AIBU to start potty training 2 weeks before holiday

I think you’re insane for even considering it honestly. Just why?

Unless you want training to take forever then you can’t go back and forth between pants and nappies without creating a load of confusion and giving the impression that the potty is optional- sometimes we use it but sometimes we pee in our pants will leave you stuck in a half way house for ages and personally I’d rather get it done efficiently.

If you did it properly and wait into underwear… Given his age and that you only have 2 weeks he’s never going to be 100% reliable and have the level of control to hold it for 30 minutes because there’s turbulence and the fasten seat belt sign is on. Practically also, carrying a potty in your hand luggage?? Where would he go on the plane because you won’t fit it in an airplane loo and by your seats is disgusting? So you’d have to get him all the way from nappies to using unfamiliar big toilets, including airplane bathrooms, public loos with noisy hand dryers and loads of people in only 2 weeks and he’s not even 2 yet.

He’s still little so there’s no rush. I would do it when you’re back and that’ll still give him a month before the new baby comes if I have your timings correct.

You don't need to take a potty put with you at all. I've potty trained my own DC and I've worked in childcare, I have never taken a potty out with me anywhere. If a child is ready for potty training then part of that is being able to hold it in for long enough to get a toilet. Yes, it limits how far you can travel about in the first few days and when you do venture out you need to keep in mind where the nearest toilets are to begin with but that's a short-lived stage of potty training.

We did it in days at the same age but it took 3 weeks for no accidents.

Our second showed signs very early, around 19 months, so we just did a few days potty training which was fairly successful but then put her in pull ups and kept offering potty/loo. She did sometimes use the nappy if she was totally engrossed in something. As she was self motivated and young we just kept the pull ups and just before her second birthday took them away and no accidents. It was very relaxed and way easier than my first when we subscribed to the whole 'don't put them back in nappies as it will be confusing' mindset. I'd give it a very relaxed go! But don't get potty out in public if there are loos nearby!

Also he's v young! Don't create unnecessary stress

Definitely!

Wait til after the holidays. Really not worth the stress and 2-4 weeks won't make any odds.

Despite what the books tell you it's never a long weekend and done, it usually takes a few months to get totally clean and dry.

Mine was dry in a few days but was absolutely ready to potty train.

I'd say there would be so many distractions on holiday it will be hard for toddler - learning that they need to stop what they're doing, hold it until they make it to the potty then the actual steps involved with using the potty - it's a lot to remember when there are so many exciting things going on that they'd rather be doing! I'd wait until after your holiday.

I trained my firstborn when I was 7m pregnant and it has been so great to only have one set of nappies to change. Although that said, they did regress when baby was 3m old so do prepare yourself for that!

I think you’re making your life/holiday unnecessarily hard.

If he’s in a swimming pool he really should wear a swim nappy until he’s definitely not going to do a poo otherwise the pool will need to be closed and cleaned - I’d definitely avoid that stress.

I assume you’ll use nappies overnight but you won’t have easy access to a washing machine for daytime accidents so will need to take extra clothes to compensate.

Why make life harder for yourself - given you’re on holiday and most children aren’t potty trained before 2 either so I’m not sure what the rush is.

I think 2 weeks is a fairly reasonable timescale. To get them dry during the day and telling you. Might be a while before they give you more than a few minutes notice though.
If you don't make progress in 3 days give up and wait a few months.

DS 1 was 2&4 mths when trained, DS e was 2 & 9 mths both were out of night nappies within 3 of potty training.

All of mine were reliably dry/clean during the day within a week of starting potty training. You'll know whether he's ready or not based on progression. Basically days 1-2 will see the majority of his toileting done on the floor or in his pants as he gets used to not wearing a nappy but from day 2 onwards you should see a day on day increase in how often he's successfully using the toilet/potty. He won't be perfect but the end of a week but there should definitely be some improvement and he should be reasonably reliable, by "reasonable" I mean successful trips should outnumber the accidents.

It doesn't confuse them to switch back and forth at all, that's a bit of a myth. A pull up for a long journey isn't going to undo his potty training, he will still be wearing a pull up or nappy for bed and it's no different, you can still take him to the toilet while he's wearing it but he's got it on as "insurance" in case he falls asleep or there isn't a toilet available.

If he's not improving by the end of the first week, it's not going to harm him to put him back in a nappy and try again in a few months time. There is no hard and fast deadline of when a child "must" be potty trained by and the vast majority of typically developing children will master it somewhere between the age of 2 and 4, IME most get it by the time they're 3 but you get the occasional outlier.

2 weeks is possible if he's ready, yes. If he's truly ready, you won't need to 'whip out a potty' as he'll be able to hold it long enough to whisk him to the loo (which will be close by if you're staying at a resort).
I've never got the whole public potty thing (with the exception of the play park which has no loos). Either the child is ready to go without nappies and can hold a wee or they can't (in which case save the hassle and keep them in nappies until they're ready).

Ime lots of children show signs like that a few months before actually being ready and I think his reluctance to sit on the potty probably means he’s not ready. They have to be ready physically and psychologically. I’d leave it until he’s keener to try otherwise how are you going to manage to get him to use the potty? In answer to your question I tried with mine when they had signs but went back to nappies for a bit as they had some accidents. Waited a few months and they were literally dry during the day overnight. If he’s ready you won’t need a portable potty at the resort he’ll be fine getting to the loo or your room in time. The portable potty is useful
when you’re on days out and there’s no toilet for miles or you’re on a long journey

It won't confuse him. The dramatics 🙄 He'll probably be done within 2 weeks anyways. But if he's not the op will know whether to just go with nappies for the holidays.

If you're doing a package deal/resort type holiday then I think it's doable and won't be too stressful. If you're travelling around a lot or sightseeing a lot then I would hold off.

We potty trained our DS at 22 months using the Oh Crap method, where your DC just goes bottomless to start and you hang about waiting for them to pee/poo. There was a very boring weekend of doing this intensely but after that he did improve quickly. We still had the odd accident but I didn't feel stressed about it after a week. Every toddler is different of course and that's why I would make the decision based on the type of holiday you have planned.

You can't go back to nappies for the holidays and then just pick it back up afterwards as that would confuse the hell out of him. In two weeks, he'll have got it if he's ready.
For the car journey, pre plan some stops for a wee (every 60-90 mins is likely) but keep a potty handy in case you have to do an emergency swerve into a lay-by or get stuck in traffic.

I'd wait unless you fancy spending your entire holiday having to rush to toilets or, my personal favourite, whipping a potty out in the street so your DC can do a poo outside a pub down a grotty side street. 😷

You can go back and forth. It's a far better approach which I took with my 3rd. It took 3 days. It was a case of a half hour at different points of the day whenever was convenient, always after a drink.

Also went straight out with my first at 21 months. it didn't work so we went back to nappies. Tried again at 2 years and it was the right time.

Once you make the commitment to do it you can't go back to daytime nappies not even for the journey.

What I'd do is buy a pack of disposable change mats or puppy pads and line the car seat.
And take a travel potty.

No, you can't go back and forth between pants and nappies. Once you make the transition and they're taking to it, you have to commit and stick with it otherwise it's pointless. Maybe best to wait until after your holiday x

Op given you are 7mths pregnant, I'd go for it and see what happens.

Because really if you don't you could be 3-4 months before you are ready to try. Holiday, the baby and time to settle you feeling ready to try.

And by then you could have lost the momentum

To it, not 'tonight'

Tried training our DS at 2.5 as he was showing signs that he was ready. He wasn't. We waited until he turned 3 and then tried again and he took tonight straight away. Moral of the story is, they'll make the transition when they're ready, not before. If you think he is, then give it a go, but don't don't try to force it if you find he isn't.