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Original poster

Potty training.

231 replies

callie · 06/02/2002 08:57

Iam going to try and potty train my dd who is 21mths.
Would love some advice or tips.
Did you put yours straight in pants and put them on the pot every hr or so??

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monkey · 03/03/2002 11:20

Does anyone have a particularly good book they can recommend? Thanks

Enid · 03/03/2002 13:37

Pupuce, interested to know if you potty trained your ds the 'GF' way? Dd is 2yrs 2 months and I am thinking of tackling it in the next couple of months. I've read GF's guidelines but wonder if they work...

Pupuce · 04/03/2002 11:17

A friend borrowed the GF book and has yet to return it so I have done my son's potty training without it ! But as I had read it I think I followed her advice. Having said that, he is absolutely perfect when naked. Goes on the potty without being prompted, never any accident and he can stay for hours with no pants on (as this is what le likes to do!!!)... if I put pants on (as I tried again this morning) he does everything in them. I don't know what it is down to because he understands the whole thing (I think!)...
I would recommend GF but there are no 100% guarantees that it works. Also potty training is a BIG job for a parent (and a stressful one) but if it works easily, what a treat

tiktok · 04/03/2002 23:17

NCT do a book on potty training, at about £6 I think. It has different approaches in it.

Cazhass · 20/03/2002 11:03

To get my little girl into 'big girl pants' we simply left the nappies out for the 'easter bunny' and not only did the easter bunny leave chocolate goodies, he left some pretty little pants too...

meadow · 27/03/2002 18:21

I need some advice please. My dd is 23m and will not sit on a potty or toilet at all she absolutely refuses. I have been trying since she was 21m. I have sat on the potty, her teddies, nappy etc but it hasn?t made any difference. I?ve tried trainer pants, knickers and left her naked, but she just wets herself. I have to forcefully put her in the sitting position but she stiffens herself so that she won?t sit down.

She?ll be starting nursery soon and they are kind of stressing to me that they would prefer her to be trained, but I tell them that I?m doing so. Please don?t tell me to change nurseries as it?s the only good one in the area and we?ve waited 18m for a place.

Hilary · 27/03/2002 18:43

I know that nurseries prefer it if they are trained but it sounds as though she is just not ready to me. My son was just like this about not sitting on the potty at all but when he was ready, it just wasn't an issue for him anymore.

Enid · 27/03/2002 19:47

meadow, sorry, but I agree with hilary - she sounds like she's just not ready.

The nursery should absolutely NOT expect children to be potty trained by the age of 2. I would find it hard to believe that the other 2 year olds are all trained. Obviously it might be easier for the nursery...could you not send her in pull-ups - they are easier for staff to change than the ones where the child has to lie down.

Amanda1 · 28/03/2002 07:56

Message withdrawn

meadow · 28/03/2002 12:43

Thanks for your comments. Obviously it's less work for the nursery as they have to take someone out of the class to tend to the ones in nappies.

Thanks Enid about getting her to wear pull-ups. I have read on other threads that they are not worth the money, but if it stops the nursery from hassling me then I will use them.

Enid · 28/03/2002 14:17

When I sent dd to nursery they accepted that she wouldn't be trained (at 2) but they did ask if she could wear pull-ups. I bought her the proper nappy ones, can't remember what they are called but Pampers make them. They are different to normal pull ups as they are as absorbent as a regular nappy.

KMG · 09/04/2002 21:55

Re: Night-time dryness - our experience to encourage you!

My son is 4 3/4, he was dry in the day when he was just 2, but has been nowhere near dry at night - a sodden nappy every morning. We tried a couple of times leaving the nappy off for a week, but it just resulted in endless laundry. He sleeps very deeply for 12-13 hrs per night on a top bunk, and is big for his age, so "lifting" never seemed a realistic option. Anyway a week ago suddenly out of the blue his nappy was dry in the morning two days running. So we left the nappies off, and have had five nights with only one accident!

With all potty training I think it is crucial you stay relaxed, don't get stressed about it, and take your clues from your children as to when they are ready.

susanmt · 20/05/2002 09:29

Any advice - my 2+3 month dd has just started taking an interest in toilet things. She will go to the potty if prompted, but she will NOT wear pants (either trainer or ordinary) but every time she wets her nappy she demands it is changed. If I leave her nappyless she will quite happily say 'me pee' then pee all over the floor if I dont et there in time. Is she ready for the potty or should I give it a bit longer?

SueDonim · 20/05/2002 12:57

Sounds like she is giving you clear signals that she's ready to be trained, Susanmt and I think it's best not to ignore them. Being fully trained is unlikely to all happen in one day so accidents are par for the course, unfortunately. Can you set aside a few days where you can just concentrate on potty and wees? You'll need to keep alert to when she needs to go but it will be worth in the end, honest!!

cherry · 20/05/2002 13:29

Dd was the same as Amanda1's at around the same age. I always had the potty nearby (it got it's own home between the armchairs) and dd would sit on it but not do anything, then go and poo in the bedroom. But then all of a sudden she was ready and it was all over with in a week, she just refused the potty and went straight for the toilet.

Demented · 20/05/2002 13:50

Agree with SueDonim she sounds ready but you won't get there without a few puddles. My DS was potty trained at 2 1/2 and it took a week for him to get the idea even although we began at his instigation (he asked to go on the toilet and did a pee). I found it really helped just to let him go without clothing on his bottom half and made sure the potty was always available so he didn't have to ask. By the end of the week he started to go on the potty by himself and that is when I would say we cracked it. Still had accidents after this but I think once they have got the idea and neither of you get too upset about the accidents you'll soon be there. Everyone always says girls are easier to train one of my friends had a similar experience to cherry's where her DD just refused to go until she was ready and then it was all done and dusted within the week and she was also dry at night when she was just over three!

All the best, let us know how you get on!

pupuce · 20/05/2002 21:43

I also had the potty nearby and DS never had accidents WHEN half-naked but it took 6 months to get him to remove his trowers and go (or ask) for the potty... so don't be too stressed out about it. Clearly DS (as your DD) understood the deal but wasn't interested in removing his clothes... but he didn't like it when it was dirty.

He is now 2+5mo and finally dry and at night as well - complete surprise... he removed his nappy and went on the potty as soon as he woke... never did I think he could do this at that age.... so the "hardship" of potty training daytime was rewarded by an amzaingly (non existent) easy night time potty training !

jenny2998 · 20/05/2002 22:15

I decided to wait until my DS was ready before making any attempt to potty train. Initially it didn't go well...despite really trying we were only making very slow progress through luck more than judgement.

What I'm really trying to say is that we only really started getting anywhere a lot later when Ds was really ready. He was over 3 when it finally happened, but when it did he was dry at night within just a couple of weeks of being dry in the day. We've had very few accidents...and despite him being quite late he is now very reliable. I would really recommend just leaving them until they're ready

pupuce · 21/05/2002 09:10

Jenny - what do you mean ready ???? How do you judge ?
A child who knows when he is doing something, doesn't mind sitting on the potty and hates to be wet/dirty.... these were my son's signs... and he was very good when naked. When we saw that he didn't go on the potty when clothed we stopped the training but at every occasion he would undress himself and run around naked as he DID not want to wear nappies.

eemie · 22/05/2002 00:17

I've read the whole thread and still don't know what to do with my dd. She started to comment when she was filling her nappy at about 18 months so I produced a potty and let her sit on it if she showed an interest, but she rarely did. When she performed in it we gave her lots of praise which she enjoyed. We also took her to the loo with us, read storybooks about potties, put her toys on it, etc. She never seemed to mind a wet or dirty nappy. At 2y 9m I started to put her in knickers every day and prompt her to use the potty and the loo. At first she was clueless but then seemed to be catching on. After about 12 weeks she was still having lots of accidents and I was also depressed at the time so put her back in nappies (which she wanted) for a fortnight's break.

Since then she's been much better but still (at 3y 7m) wets herself several times a week. She can have 2 or 3 dry days on the trot and then, like today, 5 accidents in one afternoon (no sign that she's ailing in any way). Sometimes when we're out she can hold on for several minutes while we find a loo, but at home or the nursery she frequently doesn't even ask. She is not in the least distressed by accidents and we have tried hard to be matter-of-fact.

I tried leaving off her nappy at night for a while and she did have several dry nights but then started wetting twice a night. We went back to night nappies during a family crisis when it was difficult to cope with disturbed sleep. Her nappy's wet nearly every morning now.

Any suggestions? Just persevere?

cherry · 22/05/2002 00:22

If at first you don't succeed.......... kids are kids are kids, I don't think there's a great deal you can do other than persevere, she'll get there in her own time. Have you tried pull-up's rather than nappies? If she doesn't like them try not to give in, it might encourage her to 'go' if she relises it will mean she can wear knickers instead!

Enid · 22/05/2002 11:43

Does anyone know how to clean sisal flooring? About to potty train dd and am stocking up on cleaning products, but have no idea how I would get poo/wee stains out of sisal/jute/seagrass flooring and I'm sure she won't be obliging and miss those bits!!

Azzie · 22/05/2002 11:52

Eemie, sounds like she can't be bothered - my friend's son was the same, totally unconcerned by the whole thing. She had success with star charts, as long as she made the reward attractive enough - have you tried that? She obviously can do it, she just needs to want to do it. As for the night time thing, another friend's son has just come out of night-time nappies at 5.5, and he's completely normal. If I were you I'd concentrate on the daytime situation first.

SueDonim · 22/05/2002 18:18

Eemie, have you tried making her clear up after herself during the day by making her wash herself and get clean knickers, then washing out her wet knickers and any other clothing? If she has to stop what she's doing to do that four or five times a day she might soon get as fed up of accidents as you are!

susanmt · 22/05/2002 21:23

Just thought I'd let you know dd was in pants ALL day and only wet twice, did a poo on the potty and even went at her own instigation! Not sure if it will be the same tomorrow but we'll see. A good start. I put all her pants ina little box in her drawer and now she goes and picks the ones she wants a big improvement.