how much can/should a nanny help with potty training?

PS - sorry I noticed that your son has an op scheduled for 10 days time. In that case I would probably hold off on potty training until he is recovering from that as he won't be fully potty trained in 10 days and the operation will probably make him regress a bit. I think it is best to potty train without the pressure of a deadline and without too much expectation, just taking it in your stride and accepting accidents. If an accident would sting his scar then it could make the whole thing unpleasant for him and possibly even create a phobia about weeing. Could you perhaps investigate some alternative nappies that will be less uncomfortable on the scar?

Our nanny has been very enthusiastic about potty training our son at a younger age than yours and at 2.5 I don't think its unreasonable to expect her to give it a go. My son is 2.3 and has been potty trained for a while. We started young and our nanny was enthusiastic about it even though I wasn't sure he was ready. She had more determination and patience than me with the result that he was out of nappies and pretty reliable about using the potty by his second birthday. I would ask your nanny what experience she has with potty training and get her to talk about it asking open ended questions so that she will reveal more about her experience. I suspect she doesn't have lots of experience at doing it otherwise she would probably welcome it as a challenge. Several of our nannies friends are looking after children around the same age as my son and they all started potty training them quite early - both boys and girls and had success. By early I mean before the age of two. Also a mum friend of mine has a boy the same age as my son and she potty trained around the same time as me with success. I think it is perfectly possible to potty train early but it takes more patience. 2.5 isn't particularly early in my view (although others will say different) and should be perfectly possible with a little patience if your son is already showing some (not necessarily all) signs of readiness. There's a current fashion for waiting until children are very self sufficient to potty train - able to dress/undress, talk well etc but not long ago it was the norm to have toddlers out of nappies at 18 months. So I would certainly expect your nanny to prepared to have an enthusiastic attempt at potty training with you and for her to take the mess in her stride. Unfortunately if her heart isn't in it she may quickly make you feel it is too early when in reality it isn't so I would also make your own judgement about how your son is doing.

I am a nanny and have pt lots of children, it is possible but, in my experience, unlikely to be fully potty trained in ten days.

If you decide not to pt before his op it might be worth considering pull ups as they are often a bit snugger than nappies and may sit better at the top of his leg.

While saying that I must say that pull ups are a complete waste of time for actually helping to pt.

hi
DS was 2years and 8mths and i followed gina - he was trained by the end of the 2nd day.
we've had about 2 accidents in the 9 months since, and this has been due to excitement of playing with friends.
i found her list of what to check for was most useful ie walking up stairs using both legs and not just leading with one.....
i also wanted to be really sure he was ready as we had only just moved house and only just brought home a new sister ....... didn't want him to deal with any more change if he wasn't ready
hope this is of some use - good luck
oh yes, i did it for 1st 2 days before passing on to nanny as well

How old is your ds?

fab....... yes i do think OP would be extreamly lucky to have a 2 year old boy who is clean in 10 days time.... who after a nasty operation can still master potty training, to the point where if he has an accident it would be extreamly painful for him in his scar.

At no point have i EVER said it was not possible, as in a few children who are ready it clearly is.... but in my experiance most children are not 100% reliable 2 weeks after starting potty training, though of course those were properly ready in the first place wont be having frequent accidents

Just for what it's worth, I did put aside a time when I was able to have a few days at home with nothing planned. I think it is more hectic for everyone if you're having to try to think about toilet training and be out and about. It won't kill anyone to spend two or three lightly boring days at home and I think it is much kinder to the child to allow them the calm space to focus on what they're trying to learn.

again, for what it's worth, Ds got training on day 1, pees and poos. If he had not got it by day 3 I would have stopped and gone back to nappies and tried again later. Don't believe in 'training' them in any real sense - they're ready, or they're not imo.

I think you will see it isn't what you said there. ^

"i think you would be extreamly lucky to have a child who is clean in 10 days time!"

Really?

...which is exactly what i said

Well a real and experienced nanny would surely know that children can be trained in less than 10 days.

KISSMUMMY hope op goes well- def sounds that your dc isnt ready - some boys arent pt/ready till 2.9 or even 3+

agree your reasons are for your needs rather then your dc being ready

you can pt a child IF THEY ARE READY in 2 weeks/10 days etc - poos and wees - normally easier to conquer the poo before the wee i have found - children tend to not like/tell you when have poo in their nappy and that is often the first stage of knowing they MAY be ready to pt

does your dc play up at poo nappy chnage time with the nanny - if not then sounds like he is testing you

out of curiosty has your nanny pt a child before - i know many nannys who havent pt children as they leave beofre child is being pt or start a job where child is just pt

fabisgoingtobefabin2010 i dont get what you are saying?

of course i am really a nanny...

and didnt i write pretty much exactly what you said here:
"children who really are ready are mostly dry within a week or 2 anyway, and if they arnt then they wernt ready in the 1st place,!"

nannyl - are you really a nanny? It is not impossible to be trained within a few days if the child is ready. If two weeks down the line you aren't any further forward then you have picked the wrong time.

DD was done in 2/3 days, DS2 was about the same.

My DS potty trained within about 8 days, including mastering poos. He took a couple more weeks to be dry at night too - and was 2 yrs 8 mths - but it was summer, so much easier and he was obviously ready. I'd definitely recommend giving it a go in late spring/summer if you can..

I think the nanny should be helpful if your son is ready - my nursery have been amazingly good with dd3 BUT I don't think either of the reasons you mention are anything to do with your son being ready. You may be - but unless he is then nanny is quite right that it isn't a good time.

Agree with nannyl, simply not realistic now for Jan 13 - and worse if you're in a pants-situation rather than a nappy one!

Is your nanny helpful/easy to communicate with/proactive in other ways? Our nanny definitely "led" the potty-training with both ds and dd - and we did what she suggested.

i think you would be extreamly lucky to have a child who is clean in 10 days time!

almsot all the boys i have ever delt with have been reliably dry weeks / even months before mastering poo's

Good luck with it. They all get there in the end!

Good luck with it. They all get there in the end!

i have pt many children and i dont stay in the house for days//weeks on end - def cant if it is no 2 being being pt as always out and about with no 1

carry on with same daily routine as you have with activites and then warn the groups you attend that you are pt - all should/will be fine as obv child friendsly groups (hopefully)

take potty and plenty of spare trousers/pants and towels if doing a music class where sit on cushions etc and place on potty every 20mins then 30mins then hourly as gets better

you say you started before and gave up after a day, you are prob going to have a few days of 7/8+accidents till your dc gets to know the feeling of needing a wee, so dont give up if you have a bad day

if not dry after 2weeks and having lots of accidents then your son is not ready

2.5 is quite early for a boy, and esp so at 2 if you tried several months ago - tho my dc was done at 2.5 as needed to be dry for nursery and was done within 2 weeks, though the first few days we got through so many pants

obv both nanny+mum need to be doing the same stuff, and once you start pt dont put in nappies/pull ups as confuses the child

good luck - tbh it is normally the nanny who does the pt and the parents who dont continue it at weekends/days they not working and that really annoys us nannies, all our good work is undone by 2 days in nappies

so suprised your nanny isnt keen,unless like nannyl says she thinks he isnt ready

why do you want your dc to be pt now?is he showing signs?

kissmummy - I like bits of Gina but can be a bit rigid. We took the concept of a practice week or so; to be about a month (until DD1 finished preschool for xmas) of having her nappy off whenever home in the eve (usually 5-7pm). I am sure if you do this for a week or so you will know if your DS is truely ready or not.

Come Xmas we went cold turkey but still went out and took the porta porty and reminded every 15 mins or so; although she didn't need much reminding and would tell us (to be fair though the boys I have seen in her group need a lot of reminding!) Started on a sat to give our nanny a head start (but we also have a 4 month old - should be ok if just one imho).

Good luck.

Porta potty is this one and great as also doubles as a toilet seat; am sure there are others that work just as well.

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