Day one of pants has not gone well - advice please...

[wonderingwondering]

DD is 2.3, aware of when she's pooed/wee'd. Sits on potty but has never done anything on it.

This morning, I put her in pants, she sat on her potty after breakfast and did a big wee. She managed a few splashes later on, but has wet knickers lots of times, and after sitting on the potty and doing nothing, went into the garden and did a wee there instead. So obviously holding it rather than do it on the potty.

She's currently in trainer pants. Do I persevere with the 'no turning back to nappies' approach or should I let her try morning and evening with the potty, so a gradual start to get her used to the idea, or just go back to nappies and try again in a month or so?

She's also at the stage of dropping her daytime nap, so maybe it's all too much at the moment.

[CMOTdibbler]

Personally, I think that they need to establish weeing in the potty/toilet before they go into pants.

If its nice outside, let her be bare bottomed with a potty near, and if she starts to wee, direct her there (not in a shouty way, just in a 'ooh, theres a wee, quick put it in the potty'. Otherwise, have a nappy on, and offer the potty/toilet when you go, or as it suits. Once she can wee on demand (as it were) try giving her more time with nothing on, even inside before trying pants.

[wonderingwondering]

Thanks, that's a good idea. I'd tried pants so she felt wet when she wee'd rather than it just running away into the grass! (or carpet...) But perhaps learning more gradually is better.

[FedUpWithRainyDevon]

We did the opposite to CMOTdibbler: DS was 2.5 and went straight into pants when we potty trained at Easter. The weather was good so he was running around in just his pants and a t-shirt and it took 3 days of giving stickers as a reward - firstly every time he went even near the potty, then if he sat on it for a second, then counted to 10, then managed to catch a dribble in it. The potty was covered in stickers but he got to enjoy it in the end and with lots of praise he finally did a proper wee in it on about day 3, so your dd is way ahead!

I was told not to go back to nappies (except at night obviously) to avoid confusion so invested in some seat covers and those pampers changing mats which are really absorbant for putting under DS on the chair/buggy etc.

I didn't use pull ups or anything either, just pants. After he got the hang of it, he didn't want to go back to nappies because "they are for babies" so it was his choice.

Just be VERY patient and give lots of rewards and positive praise and I'm sure she'll get the hang of it.

[CMOTdibbler]

We did start the process early though - DS liked having his nappy off in the evenings, so from about 18 months we were catching a wee then. He decided to wear pants at 2 and a week.

My Ds is totally unmotivated by stickers etc though, so that was never going to work for him

[FedUpWithRainyDevon]

They're all different aren't they, you just have to find something that works for you/dc