How did you potty train?

[TheYellowBrickRoad]

My DD is 20 months and I have started looking how to best potty train her in the future. She isn’t yet showing any signs of being ready but want to be prepared!

What way did you find was best? What age did you start? Any guidance would be appreciated as I keep reading and hearing such conflicting advice.

MN is awful about children who are late to potty train. It did have an adverse effect on me and I forced my child to wear pants and went through an incredible amount of stress. At about three and nine months he got it. He’s now just turned four and never has accidents. I can honestly say it’s one of the worst things I’ve done as a parent and I’ll never forgive myself for it.

We did it on a sunny May bank holiday just before they turned 2. They hadn’t shown any signs, but we wanted to take advantage of having the time off work. I was dreading it, but it was really easy. Outside, no pants, lots to drink and a potty. They had the hang of it by the end of day 1 and were all set by Tuesday for nursery.

We did no pants and loose trousers for a few weeks before adding pants in. Nursery were fine with it. It worked really well, a few accidents when adding the pants but I think you’ll always get a few accidents - especially when they’re excited about something and don’t want to stop what they’re doing to go to the loo!

There is another thread running now where someone has literally said it is ‘revolting’ if a child isn’t potty trained before 3. What a load of rubbish. Please done beat yourself up for this, I am certain your child is happy and healthy and if this is the worst thing you’ve done as a parent, then I think you’re doing very well indeed x

I agree with every single word of this. You’re an amazing mummy!

It’s not a “revolting” thing for parents not to potty train by 3 obviously, but imo it is revolting as a parent/carer to have to change a 3yos nappies.

Obviously we all love our kids and do what we have to do, but changing a large pooey nappy when they are that age is pretty gross. Not to mention bad for the environment. Personally I was very glad to say goodbye to the nappy changing as early as I possibly could.

Another fan of Oh Crap. The author maintains that they are ready to train if they can recite the alphabet.
I bought a multipack of Fruit Shoots (usually banned) and found going frequently was a useful way to reinforce. My 2 yr took a little bit longer to train at night (hindered by being in a cot as a bed didn’t actually fit in her room). The only comment I would make is that those I know who are still not trained (aged 3) have parents who talk a lot about waiting for signs that they “are ready” without specifying what…..

Thank you all. Not to be a Mod, but can we keep this thread nice and about tips/support rather than discussing how “revolting” things are. Let’s keep it friendly!

Pullups and made going to the potty a part of the routine. Regular every 2h. Big fuss and chocolate buttons for every success.

Did that for a few months but it wasn’t a big deal. Pullups meant no wee or poo to clean up and getting used to undressing etc.

Then when they were consistently dry snapped them into pants and done.

https://visiblechild.com/2015/09/20/toilet-training-in-one-simple-step/

@onlyhereforthefood You might find this a reassuring read.

You have no idea how much I needed this!

Didn’t bother having a potty. Had the plonk on toilet seat things and would sit them on occasionally cheering what big boys and girls they were (to their confusion initially).

Then the summer before they went to nursery I had them in the garden and around the house with no pants. Luckily if they weed in the garden it was no biggie. And if they did anything on the loo it was huge celebrations and praise. They all took around 3-4 days for it to click. Dry day and night.

start now! little cotton pants (lots of) and M&Ms /smartie treats. Provide several potties. Doable within a week but best to be done in a half term or similar and when you're not going anywhere

Katherine Ryan (comedian) trained her daughter Violet at 9mths old!!

My daughter had a very distinctive expression when she was getting reading to fill her nappy so I got into the habit of just whipping off the nappy and sitting her on the pot from about 7 months. She started to object at about 15 months so I didn't insist, but the pot was easier to clean than the alternative. Actual potty training happened when she was just past two - during the hot period of early lockdown so we had plenty of time on our hands, but it all seemed to happen without too much fuss.

My top tip: have multiple potties. We had one upstairs and one down.

I think a huge take away from this thread is that there is no "one size fits all" method and that you will find a way that works for your DC once you start doing it.

Completely agree with this. The beauty being that if the first time you try they don’t quite get it, there will be a different method you can follow. All kids are different and you know your child better than anyone. Potty trained before 2? That’s cool. Didn’t get the hang of it until 3.5? Also cool. I couldn’t even tell you what age I was 😂

You’ll get very conflicting advice on here as well as all the other things you read! I trained both of mine around the age of 3 as that was when they were ready. I dressed myself out when my first was 2 and a bit because of the pressure from outsiders to get it done and I wished I had ignored them as he was not ready. When I did try again it took 3 days and he was done and we’ve never looked back. I had a potty downstairs and then used a kids toilet seat for out and about. As soon as they cracked the potty I got them on a normal toilet. I was very fortunate with both of mine that as soon as they started day time training, they were both dry at night as well.
Potty training gets built up into this massive thing but really you need to just wait until your child is ready and it won’t be that hard. The ones that struggle tend to be ones who start so early and it goes on for weeks and weeks. Sometimes you do go backwards for a day, my second child had a really good first day and then the next one was a disaster and I nearly gave up but the third day he cracked it. Lots of sticker charts and praise. Good luck!

Started my son at 2.5 around September last year, kept a potty in the living room for a good few months before that.

Started by putting him on it once a day, in the morning when he got up. After a week or so he started to do a wee. He was waking up with a dry nappy though.

Gradually increased to getting him to go on it every few hours. Then he started doing poos too. Rewarded him with stickers, chocolate and Santa left him some big boy pants under the tree.

He's been in pants and nappy free in the day since the start of the year. I put him in a nappy at night but it's always dry in the morning.