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

[tryingtobemarrypoppins2]

done it earlier or left it later??

DS1 never showed any signs of being ready. He wanted to stay in nappies! I waited till he was almost 3 and then tried him. It took about a week to get from him having no clue he was wee'ing to being able to know when he needed to go.
DS2 has surprised me by deciding he wants to wear pants at 2.2yrs. It took him less than a day to be as good at telling me when he needs to go as his nearly 5 year old brother is! A week on...No accidents at all and he can wait a good while to find a toilet once he says he needs to go.
So much easier the second time around. A very nice surprise!

We left it later and DD did it herself at 2y 3m, dry at night by 2y 4m. Never housebound, and only one wee accident when out and about.

Tried when dd was just over 2yrs, total failure. Tried again when she was 2 1/2 yrs and she was ok although took ages to get the hang of poos in the potty

I learnt from my mistake with DD. I forcibly trained her at 2 years - stayed inside for 3 days and took her to the loo every 10 minutes gradually increasng. It took another year before she was dry at night and regularly had accidents in the day. She is now almost 5 and still relapses regularly. In hindsight it was much too soon. I think I gave into the pressure of competitive mums and my mums nagging about it. Anyway, DS is 2.2 now and has started to ask me to take him to the loo for a wee when his sister goes. He then sits on the loo and makes a cute 'sssssssssss' sound but produces nothing. I am going to get him some pants and give him a go in the school holidays. If there is no luck I will leave it a couple of months and try again.

Yy FeelingSensitive, I didn't push it so much with ds and he was FAR easier. We live and learn as they say (trite but true).

This very day, DS3 decided he wanted to take his nappy off and have some pants on! Cue two stickers (for tiny drops of wee in the potty), three wet pairs of pants, and one poo in his pants.

Oh well. Live to fight another day

Tried at 2.1 and 2.8, disaster both times. Backed off until 3.2 (ie now!) and warm weather and he's practically doing it himself - asking for big boy pants, telling us when he needs to go, and so far we've only had three accidents, one of which was my fault for not being quick enough (in my defence I had just found a lost and sobbing toddler and was a tad distracted!) and one was on the way to the toilet at nursery. I was a bit panicky about him still being in nappies at 3, but am now a total convert to the 'wait till they're ready' approach.

My dd just started to use the potty on friday. She is 3yr 2weeks an although she had pottys around for the last 10 mths she would freak out if you suggested using them would cry and cry if left nappy free getting her changing mat and lying on it demanding a nappy. I removed the potty decided to leave her ....breakthrough was friday she wanted a potty same as plygroup one and had a tantrum in the shop saying i need a potty i NEED a potty.

I was so embarrassed I gave in bought it for her best £7 ever spent she has been using it since and poos on it as well we have one pair of wet pant since then so I def agree WAIT Let them do it themselves its so much easier for both of you.

I think its best to wait until about between 2.5 and 3 otherwise its not as effective. I used the plan in the book about training in one week and both were dry by day 3/4.

I'm trying to sort it out with dd2 is will be 3 in two months.

She is totally continent and aware when she needs a wee or poo but scared of potties and toilets (or so she's telling us).

So, if we have her bare bottomed, she will ask for a nappy when she needs a wee. If we refuse, she curls up on the sofa and does it there!

We had a week of thinking that - removing all nappies day and night - would sort her. It didn't. So, we are going to be more flexible and encourage her to be bare bottomed as much as possible and then carry on putting the nappies on when she needs a wee until we either get fed up with this or she decides she likes potties.

She is too short for a toilet!

Just to add for those who are worried about starting late(including me!, our dd1 was more compliant but we still didn't start until she was almost 3 and it took about 3 weeks.

However, friends who had started much earlier, had children who were so used to being prompted that at 3.5 they were having accidents ever so frequently. THey were also less continent.

For those suffering bad nights; I am beginning to be aware that many people have their children in nappies at night for much longer than is generally discussed. I was grumbling to a parent at the weekend about our dd2, and actually just discovered that her 7 year old still has accidents at night.

My ds1 decided he wanted to wear pants t 2.4 he was fine until the last few months now 3.7 he is suddenly wetting 3 / 4 times a day and a little poo at least once a day, he says 'it doesn't matter' ?? !! I'm at the end of my tether and getting really cross wtih him.. Is it my fault now have dd 1.3 worried he has not been getting enough 1 to 1 and needs more attention?!!?

Builde that sounds great in theory waiting until they are ready but if you don't prompt then some children will never use a potty!! That's been my whole point along on this thread - but no one seems to be going through anything similar except one other poster.

Not all children will tell you when they want to start wearing big boy/girl pants. You have to pick on the cues and if they are comfortable at sitting on the potty (not upset over it) yet still need prompting what exactly do you suggest? That they go back into nappies again even though they can use a potty ????

lovechoc

I have no idea! And I have absolutely no idea what to do with a dd who knows what she is doing but won't sit on a potty. I suspect she is one who would love to wear nappies for a year longer. (which I'm not having, however, sweet she is!)

I agree that children need some prompting and/or peer pressure, otherwise nothing would happen.

A bit like weaning...

Everything else with children happens naturally; like talking, reading, walking, climbing. But weaning and potties seem to involve much parental time and angst.

It's a tricky one isn't it? I don't want DS to go back into nappies because I feel he's making (slow) progress and to put him back in nappies may knock his confidence about using a potty, yet he still needs prompting 90% of the time. At bedtime he asks for the potty no problem but during the day he is so wrapped up in play he forgets to ask.

Good luck with your DD, and I know what you mean, someone has to initiate it or else they'd be in nappies forever and a day!

Lovchoc dont worry, dd 3.3 months has been dry for about a week, but i have to prompt her or she will not go. I am hoping that in time she will not need it. like yesterday at the pub when we were sitting for a meal she asked to use the toilet. I feel that by takeing them at certain times like when she gets out of bed, after breakfast etc she will get into a routine and habit. Some will do it of their own accord, but some wont and will not know any different unless you initiate it yourself. My dd though being ready physically, would have quite happily remained in nappies until 4.5 -5 years old and i do not want that, she wont be like her peers and go to school. Soemtimes you have to give them a gentle push in the right direction. The summer for us is an ideal time as its warm, dry (most of the time) and things will be dry in no time.

For me putting her back in nappies would be undoing everything, and she would think it was ok to poo/wee in a nappy which really is not and is not what her peers are doing. I am adoping a relaxed approach and will keep her in pants. If she does have an accident i help her take off her wet things and encourage her to clean it up (i go back over and do it properly myself). But just to reinforce the message really, i would never make her feel ashamed or bad, but make her tae a bit of responsibility for not going to the toilet. consequences and actions. Not going to the toilet means you wet yourself, wet pants and therefore has to be cleaned up.

I agree pigletmania - we aren't wanting to put DS back into nappies either because we know that he knows the right thing is to pee and poo into a toilet or potty (he uses the potette seat when out at restaurants). I think it's all about getting them into a habit, some don't need it reinforced but DS and your own DD obviously do for a set period of time until they work out that they must go on their own without prompting.

I also would not be happy about DS starting school in nappies. I feel it's my responsibility as a parent to encourage him to use the toilet and get used to it. If he starts nursery in pull-ups it's not a big deal, but definately would prefer it if he's out of nappies by 4.5!!

I totally agree Lovechoc, you dont want 2 in nappies. Like your ds my dd knows when she needs to go, she will take herself off and hide to do it, its like a game. This would probably continue for a year and a half. She does not care whether she is the only one in pre school with a nappy or not (there are others in nappies in there), or that most of her peers use the toilet. I feel that it is my responsibility to guide her gently to the right direction, its not like they are 2.

Just keep going, well thats what i have, she just had an accident now, so i encouraged her to remove her wet clothes and i helped her put clean ones on, she ased for a choccy button (given when wee/poo in the toilet) and told her no she cant have them as she did not wee in the potty, they are only there is she does a wee/poo on the toilet/potty.

I agree Build, so i am being calm and will wash things if she wets/poos, and I leave her in the wet clothes for a little bit so it feels uncomfy. Hopefully they will associate being wet with being uncomfy, cold and not nice so will want to go to the toilet or potty. Yes certain things do come naturally but not always the ability to use the toilet, some children need gentle help and guidence. Its much better now the more relaxed and chilled i am, i was not when i tried several times when dd was in her 2s. I have noticed since I started a month ago she has improved so much, better bladdar control and she is mostly dry in the day, and tells me more when she needs to go, but mostly has to be taken to the toilet. This will go once she gains confidence and gets into a habit herself, same with others children i think too.

My son is 3 and 4 months and has only just started to get it! Have tried few times before and no interest whatsoever. I think it is better to wait until they want to do it as it is less stressful for all concerned.

My other son was a lot keener and was done by about 2 years 9 months including being dry at night.

Glad to read this thread. DD is 2.11 and I am feeling pressure from all over. She refuses to go on the potty and will sit on the toilet 'when I am a lady, mummy' . My mum thinks her blatant refusal is a sign she is ready , my friends keep saying 'I've got a book you can read'.

We had a false attempt last week when she refused to wear a nappy, so we sent her into nursery with several changes of clothes, apparently she would just stand and wee where she was. I keep talking to her about it, she can't have knickers till she goes on the potty, she's just doesn't want to.

How do you know when they are ready?

Bump I would just wait a few months, does not sound like she is ready to me.

Late to this thread, but anyway -

dd, tried at 2.2yo, she was sorted in 3 days and dry at night 6wks later, was a doddle, didn't know how lucky I was. She showed no signs of being ready though, I just thought I'd try.

ds1 - he had no idea, he used to stand there weeing over his feet and carry on playing, oblivious. At 3.4 I knew he had to get it because of starting school 3 months later. He didn't want to bother, so I promised him a Peppa Pig Rocket . He got the idea of going on the potty fairly quickly, and was fine as long as I told him to go and sit on it. It took over a year to get the hang of remembering to go himself. Although he has never had an accident at school - they remind them a lot there! If I'd waited for him to want to do it, he'd still be in nappies (he is 5.5 and still complains about having to stop playing and go to the toilet).

ds2 - he is 2.5. We're tried recently - he is keen, and very good at knowing he needs to go, and gets to the potty on time - but he needs to go every 15 minutes. So after a fortnight of thinking he'd get better and go less frequently, I gave up. He is doing poos in the toilet though so that is something!

"If I'd waited for him to want to do it, he'd still be in nappies"

Finally! Catherder someone else singing from the same hymnsheet then. Glad your first son got the hang of it but he sounds so much like mine at the moment - just couldn't expect him to want to do it, he needs the prompting or he wouldn't care less if he was in nappies or not.