Potty training hacks, tips, words of wisdom?

[MummyPigInABikini]

New year, time to start potty training. DD has just turned 2. I’m giving myself from now until the summer to smash this, taking it slowly, no rush for anyone.

But are there any words of wisdom for either parent or child? Sweets over stickers?

All advice from the other side greatly appreciated!

Ps... I have tried the mumsnet advice page but it’s a 404 womp womp

Start talking to her about it. Read stories about going on the potty.

Get her to sit on the potty and read, play, sing songs.

Get her to sit on the potty when she wakes up to get her into the habbit.

Thanks! That’s really helpful. Would it be better to go straight to sitting on the toilet (we’ve bought one of those seat things and a step). I just wonder if it’s counter intuitive to potty train and then toilet train? Or does it not matter?

Go straight for the loo if you can. Way easier in the long run. Though we had those steps and both refused to use them. Stubborn kids that they are!

My son was easy with potty training (only thing he's been easy with..) From about 18 months old or so we had a potty in amongst his toys which we occasionally sat him on. Let him see us going to toilet etc (needs must!) We set a date when he was 2.5 weeks old and I had a week off work. It was clear to me beforehand that he was ready as he knew when he needed to pee and would sit on the potty and do a pee sometimes eg before bath or when nappy off. We went cold turkey and just stuck around the house for the week. Had a few accidents but much less than expected. Had to take the potty out and about with us for a few weeks but then fine.

You could go straight to the toilet rather than potty but I found easier to use potty as we could plonk it in front of tv and that would keep him stationary. From memory he'd sometimes took quite a while to do his business and I'm not sure he'd have sat in bathroom that whole time. He was only on the potty for a few months before we moved to toilet with kid seat.

Good luck!

Wait until she takes an interest in it. Just 2 is pretty early to potty train, when she decides she’s ready and wants to do it and she’ll do it without needing any bribes and with minimal mess.

Also agree with books about it and TONS of praise when they go on potty. We didn't need to bother with chart or rewards but got away with just lots of whooping and clapping every time he went.

Wait until the kid is ready. Mine showed no interest until almost 3 (I mean like 2 weeks before he turned 3) but we did it in a day. Never had a night time accident, and used the toilet straight away. Now until summer won’t necessarily be long enough if she’s not up for it too.

We found a book "oh crap, potty training" to be really good.
Very useful at pointing out the signs that your child is ready etc. Our son was 2 years 5 months when we potty trained and after reading the book I personally feel we could have done it sooner.
Not for everyone I'm sure but worth looking into.

I wouldn't advise setting a deadline. We tried this week with DS who will be 3 in a few weeks and it went nowhere. He clearly isn't ready to go on the potty or toilet. Sat in it for 30 minutes quite happily more than once with no result then had an accident 2 minutes after standing up.

We'll try again sometime soon but not going to say it has to happen by a certain time. Sounds like creating stress for everyone

Choose a week when you have nothing planned, stay home & just go for it.

My three were between 2 & two & a half when we potty trained, all are boys.

I know it's probably old fashioned advice to stay home for a week & do nothing else, but it does work & it's what we all did 20 odd years ago.

Exactly the same as @DramaAlpaca.