I keep putting off potty training - help!

Amazing how many children were not trained at my sons private nursery in the preschool room, who accommodated nappy changes for 3+ vs the school preschool where he went 2 days and they HAD to be trained to attend (with the exception of children with additional needs, but actually, they were also trained although perhaps not as reliable).

Potty training is mostly adult inclination not “readiness” just like sitting up, weaning, most children are developmentally ready within the same small window of 3 months or so.

He may have trained just as easily 6 months before too

My DD was 2yr 8 months and it took 4 months for it to click with her. We just took it slowly because that worked best for her. I let her run round naked and would take her to the toilet every hour or watch for any cues that she needed to go. I worked up to pants, then dresses, leggings and eventually tights because they seemed a bit more of a pain for her to take off to go.

I've just potty trained my 3yo last week. With him I let him go naked and would guide him towards the potty whenever it looked like he needed to go. It did help explaining to him that we were no longer going to use nappies in the day now and that he was a big boy and would be using the potty. If he managed a wee/poo on the potty he got a sweet and a lot of OTT applause and enthusiasm. He's a week in now and it's clicked very quickly for him so I now feel confident enough to take him out in pants and trust that he'll tell me if he needs to go. I think some kids are just like that. There have been the odd accidents (there was a spectacular poo accident last night!) but I think as long as you don't make a massive deal about it so they end up thinking they've done something wrong, it really helps.

3 year olds in nappies is , quite frankly, a bit gross.

Most children are well able to train well before that.

This thread isn't about sustainability. And you've not brought that up before so clearly not top of your mind either when potty training?

Nappies in land fill is a big reason why 3.5 is too old

Lots of talk of laziness on this thread, and kids being "too old" or whatever. We're all "mum's know best!" until it's something that can be judged smugly from the sidelines.

I look forward to when my child is collecting his degree but some other person gets a better degree because they were potty trained before 3

So long as they're done before school, or pre-school, or whatever setting it's required for, then why do you care? Why do you sit in judgement of those who've not done it at the same time as yours? WHY DOES IT MATTER?!

As I said before, mine were done at 3 years-ish. I don't care if you think this is "late" - it worked for me and my family and quite frankly, over ten years later, I don't care, let alone care about whether you care!

You don't get a medal for being able to complete this parenting action before others. But I don't see why actually taking into account my own comfort as a parent is wrong. Having small children is stressful enough without trying to force an action they're not ready for.

Too old? How are you measuring that?

@Viewfrommyhouse why is it hard for you to say that children can and regularly do train before 3.5.

3.5 is too old assuming NT. Children should be given their dignity!

But that's your kids. Do you really think all children develop at the same rate?

Many on this very thread. I have two children trained pretty well by day 3/4 - one at 2 years 4 months and one at 2 years 5 months.

Look at the history of training and how the age rocketed when pampers brought out disposables.

Do they? Source?

And loads of people train in three days almost a year earlier.

Yet my son was 32 months and we had it done in 3 days....

@Viewfrommyhouse probably the method used, personality, lots of reasons

100% this

Explain then why it can take weeks/months for some children, but just days for others?

It doesn’t matter how many kids you’ve had. You don’t need to wait for them to be “ready”. Readiness is a misnomer.

I agree! Wish we'd done the same - felt like we did it twice - potty 1st then toilet! 🤦‍♀️

If you feel they're ready, just go for it - commit the time & slog through it - don't faff about & do it half heartedly- you have to really stick to it. Now's the time - nice weather - out in the garden, with as few layers as possible.

‘Readiness’ is rubbish really, beyond physically being able to handle the logistics of basic toileting and barring any disabilities or neurodivergencies.

If they are old enough to sing a nursery rhyme then they can learn to go potty!

We used the Oh Crap method with both our twins. Worked brilliantly and quickly. Go for it and put all the worry behind you!

Give it a go. The weather is perfect for it.
In all likelihood you'll have rapid progress. Read some books about I together so your child knows what to expect and feels positive about the experience. Then nappies off! Yes, there will be accidents. I put the potty on a towel as we had a lot of "nearly there" accidents.

If they don't get it, that's ok too. One of my 3 was sloooooooow. We had progress right from day 1, but he was still having accidents at 3.5 (possible ASD, often won't use an unfamiliar toilet and won't do a "just in case" before going somewhere). It's really not a big deal - you carry a change of clothes.

Just bite the bullet. If you’re getting signs they’re ready you just have to do it. Book a block of time and just do it. DD is 2 and 3 months and is potty trained to the point that yesterday at nursery she took herself off for a poo and wiped her own bum etc! Her cousin wasn’t potty trained until the summer before he started school. No one can tell, it has no knock on effect so don’t worry about it. But definitely needs doing before school. Personally I can remember my pre-school years and didn’t want my kids to be able to remember being in nappies. But that’s a personal quirk.

I would start rewarding just for sitting on the potty and make it a game. Maybe park actual potty training but just start talking about it all etc.

My eldest did this when I first tried after he turned 2, I parked it but kept asking “nappies or pants” every morning. When I had a ten day old he said “pants” and that was that. He was happy as it had been his choice.

Place marking as I have a 2 and 7 month old and she's still in nappies.

I had a new baby when she was 2.3 months so I held off til baby was settled in the family at 2.5 months but DD refused to sit on the potty so I gave up.

We're going on holiday in a couple of weeks so I'm putting it off til we're back but she'll be almost 2.9 months by then.

She's got great vocabulary but I'm not so sure about her understanding, there's a possibility of ND.