At what age did you suceed at Potty Training and do you wish you had ....

[tryingtobemarrypoppins2]

done it earlier or left it later??

Failed attempt at 2.6.

Then waited until dd asked for pants at 3.2 - we had wee accidents on the first 2 days, then all fine.

She takes herself off to the potty or the loo; I only remind her if we are going out.

DEF leave it until THEY are ready.

DS was more or less the same story.

My daughter is 7 and was day trained right around 3 years old but still wets the bed 2-3 times a week. I have tried cutting liquids and making her go before bed but it doesnt matter what I try, she still wets the bed. I try not to get frustrated over it because of the laundry but its so hard to sometimes. Anyone else have an older child that is nowhere close to stopping wetting the bed?

Bonnie

I'm definitely an advocate of waiting until they are ready. DD initiated herself at 2 years 5 months a week before I was thinking about starting - had a tiny baby so was in no hurry. SIL "potty trained" her son at 2 before DC2 arrived, he was still having loads of accidents 6 months later. I will wait with DS at least until he is just over 3 unless he decides otherwise, pre-school has advised that with boys you shouldn't really push it before they are 3.

Nappies are so much easier than clearing up mess, empyting potties and having to go round with a portable potty all the time. No hurry everybody learns in time for school.

I totally agree helmet but would putting a 7 year old back in nappies at night help or make the problem worse. Reason I ask is that I wont buy pull ups anymore because they just dont work and she has gotten rashes from some of the ones I have tried. I dont know anyone that had to go back to actual baby nappies on a 7 year old but I am running out of options. Is it wrong to go back to nappies at her age if nothing else works and its not made to seem like a punishment? Thank you!

Bonnie

I don't think nappies for a 7 year old would be right - even if presented as non punishing. Is your daughter motivated to be dry? Is there anything different about the dry nights from the wet ones?

My nephew wore large nappies at night until the age of 9 or 10. They were because he was a pesistant bed wetter.He let as few people know as possible, but was never made to feel punished for wearing them. It was explained they were just until he was older and his bladder better trained. He was under the hospital at this point and I think they were on prescription? I think its from the age of 5 for regular bed wetting they can look into it.

She really isnt motivated to try harder. Nothing changes from night to night. She still will sneak drinks even though she isnt supposed to have one that late at night. She had absolutely no problems wearing a pull up to bed and actually got mad at me for taking them away but I was going through them like crazy because there were times she was going through 1-2 a night and they aint cheap. Not to mention that she got rashes from some of the brands I have tried. I just figured that it would be alot better on the both of us in the morning if I can get her to wear one but at her age, I didnt know if that was such a good idea. But, like I said before, I have to do something because its causing a bit of stress in the morning from the both of us. Thank you again and I hope to hear back soon.

Bonnie

My son at 18 months decided he wouldn't wear a nappy during the day - no accidents! Two weeks later left them off at night too the only accidents happened when he was ill. My daughter was three years - I had tried that summer to leave nappies off during the day but frequently found puddles and she never asked for the potty. As she wasn't worried I decided not to be and within 2 months she was nappy free. Go with your child they know when they are ready.

tried my 2.5 yr old for a couple days but lots accidents so leaving it a while longer, weirdly though she has started to ask to poo on the toilet but when we get there says its too difficult and sits on the potty! then shes really abit stunned whats come out of her i think! still happy to press flush button and get prizes though, needs reassurance but shes a bit of a thinker so i found a simple explanation is helping, eg your and my poos come out and go down the toilet, byeeeee!!! seems happy with that for now. anyone else have this issue? am thinking will let her get confidence up for a couple weeks with the poo thing and then try knickers again, am concerned she may hold in the poos if she had no nappy on and still not sure about poo on pot/loo....crikey the things you have to consider!

Very mummy as my DD still hiding to do her poo's and never ever on the potty or loo.

Kneedeepwith1, I think wetting the bed isn't the same as potty training. They're asleep, they really can't help it. Some children are just bed wetters.

There are overnight pants that come in larger sizes. Also, you can talk to your GP about it. My niece wets the bed and has started tablets to help her.

it has been a gradual thing with us. DD was 2 1/2 when we started, they did it at nursery (3 days a week) she wore nappies at weekends if we were going on long car journeys, but used a potty at home. Worked really well for us, every time she was in knickers was a happy/special time (charlie and lola branded knickers helped), and we did everything we could to make it successful - no accidents. We got to the stage that when she did wear a nappy it was always dry when we took it off. Now she wear knickers all the time and goes on the big toilet while we are out. She's 2 yrs 9 months now, so it's been slow but very positive.

DD1 was just over 2. Couple of accidents but
generally found it easy so I thought DD2 would be the same! Tried her at 2.2 and 2.4 without success. Didn't push the issue because I think I knew that she wasn't ready. I tried 2 weeks ago at 2.8 and she is now potty trained. I'm glad I waited a little longer (although I felt under pressure that she should have been potty trained earlier especially as 'people' say girls are easier - no idea if that is true or not)

Left it until DS was 3. Had one little attempt earlier when he wanted to try, but it didn't happen. So we just put him in pull-ups and gradually encouraged him to use them like normal pants and only poo/wee in the toilet (for which he would get a reward). Eventually it was sorted and we just switched to proper underpants.

One friend of mine had a much more hassleworthy approach where she decided it was time to potty train, removed all nappies, cancelled all appointments and stayed in for a week trying to make her DD (aged about 2.6) go to the toilet. Nightmare! And not only did the DD not manage it, she developed a complex about the toilet and ended up not being ready until over 4.

Here endeth the lesson

My DS started pre-school on a thursday in april just gone so on the tuesday the week before we said to him as you're a big boy that's about to start pre-school would you like to use a potty / toilet seat and wear big boy pants like daddy does. We had 3 consecutive accidents that day then the following morning he woke up and said 'mummy i need to do a wee' so we put him on the potty and over a month later he's now waking with a dry night time nappy and happily puts himself on the toilet or potty (upstairs or downstairs). He was 2y 9m wen we started. We gave him a sticker every time he wee'd on the potty for the first week and he was so proud he couldnt wait to show his nan's how well he'd done.

I tried when DD1 2, seven dirty knickers in one morning later, we were back in nappies. 6 months later, she was running all over the house, refusing to let me put a nappy on and my mum suggested that perhaps I should just let her wear pants. She has had very few accidents. However, she is not dry and no-where near at 4.5 I am wondering if she is going to be like her cousin who was not dry until about 7.

Kneedeep - my nephew wet his bed until age 6 then his parents got hold of some electronic device from their doctor that woke him up the instant he starting peed and he learned to be dry at night within a few weeks.

We've just bought pants and potty for DS (2.9) and planning to try them 1st time tomorrow; wish us luck! We've tried casual buildup about how he'll wear pants when older, will use toilet like us when older, etc. Also let him flush the loo for us and 'admire' his poos when we change his nappies in attempt to avoid phobias.

Kneedeep. At 7 your daughter would qualify for the enuresis (bedwetting) clinic via your gp. They will discuss strategies with you and come up with an action plan. If that doesn't work they can either loan you an alarm or in some cases if necessary they can offer medication.

I feel your pain as my ds1 is currently wetting the bed since going back onto gluten for his coeliac test. Apparently its to do with the inflammation in his bowel putting pressure on his bladder. Fortunately for us, if we wake him to go to the toilet at about 11.00 he is usually dry for the rest of the night.

Best thing we found was to buy several of the soft hippychick bed protector sheets and get him to lie on one of those instead of a normal sheet. Then if/when he does have an accident we can just take off the wet one, and replace it with another. They aren't cheap, but are worth every penny imho.

Mind you, my situation isn't helped by my poor little old lady dog (who is very ill) developing night incontinence now as well. I often have both human and dog bedding to wash before I can even start the day. Its very wearing and as you say, when you are tired from them waking you in the night and you are faced with yet another load of wet bedding, its difficult not to get frustrated sometimes.

In my case I know it will stop again almost as soon as he comes back off gluten.

I hope you manage to sort something out for your dd soon.

Hi kneedeep. Would agree about seeing GP for possible referral. I wonder if there is any way of motivating your daughter to want to have dry beds? She is old enough to ask her if it bothers her and to try and come up with a joint plan for taclking it.
Intrinsic motivation is best - wanting to be dry like friends, to be able to go to sleepovers etc but where necessary using 'rewards' to encourage and star chart like plans. Often people have tried these already but either not got the right combination or not consistently enough but it does hinge on your daughter wanting to work at it and her body being physically capable.

Kneedeep go to your GP the body might not be producing a certain hormone to reduce urine at night thus she is wetting more and to rule out any other physical causes. Also contact ERIC (organisation for childhood incontinence). i Tried to potty train dd when she was in her 2s but was difficult as she was not understanding and ready. I am finding so much easier now that she is older 3.2 and is understanding a lot more. Though i have to remind her to go to the potty, she does know when she needs to go and has developed good bladder control. When she needs to go she usually hides and takes herself off to the wendyhouse or round the bac of our garden instead of the potty cheeky girl, and laughs when she does it. Its like a game to her.

DD at 2.5 was day and night dry. No training as such involved, just waited until she was ready and we have only had 3 accidents in 4 mth.

Definitely wait until they're ready, it's much less traumatic for both parents and child.

Ladies, can I please ask... You all say wait until they're ready but how do I know?!!

DD went through phase a month or two ago of taking her nappy off all the time and has recently switched to asking to go to the toilet - which I do and we sit there and nothing happens.

Yesterday she poo'd on the carpet( she'd had one of her toilet trips and had just left knickers on her ).She's 2.4 by the way.

It's such a relief to read this thread!! DD2 is 2.9 and was born with imperforate anus so she had colostomy etc. Since the reversal she has suffered with consipation etc and the consultant said she probably won't potty train until she is 3 or 4. We have a fancy potty that flushes etc and she has tried a few times, but mostly because her friends are dry. There's a chance she will be faecally incontinent but we won't know for a long time I guess. I was beating myself up as DS and DD1 were dry before they were 2.

I wasn't aware of this ERIC, I think I'll do some research!! Thank you so much

Sorry to hijack, you may continue

DD is 2.4 and its happened within about 2 weeks. She's clean at night too.

We are still taking it very steadily as I cant go out for long periods,just a quick trip to the shops and back

DS was 2.6 and cracked day and night within a couple of weeks.

DD was 4 before she was dry most of the day. She is now 5 and has accidents at school several times/week and is nowhere near dry at night. She has to take a change of clothes to Rainbows and cheerleading clubs as she has more accidents in the evening. Its a problem .