To take a break from potty training after 6 weeks! Or persevere? Please help

[Napqueen1234]

Potty training DD2.4 for the last 6-7 weeks. Using sticker charts and treats as incentive. It was going ok but just hasn’t improved. She’s always used the potty, known what it was for and been proud about wees in it but she hasn’t progressed from going when reminded/prompted to asking for the toilet and as such still has multiple accidents at home and nursery (2-3 a day). She also will not categorically poo in it and sneaks off to poo every single day. Today it was twice with one on our nice rug 🤦🏼‍♀️

Part of me thinks we have done it for a while, she does wee on the potty and when at home and I watch her like a hawk and remind hourly or so we get no wee accidents just the daily poo which from what I understand is quite normal. However I do feel on tenterhooks and like I’m constantly mithering her. When asked she knows she’s mean to do poos and wees on the potty. We never tell her off just ‘oh dear an accident next time tell us/use potty’ etc.

Or do we have a break (for all of us!) and try again in a while when she may have more understanding and ability to identify the feeling of needing a wee. Will going back to nappies confuse her and end up taking longer? Nursery have a ‘three week programme’ they mirror at home but she just doesn’t seem to have got to the asking for the potty/toilet bit.

Please let me know what you think and if you’ve experienced an extended attempt at potty training then had a break and how it went. Thank you 😊

Honestly. I think to can be distressing like this. Best approach is to put the potty away out of sight and pull ups and just do not mention it at all. Wait at least a month before you try again.

@whatthewhatthewhat I agree and feel it would be confusing for her. Just not sure how to deal with her actually asking for the loo (considering she never did before when we were actually trying to potty train 😬) do I just say no worries you’re in a nappy?

I found once pull ups and potties were out of sight, it wasn't an issue.

Good luck!

We are starting soon with ds3. Nursery actually does it for us and gives us a program to follow through at home.
Maybe wait a bit and try again in a few months? Our nursery said it should take 2 weeks with them.

Dont sweat it. My little boy is three and has now been able to consistently wee in a potty or toilet for fo four months. The poo is something else. I dont want to start negative associations so he uses a pull up and we make a big thing of flushing it away down the toilet. Your little one will get there soon.

She's not ready, it really doesn't need to be this difficult. I waited until nearer to 3 and literally took less than a week to potty train both of mine, day and night. There's no rush.

Hi. Just to reassure you - it took 2 attempts for my DS. I persisted for about a month the first time but as he was still having accidents and our holiday was looming (including a 3 hour flight) I decided to go back to nappies and give us all a break for a few weeks. 2nd attempt was a lot easier - we were both more relaxed and he knew what was happening and it just clicked. Taking a break was definitely right for us. She will get there but I would leave it now for a bit. Good luck

DD is 2 years and 8 months. We've been "going potty" for about 4 weeks now. He's had some accidents initially, including at nursery but he's very keen on his pants and doesn't like wearing nappies anymore. I initially gave him the choice of which ones to wear. I also put some of these potty training inlays into his pants, especially for nursery. He'd still feel wet but there wouldn't be a puddle forming underneath him.
He then only had pull ups for naps and nights but was dry during nights very early on, so we've not used them for about 2 weeks now.
Poos have taken longer and he kept pooing in his pants, which was a pain. However, got him some reusable potty training pants and they'd hold the poo in case of an accident. He's been fine going to the toilet for poos for about a week now, without any accidents. Fingers crossed it will continue like this. :)

Thanks @Alldressedup can I ask how long a break you took?

@Napqueen1234 It was a couple of months I think, including the 2 weeks on holiday. DS was about 2.5 years when I first started and he was nearer 3 when I tried again. Second time round was so much easier.
My DS2 was dry in the day after 5 days so as others have said, when they’re really ready it won’t be this difficult.

My HV told me my daughter was ready and that once I'd started I shouldn't stop. It was a disaster. She definitely wasn't ready and took about a year to finally do wees and poos on the potty. She's only small and has plenty of time until she starts school so I'd defo have a break and try again in a few months

Have you thought of offering to put a nappy on her when she wants to poo? She sounds like wees are pretty much there but she doesn't feel comfortable pooing on the potty/toilet. My nephew used nappies to poo in til he was four but wore pants from 2.5.

My DS is 2.11 and we trained him at 2.7. Within 3 days he was doing all wees on the potty and hasn’t had an accident since. He asks to go to the toilet when he needs it if we are out, if at home he just takes himself. However we are still to master poos. He usually starts it in his pants and then runs to the potty to finish it off. It’s a messy process but I won’t go back to nappies since he has mastered the wees and is so reliable with them.

Stop and try again in a few months. Use pull ups not nappies. Dd2 showed an interest in potty training last Easter, we tried but shevwas having multiple accidents. Put her back in pull ups. Then a few weeks later everything shifted and she was dry and using the toilet within a couple of days. She was 2yrs 3 months when we first tried, 2yrs 5 months when it happened. Shes now 2yrs 8 months and is dry through the night too.

The problem could be the knickers. I read that the kids feel like they are wearing nappies when in nickers and they are prone to accidents.

I think you have done a lot of work and progress so far. I don't think you should expect at this point your DC to ask for potty. If you need to remind her to go and she goes, it's fine. Think of all the nappies you won't have to buy!

Go bare bottom for 3-4 days, back to clothes but no knickers, and then after a few weeks or months start using knickers. Don't mix nappies and clothes, you will confuse her, better to take a break if you prefer.

I used the oh crap it's potty training book and it worked for our daughter. We introduced knickers once she started asking for potty even if she had a nappy(after her nap). Then I knew she could hold it. But each kid is different and you know yours better than anyone else!

I waited and waited until I knew my son was ready - he was eventually withholding wee and wanting to do it in a potty.

He was 2 months off 3 y old and my mum
Criticised my decision blah blah.

He then nailed it in 1 day , I'm not joking. My mum was a bit speechless!

By the way he's a bad sleeper - can't have it all 😂