what works for one won't work for another.

I would give one method a solid couple or days but then if you aren't getting anywhere try another.

My eldest decided pants were for him and refused to wear nappies - picked it up quite quickly - mind you he's a reliable pooper, same time every day (even now he's 10!)
Youngest - really not that bothered, we are starting to train now but he won't go on the potty, toilet yes, potty not a chance.