How long did it take for your DC to potty train?

Justaquestionreally · 2025-04-26T18:24:52+00:00

Just that, really. My two are opposite: we trained DS at 3, was weeks and weeks and months of carrying a travel potty, reminding him, etc. He was dry overnight shortly thereafter but continued to have daytime wee accidents 1-2 times per month until 4, I reckon he just didn’t want to stop playing. DD announced she was done with nappies at 2.5 and two days later was dry all day and night, with no need for reminders, dream wee, or anything else. What’s your experience been?

Springadorable · 26/04/2025 19:33

My 20 month old - got the idea by day 2, the odd wee accident after that if he was distracted. Poos were fine, think we've only ever had one accident. Dry at night at 2.5 years.
My DD was out of nappies day and night at 16 months. She's never had an accident overnight, and was potty trained in less than a day. Her first poo on the potty I wasn't even in the room, she just toddled over by herself while I was in the hall. She was showing signs of being ready from 14 months so could have done it earlier but that seemed insane 😂

Theeasypeasywoman · 26/04/2025 19:34

Potty trained DD last Year during easter holidays at age 2 years 8 months. Took 2 days but I totally went cold turkey with nappies like not even within her sight. She cried for first day asking for nappies which I did not give in. She was actually scared to sit on the toilet and potty both without nappy or pants. I actually sat on a toilet behind her saying that Its okay and nothing to be scared of. She was using big toilet with a child seat on top happily on 2nd day evening. Also we never bought travel potty, as we just took hee to normal public toilet when out and about and she has been fine since. She was dry overnight since she turned 2 so it was only day time training and before bed wee... she is almost 4 years old now and I don't even go to toilet after her anymore and she is pretty good using it by herself. Only calls for me for bum wipe after poo.

Original poster

Justaquestionreally · 26/04/2025 21:27

Is it unusual then that it sometimes takes so much longer? I was shocked when DD literally trained overnight and it took so long with DS. Though I’ve heard girls are often faster? Perhaps DS just wasn’t really ready? (Though having one wee accident per week and otherwise stating dry seems acceptable for a while, doesn’t it?)

OP posts:

Springadorable · 26/04/2025 21:35

Justaquestionreally · 26/04/2025 21:27

Is it unusual then that it sometimes takes so much longer? I was shocked when DD literally trained overnight and it took so long with DS. Though I’ve heard girls are often faster? Perhaps DS just wasn’t really ready? (Though having one wee accident per week and otherwise stating dry seems acceptable for a while, doesn’t it?)

I think that's definitely an acceptable level of accidents while getting into the swing of it. Some kids just focus on different things such as speech. Mine were just bizarrely into potty training 😂

Slightyamusedandsilly · 26/04/2025 22:05

DD - Daytime dry at 1. Dry at night at 2.
DS - Started potty training at 2 1/2. Took a year. Dry at night at 3ish. But would get him up to do a midnight wee to prevent accidents.

Stripeyanddotty · 26/04/2025 22:08

Both of mine were 2 and 9 months.
Fully trained day and night in a week.
No accidents after that.

OutOutDamnSpot · 26/04/2025 22:11

Wow this is an unusual thread. Both mine were either just before 3 or just after, DS I hope is now dry at night, we are a week in, he is 6, DD is 4.5 and still in a pull up at night.

God I feel like I did something seriously wrong now.

2chocolateoranges · 26/04/2025 22:12

Dd was dry day and night within days, we took away the daytime nappies and she refused to wear a nappy to bed and she only had an odd accident. She was 2.4years old.

ds was dry during the day at 2.2, he also cracked it really quickly within days and he wore nappies to bed for another 6 months.

however I do work in early years and we have had some children who have taken a few months to train, with constant accidents for those months.

BethDuttonYeHaw · 26/04/2025 22:13

both took 2 weeks at age 2.5.

but first wasn’t dry overnight till age 5.

It’s not something you can train. they need to produce a hormone that wakes them up when they need a wee.

its quite common and no one has failed or done anything wrong if your child takes longer to be dry at night.

PNDshame · 26/04/2025 22:18

Mine are polar opposites. Oldest, just before 3rd birthday and took to it within a few days. Now 7 and never had an accident overnight

Youngest two (twins) been trying to potty train them since their 3rd birthday (6 months now) and STILL daily accidents, both pee and poop, for them with no end in sight for nighttime nappies. It's exhausting.

Ladychatterly86 · 26/04/2025 22:19

My son was potty trained at 2.5 during the day and had occasional accidents after . He is 5 and still wears night time nappies .Sometimes he is dry overnight but other times not. Being dry overnight is due to hormones and so until he is more consistent he will wear overnight nappies. Our daughter was potty trained around 2.6 and still wears nappies overnight she's nearly three now and doesn't have many accidents during the day. Night time accidents are common up to 7-8 so I wouldn't be concerned about being dry at night. We found the best way to potty trained both during the day was commit to doing it over a 4-5 day period. Lots of reminder to go. Trying to notice signs they needed it before they knew etc. Good luck! Staying very consistent worked well for us but appreciate that's not easy for everyone.

Thecomfortador · 26/04/2025 22:25

Two boys here, eldest just took ages and even when he was 4, getting ready to go to school he wasn't 100% confident. During lockdown we left a potty in the living room while DP and I were working, and lo and behold his just turned 2 year old little brother started using it himself, he was fully dry night and day almost instantly. Poor ds1 was unreliable for a while after that. So glad it's all in the past.

Original poster

Justaquestionreally · 26/04/2025 22:26

Interesting to see the variety of responses! How long did you carry a set of spare clothing?

OP posts:

justmeandmyselfandi · 26/04/2025 22:29

2.5 yo, half a day for pee, 2 weeks with poos (he knew he had to do it, but did want to)

Thecomfortador · 26/04/2025 22:37

Re spare clothes, it felt like a long time but I can't remember now when I stopped feeling the need to. I know ds1 had a spate of wetting in class in year 1 (after Christmas) which stopped after about half a term as suddenly as it started and seemed to have no real cause. So I definitely was still in spare pants mode then, probably longer. I remember after his first day in reception his big report for me was that he was no longer scared of hand dryers. Obviously had been testing the one in school and realised it was actually fine and just noisy.

mrssunshinexxx · 27/04/2025 01:40

3 days and a week for dat and night dry

SouthLondonMum22 · 27/04/2025 01:41

DS was 18 months and he was potty trained over a weekend.

DramaAlpaca · 27/04/2025 03:57

I've three boys. DS1 let me know at 2yrs 2 months he was ready, when I found him with his nappy off trying to perch on the downstairs loo... two weeks later he was reliably dry by day.

With DS2 we started training at 2yrs 4 months, done within a week. Minor bribery with chocolate buttons worked well. Night time took much longer with both him and DS1, as the hormone that controls the bladder at night took a long time to kick in.

DS3 was 2 and a half, and trained day and (unexpectedly) night in three days.

This was in the 90s, when, absenting additional needs, it was really unusual for a three year old to still be in nappies. We just took a week off work, stayed at home and went for it.

Parents today leave it really late and I don't understand why. Between 2 and 2.5 is the ideal time, when a toddler still really wants to please and before they get stubborn. This modern thing of 'waiting until they are ready' is, quite frankly, lazy parenting.

BlondiePortz · 27/04/2025 04:08

No idea we just let our child go when they wanted fron the time they could walk dry in the day but 2 or 3 and at night by 4

4kids3pets · 27/04/2025 05:40

First set of twins now 4 boys hated potty so used toilet and took to it straight away and haven't had nappies since age 2 second lot of twins girls now 3 one has been dry no nappies since 18months again no potty straight toilet seats but the other dry in the day but still has the odd accident in the night so has to wear pants just incase

Slightyamusedandsilly · 27/04/2025 09:48