Potty Training advice from experts please....

[sjs]

I'm hoping you can help me out with some advice from others who have been through potty training already. My dd is 2 years and 1 month and has had a vague interest in all things "toilet" for a number of months. She's been interested in watching us, trying her potty from time to time etc. In last few weeks she is much more interested - doing poos reasonably regularly (lovely conversation isn't it...) and asking to do wees. So reckon she is ready for us to go for it.

Question is (I know long time coming), I've read a few different approaches from the "just go for it" (Gina Ford) approach (straight into pants, and lots of reward/recognition and reminding for a few days, no going back to nappies except for naps) to slower approaches using pull ups etc. I'm inclined to go for it over the weekend, but I'm just interested in anyone else followed this "go for it" approach to potty training and did it work? I'm really thinking about playgroups/ outings etc and whether she will manage ok without pull ups. I'm inclined not to use them cos I tend to agree with the advice that it might confuse her and slow up the process.

Real life case studies and experiences much appreciated! Thanks!

Hi sjs, My DD desided that she disn't want to wear nappies a fortnight before her 2nd b'day - and we followed the Gina Ford route - it was messy for a while - but it's only wee after all and I always carried a small potty with me.

It worked very well for us and she has just given up nighttime nappies at 28 mths - so I am pretty pleased with her.

I'd say go for it - no pullups unless you're going to be in a situation where an accident would be devastating (eg. bridesmaid at wedding etc) - carry a wodge of kitchen paper everywhere you go and several changes of clothes - plus the potty of course.

Sounds like she's ready to go for it Sjs! Our dd suddenly decided one morning (around 2.3) that she was ready. We made a special trip that day so she could choose pretty knickers, and bought a portable potty (a plastic blue one with collapsible legs and disposable liners) which was a great hit and been used everywhere! As Scatterbrain says, just make sure you have plenty of changes! In the beginning, we did use nappies for long car journeys, but that soon passed. Still haven't cracked night times though!!

Defineately go for it, I think pull ups have there place, perhaps if it is taking ages to train. I had one who took nearly a year, and we used pull ups at times, another who took 2 weeks. Incidentally the 2nd one was only 22 months, the 1st 2 1/2 when I started. We still have the odd accident (1 month later on 2nd one) but she is dry for naps as well.

Yours will probably be better as she has aready had some sucess with poos, mine had at least 10 accidenst and no sucess on day 1 and 2, day 3 was about 1/2 and 1/2 and by day 4 she started to get the hang of things. Allow your self a week, and try to stay in a bit more than usual the first week. We didn't go out until day 5 where we went to another house with a toddler.

Thanks everyone - good to have some experiences to compare. Reckon we will try over the w.e. then. And then start carrying a potty with us everywhere...

I waited until it was summer last year when ds was 2.50, being a SAHM I was able to just let him run round with nothing on, lots of accidents to start with, then used the "sticker chart" to reward success, he did take to it quite easily, and found that within a few weeks being dry in the day, his nappy was dry in the morning, so stopped buying them. Luckily that was nearly a year ago and no bed-accidents yet (touch wood).
Good luck

My ds now 2.5yrs has been in pants and dry day and night since July. The only thing we are still struggling with 9 months later is "no.2's".
He will sit on the toilet occasionally and we of course make a huge fuss of him but mainly prefers to do it in his pants.
State nursery is looming and I have totally run out of ideas anyone been in a similar situation?
Sorry to stray from the thread.

An update on our weekend - we had mixed success - would say 1/2 the time in potty and 1/2 time accidents. (although she did do her poos in potty all w/e) She didn't ever ask for potty unprompted though - and sometimes flatly refused to use it and then immediately had accident. Have decided to stick with it but will probably opt for pull ups for playgroup and rides in taxis etc (We live overseas so not sure how accidents will go down in either situation...) But even at playgroup will get her to use potty before, during and after in hope of avoiding accidents....
Let me know if you think this is a disaster and likely to still have her in nappies as a teenager!

No no - that's par for the course !! Definitely don't give up ! 1/2 the time in the potty is really good.

I found my dd wouldn't ever ask to go - that came after a good few weeks (6 or so) now she doesn't ask - she just goes and does !!

Stick in there - this really is good progress

Thought you might all like an update as you were so encouraging when we started out. After first weekend where dd was 50/50 success and accidents she is now doing really well and has maybe one accident a day, sometimes none. We've rarely put her into pullups - just once for a long car journey. Only problem we have now is that she so loves her pants that she gets very upset at going in pull ups or nappy at naptimes and bedtime. And the bedtime routine has extended since once she is in her room and having a cuddle she insists on one last wee and then tries to do a poo. Can take another 15 mins.... tonight I left her sitting in the dark on the potty with her singing for 20 mins until I managed to pursuade her to give up! She sometimes produces something but often it's just trying to extend the bed time hour!

Well done that sounds great. My dd refused nappies for naps within a couple of weeks of potty training, so we only put one on at night. Sometimes she refuses then, so I leave the potty in he room and go in after she has fallen asleep and sneak one on!!

This saves more arguements, and has never led to any accidents