Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

Is your child ready for potty training at nursery? Here's the place for all your toilet training questions.

Is your child ready for potty training at nursery? Here's the place for all your toilet training questions.

Potty training

Last minute decision to potty train this weekend. Where do I start? !

25 replies

WhyTheHeckMe · 28/06/2018 23:01

Ds is 2 and a half. Nursery told me today that he's asked to use the potty although he didn't do anything on it. My family and best friend who we regularly spend time with them and their kids are all away this weekend so we've decided now is the perfect time as we will be home without the temptation of going out socialising.
However this last minute decision means I've done no research as to what to do, so if anyone can give me the biggest pointers I'd be very grateful. I had hoped to read oh crap.
What do I do at night and at what point do you decide it's not working? What day do you venture out and do you take a potty? How do you transition to the toilet? And do boys do sit down wees?
We have a 10 week old who ds1 is not dealing with very well at the moment, so I'm worried it's not a good time
However this "phase" may last a long time so I guess on can't let it put us off trying? !
Please help! Thanks

OP posts:

Report

Colbu24 · 28/06/2018 23:08

Great weather for it. Boys do seat at first. Buy some big boy pants tomorrow and be very excited about it when you show him his new pants.
I'll wait for night time do day first see how it goes.
My Mum used to seat us in the potty and get a little warm water in a cup to put between our legs to encourage us.
My Mum had 3 daughters in 3 years so my 13 months we were all trained.
I found it challenging with our son because he rather pee himself rather than stop play.
There will be accidents but hopefully he'll take to it.
Don't use pull-ups as he needs to feel wet.
Best of luck. Try not to go out it's nerve racking.

NewName54321 · 29/06/2018 00:23

Good advice above.
If (when) he wets himself, just be matter-of-fact about it, but do take him to go to the toilet and get changed. Stopping an activity to go to the toilet is not fun, but needs to be quicker and more rewarding than carrying on playing and wetting himself, otherwise he will choose to do that Instead.

Don't ask him if he WANTS to go to the toilet. Tell him when it's time to go. You'll soon know from watching him when this is. When choice comes into it, ask him if he NEEDS to go - if he's doing something fun then he won't want to go until it's almost too late, so his answer will be no.

anotherangel2 · 29/06/2018 11:13

What do I do at night
Put a nappy on and tell him it is because he is still learning to use the potty. Go nappy free at night when he has had two consecutive weeks of a dry nappy over night

and at what point do you decide it's not working?
You don’t. You just keep going.

What day do you venture out and do you take a potty?
We went for a short walk on the second day because she was managing well. Yes take potty every where.

How do you transition to the toilet?
My DD is weeing on potty and toilet. You can get toilet inserts to sit on and just give him the choice of toilet or potty.

And do boys do sit down wee? Yes until they are tall enough to stand in front of the toilet and for their penis to be higher than the bowl.

anotherangel2 · 29/06/2018 11:13

Come and join us on this thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/potty_training/3289922-Sharing-pottt-training-woes-no-judgement

WhyTheHeckMe · 29/06/2018 16:46

Thanks very much for the very helpful advice! I've just been and bought one of the toilet training seats to go on the toilet and I'll try and encourage him to use both if he's willing.
I always thought I'd look forward to these milestones but I'm kind of dreading this one. We never stay home all day ever, even when the weather is good and we have the pool out ds always loves going out to feed the ducks or to the park. I think it's going to be a long few days!
Thanks again

OP posts:

MinaPaws · 29/06/2018 16:54

We bought loads of cheap potties and put one in each room. Then gave him pull up nappies with superheroes on and told him to tell us if he'd either used the potty or thought he needed to. We gave a milky way star every time he did something in a potty. He soon worked out that he'd get rewarded.

Both our DC potty trained in 2-3 days without ever having a poo accident, and with only really minor wee accidents from then on. But that's probably luck, nbot good training as we did everything under the sun to try and get them to sleep through the night and they never did.

Good luck.

Nan0second · 29/06/2018 16:58

Oh crap is short and easy to read. Buy it on kindle for phone / tablet and read it tonight. You only need the first 4 chapters and you’ll be good to go by the weekend

WhyTheHeckMe · 30/06/2018 15:56

Day 1- I think is a success so far? 5 wee's on the potty, no poos yet.
Lots of accidents on the floor. He seems to wee a lot. As in every 15 to 20 mins. Is this normal? And will the time start to stretch the more we persevere?

OP posts:

welshmist · 30/06/2018 15:59

Our boys loved feeding the roses. Swear to god it's better than fertilizer.

welshmist · 30/06/2018 15:59

At this age boys wee frequently

anotherangel2 · 30/06/2018 17:49

Any wee in the potty is good on the first day

WhyTheHeckMe · 30/06/2018 23:12

We had 10 wees in total on the potty! I'm so pleased :-)

OP posts:

WhyTheHeckMe · 01/07/2018 10:21

Day 2 - disaster. So far 8 wees on the floor. None in the potty and very defiant attitude. Help!

OP posts:

user1495997773 · 01/07/2018 10:48

At the start of potty training, it's often '2 steps forward, one step back' so don't worry too much if it doesn't go as well today. Just try to maintain your good humour when dealing with accidents and reassure your ds that you're sure he'll get the next one in the potty. I know it's hard and can seem never ending, but he should get the hang of it soon. It sounds like you both did really well on the first day, with my ds and dd the first 2 or 3 days there was far more on the floor than the potty, but after about 3 days they understood what they were doing and we had very few accidents after that. Just hang in there X

WhyTheHeckMe · 01/07/2018 20:06

Thanks very much user. What you've said makes sense.
Today got better - after the initial disaster we ended up with 6 wees in the potty. Only one of those was the result of an accident (eating his dinner and went "I'm weeing!" Then finished on the potty of his own accord which I was very happy with.)
He hasnt done either of his 2 poos a day though.
Also can I ask advice - Mondays we always go on a toddler group at 2pm. Ds has been asking all weekend if it's time to go there yet as he loves it. Don't want him to miss out as I don't want potty training to seem like a punishment (already had tears today as I took the baby food shopping instead of ds1 when that's normally 'our time'. Felt awful).
How do I manage it tomorrow? It's on for 1 hour. If he needs a wee how do I get him to go on the toilet there? He won't use the toilets at home yet despite us having the little training seats to go over the top of them.
Thanks again for the advice so far!

OP posts:

Grasslands · 01/07/2018 20:23

My dd uses a small port a potty that fits discreetly under the stroller. It comes with us everywhere.

WhyTheHeckMe · 01/07/2018 20:41

Thanks grasslands. So literally it goes everywhere? Does she never use a toilet?

OP posts:

Grasslands · 01/07/2018 21:13

I’m currently on granny duty and the potty is the preferred spot (public toilet generally too big, I have to hold him in place, easily distracted etc). So the little red potty is just opened up (this one has a lid) and I place it next to us at the park, offer it basically anywhere. Although discretely when in public.

user1495997773 · 01/07/2018 21:28

Both of mine used a travel potty too, in the early days when we were out and about. If you and your ds are feeling confident you could just try holding him on an adult toilet at toddler group. I think you'll find the group are very accepting of potty training though, after all, they'll all have either been there or or know it's something they'll need to tackle in the future. If you don't have a travel potty, just take a normal one with you (after 'having a try' last thing before you leave the house), and take some spare clothes, wipes and nappy bags with you, just in case. If it's only an hour, fingers crossed, you'll be OK... you may actually find that having an encouraging 'audience' there will help him to perform and boost his confidence... but encourage him to sit on the toilet or potty if he hasn't been for a while and you think he may be distracted.
Regarding poos, it's very common to not want to poo on a potty/toilet. Both of mine went for months when they were reliably dry but would only poo in a nappy at bedtime. Just be patient, encouraging, perhaps offer bribes/rewards (I used smarties with mine, their own special tube that only they could have), also, you can download a free app called 'Poo goes to Pooland' which mine liked and it reinforced the idea of sending poos doen the loo (we said potty and toilet when they were very new to it). Also, make sure your ds is not de-hydrated. Give him plenty of fluids, you could always try prune juice (my DD loved the stuff), or even syrup of figs, and plenty of fruit and veg (you probably already do this

user1495997773 · 01/07/2018 21:29

Sorry that's a bit of an essay, hope it makes sense!

WhyTheHeckMe · 02/07/2018 22:29

Thanks so much that was all brilliant advice. I did write a big response last night but lost the whole lot and went to bed . I'm very grateful.
Day 3 was good - 2 wee accidents but the rest all on the potty. We went for a walk this morning and he stayed dry. Then to the toddler group followed by a trip to the shops and again he stayed dry.
Managed to persuade him to sit on the toilet at toddler group to try and do a wee which he was happy to do there (just not at home!)
And then at home we got a poo on the potty too, totally unexpected. Thought he was doing a wee and then he stood and said "done a poo mummy!" Don't think I've ever scrambled for baby wipes so fast in my life!

OP posts:

Grasslands · 02/07/2018 22:30

Brilliant!!

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Email address

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

user1495997773 · 03/07/2018 13:25

That's great news, sounds like you're both doing a brilliant job!

WhyTheHeckMe · 03/07/2018 21:21

Thanks! 4 accidents today including 2 poos... thankfully all at home!
But 9 wees on the potty, a wee on a big adult toilet whilst out, and a long walk, another toddler group and a trip to sainsburys. Definitely feeling more confident now!

OP posts:

user1495997773 · 06/07/2018 21:24

Wow, that's fab, especially considering you've both had a lot going on!

Flip

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.