Potty training - how?!

[Fangtasticks]

I work four days a week and DD is at nursery. EOWE and all holidays we have my delightful but chaotic SC. When should I aim to do potty training?!

I honestly don’t know what’s happened in the last 20 years. My entire mum-friend group at the time all potty trained ours between 2 and 2.5, with no major problems at all, each taking a few days. Maybe peer pressure?

I remember going to a Penelope Leach talk (that ages me ) where she said don’t worry about potty training, they all learn - you never hear of children starting school still in nappies. And now you do. What’s changed?

Nursery potty trained my two.

She’s really good at what she does and my daughter is very happy BUT they’re out all the time so I think that’s what she meant. She doesn’t want to have to keep them all inside whilst one potty trains.

We trained our son a bit too early in November. He only started being consistent with poos a couple of months ago! I wish I’d waited longer for more signs of readiness. FWIW we did 5 days with both of us off work (weds-sun) and then he went to nursery, wees were sorted in a couple of weeks but poos took so long.
My friends that did it when their toddlers were a bit older (closer to 3 than 2 years old) managed to do it over a long weekend.
The advice to do it sooner I think comes from the fact that too many children weren’t being potty trained properly before starting school. But I think if you force it too early you just have to deal with accidents for longer!

I felt like you with my first, must take some time off, cant leave it to nursery etc. By the time I got to number 3, nursery said just send her to us in pants with lots of spare pants, leggings and socks and we'll handle it. She cracked it in less than a week doing it alongside all her pals at nursery, never had an accident at home and only a couple at nursery in the first couple days. She was ready though, and they did it earlier than I would have, but they felt she was ready so I went with them.

But you really don't have to keep them in all the time!

I really don't get the approach of book a week off, stay in the house. Seems to just make it all into a huge deal.

By out I mean she takes them to soft plays and to parks via drives in the car.

When we trained our son we didn’t go further than the local park until we were sure he could handle a drive. He trained very quickly though. By day three we took him into town to go shopping. Childminder was sceptical when we sent him back the following Monday but he had no accidents. He was great! I anticipate my daughter taking a little longer.

I still drove places as normal, so still don't get it tbh

I guess she doesn’t want wee in her car? I don’t either.