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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

How old was your child when they mastered potty training? Boy or girl?

165 replies

OHforDUCKScake · 27/05/2014 14:53

Im in potty training hell and Im wondering if I should just quit for a few more months.

Started off great, now (day 4) hes having accidents and holding on to his poo.

He is 3 years 8 days old.

OP posts:

maggiethemagpie · 27/05/2014 21:31

I thought we'd never see the light at the end of the tunnel with my son who's 3 and a quarter. We had a fair few false starts, then one day he just seemed to get it - was suddenly able to hold his wee in in between potty sits. Then it was plain sailing, that was around 6 weeks ago and he's virtually dry now in the day.

Just put your child on the potty every 20 mins and see if they can hold it in between. Oh and I found a potty chair much better than a potty, much easier to take the insert to the loo, and nicer for child to sit on for any length of time.

FatherSpodoKomodo · 27/05/2014 22:22

5 boys here.

No. 1 son - 2yrs 9 months. Got it in a few days. Wasn't dry at night till 6.5 though.

No. 2 - 5.5 yrs, but has ASD and was non-verbal till he was 5. Dry at night at same time as toilet training.

No's 3 & 4 (twins) - 2 yrs 11 months. 2 weeks over the Easter holidays and they were reliably dry, but not at night till 4.5.

No. 5 - 3yrs 1 month he came out of nappies. It took 4 weeks of the summer holidays and he still wasn't reliably dry. Luckily his playgroup were very understanding and helpful and by 3.5 he was dry. Not pooing though - he held onto them till he had his nappy on at night. Went to school still not reliably pooing on toilet even though he was dry at night at 4, so we had quite a few accidents at school. Didn't help that he was scared of the toilets at school. He was nearly 5 before he was ok with poos on the toilet. Nightmare!

Oh my goodness, I hated toilet training! It was one of my most loathed parts of parenting.

DustyCropHopper · 27/05/2014 22:27

Ds1 19months
Ds2 23 months (but after 2 months went backwards and had a bad 6 months with lots of accidents)
DD 23 and a half months.

Original poster

OHforDUCKScake · 27/05/2014 22:32

Ive just realised I posted this in AIBU, I meant to post it in chat.

It does sound as though my children are on the later side of potty training, so I wonder if its me doing something wrong.

OP posts:

CillaBlacksOrangeBouffant · 27/05/2014 22:38

DD - 22 months, took her about 4 days to master both days and nights
DS - about 30 months, took him bloody ages cos he didn't care about having a soggy/smelly nappy hanging round his arse :o

fifi669 · 27/05/2014 22:55

Tried not that hard when DS was 2.9 last summer. Put him and his friend in the garden naked, potty outside, treats for sitting in it etc..... Poo scattered everywhere.

Nursery had been potty training everyone for a while and asked if I could provide pants and not just pull ups. I decided I'd best follow the same at home. DS was 2.11. He had a few accidents but nothing much.

I kept him in pull ups at night as I couldn't imagine waking up for work and being greeted by a wet/soiled bed! Only now have we swapped to pants at night and he's 3.5 . Prob could have done it a lot earlier but now I'm on maternity leave I could have handled any accidents.

I think the key to success is waiting until you're able to have a conversation with your DC so you can explain things to each other. (DS was non verbal at first attempt and just a few months later non stop). Also, if other children are learning at the same it seems more fun to them.

simpson · 27/05/2014 23:01

DS was 2.11 in the day and 4.7 at night.

DD was 3.1 day & night.

If in all honestly if potty training is Hell I would leave it (unless any success at all on the potty/ toilet for another month or 2.

Btw, both mine went straight to the toilet (apart from DD overnight as she is hypermobile and she/I was worried about her getting on the loo safely at night in the dark as she couldn't reach the light switch - so DD had a potty in her room for night times).

deakymom · 27/05/2014 23:02

3 girl 2 boy (but he still used a pull up at night it was too early for him really he just hated nappies)

MrsCosmopilite · 27/05/2014 23:06

Dd was around 2.8 (we tried at 2.6 but she wasn't ready) - however, she's managed (so far) to be dry at night every night - she's now 3.4. Had the occasional poo incident but that's just been because of bad timing - usually someone else is in the bathroom.

TheFairyCaravan · 27/05/2014 23:14

DS1 was 22 months and clean and dry, day and night, within a week. I was really glad because I was 7 months pregnant and didn't really want 2 in nappies, but it was his choice.

DS2 was 2.3 years and was completely out of nappies at night by 2.7.

DustyCropHopper · 27/05/2014 23:31

My ages were for daytime training. I don't believe I can 'train' them at night, so wait until they have a week of dry nappies then take the plunge.
Ds1 was 2.5 years
Ds2 was 3.1 years
Dd is 3 and still in nappies at night (but then she is still in a cot at the mo).

Twattyzombiebollocks · 27/05/2014 23:35

Boy, started at 2, was reliable in the day at 2.5, night trained at a couple of months past 3yo. Girl, tried at 2, gave up. Tried again at 2.5, gave up. Tried again at 2yrs 11 months, bribed her with a Disney princess tea set, overnight success. Night trained a week later. Some kids just need the right incentive

Only1scoop · 27/05/2014 23:37

Dd was 2 when we tried potty training didn't work. She went straight on toilet with child seat at 2.5.

justjuanmorebeer · 27/05/2014 23:51

2 yrs 4 months. Girl. Used sweet reward for a week or so. It worked. Dry at night straight away. We are lucky.

DomesticSlobbess · 28/05/2014 00:25

DS was potty trained at 2yrs and 4 months. It took around a month. It would have been sooner but pooing in the potty took a bit longer to master. We stayed at home for the first two weeks. First week was nothing on, second week I put him in pants and showed him the whole pulling them down to go thing but he needed help pulling them back up, third week I kept him in joggers and shorts, bottoms that were easy to pull down really.

It's only day 4 OP so keep at it. When you're cleaning piss out the carpet for the third time that day, remind yourself that for 3 years your DS has been able to wee and poo whenever and wherever he likes in a nappy and you're now telling him not to do it and to go in this weird little seat on the floor instead. It's gonna take a little while for it to sink in!

fatlazymummy · 28/05/2014 00:38

1st child (boy), just before his 2 nd birthday. Took him a week (used the toilet though)
2nd child (boy) about 2 years 8 months. Got it straight away (daytime at least)
3 rd child (girl) 4 years old . Didn't become fully continent until she was 10 (ASD)
My method is no pull ups. They wear knickers/underpants once they used the potty ,though I kept them in nappies at night for a while.

AmericasTorturedBrow · 28/05/2014 00:39

DS started at 2.10, big mistake, wasn't ready. Mastered wees immediately but I was still cleaning up shit in his cotton pants 5months later. Kept him in night nappies until 4.5 and he was dry immediately

DD is now 2.6 and I won't be doing anything until she begs me

EugenesAxe · 28/05/2014 07:14

Boy 2y 9m, girl 2y 6m.

I noticed with both they regressed a bit 2/3rd week. If he started well I'd say he was ready - stick with it and try to stay supremely calm when he has an accident; repeat 'Never mind; in the toilet next time OK?' until he realises there's no going back.

sherbetpips · 28/05/2014 07:20

Son 3.5 yrs old, took a good 6 months. Started off well then nursery moved him up a room away from his friends. He soon learnt that if he started wetting himself again they would move him back.
In the end it was a week away with his older male cousins that saw him totally dry and also using the loo to poo because he was mortified that he might have to wear a nappy in front of them. Even dry at night too. So boys take longer but usually once they have got it they are done.

EugenesAxe · 28/05/2014 07:21

Night time BTW I think DS was dry sooner than DD; within 1-2 weeks, but I kept him in pull ups for ages as I'm lazy - just in case. DD is showing signs of being more reliably dry at night now and it's been a month or so. I will probably do the same with her though.

Cooroo · 28/05/2014 07:28

Girl. 3 years 2 months. I never really pushed it till 3. She was briefly resistant then just got it. I think it helped she was old enough for me to explain the whole thing.

She's now 17 and completely dry! They all get there, barring medical conditions, so I really wouldn't worry. Though it can be an issue with nursery IIRC.

iliketea · 28/05/2014 07:39

I think about 2y9m or so - it was the summer before she was 3 (nob birthday). Decided as it was nice weather, we'd give it a go, she was obviously ready as dry with 3 days. We had tried earlier in the summer, but it was a total washout (literally wee everywhere!).

notachicken · 28/05/2014 09:01

ds 1 was 2.6 yrs
ds 2 was 2.10 yrs.

FanjolinaJolie · 28/05/2014 09:08

DD1 aged 2yrs 3months
DD2 aged 4.5. Dreadful time, clean but not dry until just before 5. Incomplete voiding due to constipation.

KeinBock · 28/05/2014 09:10

ds - 3.5
dd - almost 2
dd2 - 2.5

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