To ask for your help with toilet training

[letthemwonderhowwegotthisfar]

Hi all

I’ve name changed for this but long time poster and looking for advice.

My DS is 2.9 and ready to be trained. He’s my second ds and first one trained finest same age.

Day 2 and it was going really well. No accidents yesterday and he ran about bare bum with the potty in the living room.

This afternoon he’s shit the floor three times and the poo has been really runny - almost like he passing wind and it’s just coming out.

Since he’s been a baby, he’s had soft stools and now I’m wondering if it’s going to hinder his toilet training. He’s doing pees no bother in the potty and his speech is great - although he never says he needs the toilet - he just goes to the potty and does it.

What do I do re the runny 💩? Anyone else had a DC who’s been like this?

I’m not a poo troll btw. I’m just tired of scrubbing shite off carpets today and the smell is dire.

What signs of readiness is he showing? Has he asked to use the potty/toilet, does he tell you when he's doing a wee or poo in his nappy (or just after he's done one), does he hide behind the sofa/table/curtain to do a poo in his nappy? Children are often ready at completely different times so just because your older son was ready at the same age doesn't mean he is if that makes sense.

Is there a reason he's bare bottomed rather than in pants? We had the potty in the living room for months and our son would occasionally sit on it fully dressed to watch TV or whatever, then one day he didn't want his nappy on so we put him in pants instead and he was fine straight from the off (we went to town that afternoon and I was super suspicious and kept asking him if he wanted to go but he said no and didn't need to go until we got home). I think he's had about half a dozen accidents ever, when they're ready it will just be an almost instantaneous switch without any real "training" if you see what I mean.

The Gentle Potty Training Book by Sarah Ockwell-Smith is supposed to be good (I've not read it so can't vouch for it personally).

i'd wait till the better weather unless he is actually begging to get out of nappies... and get out in the garden...save your carpets.

Otherwise, if you want to stick it our then I'd cancel the bare bottom, pants hardly interfere with things and again, may save your carpets somewhat.

Personally I didn’t do the “bare bottomed just go to the potty when you fancy it” thing. I was much more structured (possibly because I work in a nursery). I did cold turkey out of nappies into pants, then on the toilet or potty every 15 - 30 minutes first couple of days, gradually extending to every hour by the end of the week. Sooner or later a poo will be done in the potty and you celebrate big time - and have a reward ready to give.
Some children do have looser poo than others - working in a nursery we see it all but it shouldn’t stop them from toilet training.

Is there a particular food that gives him an upset tummy?
Dd had awful nappies when I started weaning her. Turns out she has a food allergy.
She potty trained about the same age as your ds. But at 6 years old, school gave her food made from her allergen. She thought she had farted a couple of times.... half of the classroom was covered in very watery foul smelling poo.
Try keeping a food diary for a couple of weeks? See if he has a trigger ?
And try him in pants. Maybe teach him to be "posh" and go to the potty for a fart?