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Original poster

Did you potty train when your child was truly ready or because you thought they *should* be ready?

34 replies

poopy · 15/08/2006 02:59

I am genuinely interested in what others did.

Did you potty train your child because
a) He/She was the age you thought they should be potty trained?
b) You decided it was time?
c) He/She was really truly ready?
e) Nursery/daycare told you you should potty train?
f) other?

And to add to the answer above - how old was your child and how long did it take?

I am curious because I know people who have endured weeks/months of accidents/carrying around a suitcase worth of changes of clothes etc because they decide it is potty training time. And I know people who waited and waited and (usually) potty trained their child overnight (near the age of 3)

I tried DS at 2 and a half - gave up after 5 days as I wasn't prepared to do the whole change clothes every hour thing. Tried again at nearly 3 and he was dry in 24 hours.

DD is 2 and a half - I have absolutely no intention of potty training her just because she is 2 and a half ... but she is beginning to show some signs so she may be ready earlier than DS - who knows?

Why do people potty train at a certain age just because they think they ought to?

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threebob · 15/08/2006 04:01

ds was ready in terms of having the control, knowing when he was going, could dress/undress himself, had the language. But he just could not be bothered.

So we put out all his cloth nappies, liners and wraps for Santa on Christmas eve, Santa left lovely presents (including underpants) and ds was trained for wees quite quickly, I never had to do a mad dash for the loo whilst out, and he has only one accident whilst out (and that was sheer laziness). Poos took 6 months - but taking a poo out of some undies is okay, and certainly not worth keeping in nappies for.

Can't believe that your dd is 2.5!

Original poster
poopy · 15/08/2006 04:21

I know threebob ...

So how old was bob when you did it then? He was technically ready then but it just needed a little gentle shove in the right direction (with santa etc) would you say?
LOL at what you say about poos easy to get out of pants ... that is if your child does nice considerate solid types ... my children eat loads of fruit so DD's poos would be terrible to get out of pants - won't go there

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ScummyMummy · 15/08/2006 05:05

In a word- nursery/play groups. Lots and lots still won't take children till they're out of nappies. That was one of the catalysts for us as I had started a (quickly abandoned) course and needed some childcare. I also think for me there came a point where they were so near yet so far and I felt we couldn't turn back. God, it was a nightmare now I think about it! Hope if there is ever a next time it will be easier. Was watching a lovely friend with her third who is about 2 and at the peeing in the garden stage and they were both SOOO relaxed- lovely.

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Original poster
poopy · 15/08/2006 05:59

Thanks for that input scummy (I used to be ghosty by the way )

A friend of mine and I were chatting about having a third child JUST to get it right .... in a relaxed yummy mummy kind of way - but I don't think my poor body could go through it a third time

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BudaBabe · 15/08/2006 06:01

Waited til DS was ready. He was 2.10.

I bought "Potty Training in one week" by well know child guru (!!!!) and read it on the Friday night. DS woke up on Sat morning saying he didn't want nappies anymore! He was great for first 2 days but then got a bit fed up with it so I did a sticker chart. Was dry within 4/5 days. Poos too.

Dry by night about a month later.

Really believe in waiting if at all possible. Makes it so much easier.

Jasnem · 15/08/2006 06:19

I tried dd1 at 2.5 because everyone else was, and as she is very tall I felt pressure from others who thought she was older. It was a disaster. I tried again at 3, and it still took weeks , with lots of accidents.

DD2 I started at 2.10 and it took almost a year to be reliable.

Both were ok poohing in the toilet quite quickly but we tthemselves when out.

DD1 was still in nappies at night until almost 5, when I put her in pullups, and she reacted so bedly to the elasticin them that we were forced to go "cold turkey" and it took a week.
DD2 trained herself at night shorlty before this, at 3 (they are 15 months apart)

ds is 6 months and I will be waiting until he is truly ready, but am not looking forward to it at all.

threebob · 15/08/2006 07:17

Bob was 2.10, and it wasn't a very gentle shove really looking back.

I think he would have done it himself at 3.2 based on when I had to stop reminding him to go and he started to take himself off without a song and dance.

earlgrey · 15/08/2006 07:21

Three and a bit. I didn't see any point in trying to PT dds until they were ready - unfair all round, I thought. When dd2 (who has an iron bladder) said 'Oh no, I've done a wee in my nappy' just before she was ready to leave for nursery, I thought the time might be right ....

And although dd1 did, dd2 had no 'accidents' during the night.

hana · 15/08/2006 07:48

a friend of mine is doing her litte boy at the moment, it's been months and months but she just won't admit that he isn't ready yet.....i think sometimes its a 'well so and so was trained at 2' or whatever age it is

Pfer · 15/08/2006 07:50

We tried on and of with DS1 when everyone else was training their kids, but we gave up when he was about 2.5yo. From then on we always had potties hanging about, one in the kitchen, bathroom and his bedroom, and when he turned 3yo within a day or so, he justed started using them by himself with no prompting. Only used them for about 2 months or so then started on the toilet.

DS2 is almost 2yo now and I've no intention of starting to train him, I'm just going to let him get on with it when he's ready.

FioFio · 15/08/2006 07:50

This reply has been deleted

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YellowFeathers · 15/08/2006 07:56

I think it was a bit of both tbh.
We'd had the potty out in the room for months and months and we just decided to make her nappyless and let her do her stuff.
I think after a couple of days she got the jist. This was a couple of months after she turned 2.
About 4 months on she was asking to go to the toilet and about a month or so after that she was taking herself.

However we have had a set back and shes gone back to wetting herself but we are on the mend again.
I also read something somewhere that theres a little saying about potty training.
"Start at 2 finish at 3. Start at 3 finish at 3"

throckenholt · 15/08/2006 07:58

a mixture of all of them.

DS1 was just 3 - it was summer and I wanted to get it out of the way - he was initially interested, then not very, but we got there in a few weeks.

DS2&3 - were 2.5 - it was summer again (grin) - they were very interested and kept taking their nappies off. However, they were very inconsistent and it took a long time. A year later they are pretty reliable - but occasionally go through phases of being "lazy".

As far as night training go - I think it is much more a case of they have to be ready and you can't change when that is. DS1 was dry over night by 3.5 (with a few accidents now and then), but DS2&3 are nowhere near at just over 3.5 (hopefully it won't be much longer - I would love to ditch the nappies).

mazzarella · 15/08/2006 08:24

My 2 both self trained.
DS at 2.3 dry day and night the first day.
DD at 1.10, still in nappies for night, though no wee or poo accidents through the day.

FrannyandZooey · 15/08/2006 08:24

Ds was 3.2 I think...I knew he was ready but he was still slightly resisting the idea so I gave him a gentle shove and he did the rest himself. It was blindingly easy - I never had to remind him and he has as yet only had 3 accidents - twice in the garden while playing with the tap, and once last week at a friend's (I think it was all terribly exciting and he forgot - I wasn't there). He is also self-sufficient as can now go standing up, lift the seat, cope with his clothes, flush toilet etc. So for a lazy sod like me it is perfect

He still doesn't want to do poos on the potty or toilet, but tells me when he wants to do one and we put a nappy on. I would definitely leave it this long again, it has been so stress free.

cupcakes · 15/08/2006 08:29

They were both 2 and a half and I thought they should be trained. Big mistake. Huge.
Ds took a year and dd about 6-8 months. Will wait till baby no 3 is older or at least dragging me to the toilet and wrenching nappy off before I start.

fuzzlepelts · 15/08/2006 10:40

Hi,
I tried at Easter when DD was 2.4 probably because as a first time mum I thought it was the right thing to do. I gave up after a few weeks and and she is still in nappies. I now realise that rather than searching for signs, it is probably better to just wait for her to tell me she is ready (which is kind of happening now).
I think there is so much information and advice available on the internet etc that you kind of get caught up in doing what the development calendars and stuff suggest is the right thing. I tend to not bother with that stuff now and only read up on things if I have a concern. Pity I didn't do that sooner and save my washing machine the month from hell!

Elibean · 15/08/2006 14:36

I started dd off very gently, with sitting on the potty after breakfast and supper being read to/watching tv for several weeks before trying without nappies. Actually, this phase lasted longer than dd probably needed - because I was pregnant and sick and then we were on holiday
She was about 2.4 for that, then 2.7 for losing nappies: its been pretty easy, three weeks in and she still needs prompting but has very few accidents and is very proud of herself
I had two reasons for timings: one, dd was playing at peeing on the potty a lot and wanted to try - and two, she's starting nursery in September and they have dreadful changing facilities, but lovely little mini-loos which dd adores!

blueshoes · 15/08/2006 14:55

Poopy, I potty-trained dd at 2.8 not because I felt she was truly ready but because I was expecting another baby and felt that it was worth it to "give-it-a-go".

She was showing a few (but inconsistent) signs to me and nursery she might be ready. I would have been happy to wait longer for more definite signs but for the fact I found myself pregnant.

Dd had one week of almost continuous accidents and then was dry in the day. Started night training 2 weeks later and after many nights of consecutive accidents, was dry at night after 1-2 weeks.

I wouldn't have believed it myself if I did not try. She still has the odd accident here and there (now that baby is almost upon us) but very occasionally.

Bozza · 15/08/2006 15:06

I trained DS at 2.2 and DD at just 2. With DS it was Easter and I had time off work and thought it was worth giving it a go. With DD it was May and I wanted to do it in the summer but wanted her to be reasonably OK by the time we go on holiday on Saturday. Neither showed signs of being ready. DD at age 2.3 is brilliant, she has not had an accident in weeks, despite having had a week of diarhea and asks to go. The only thing is that she is too little to manage the toilet on her own even with a seat and step. But that is OK by me. She is just about dry at night too, but I am keeping her in nappies until we get back from France.

Bozza · 15/08/2006 15:07

I do prompt her to go before a long car journey, but then I do that for DS and he is 5!

Elibean · 15/08/2006 15:18

Ah yes, Blueshoes reminded me - and three, because I'm expecting a baby and hoped to do the training bit while I could still bend down to wipe up accidents

youknowwhat · 15/08/2006 16:05

Started pottybtraining DS1 when he was 22 months old. I know he was quite young...
Reason : he absolutly HATED to have his nappy changed, was screaming, kicking etc... and with DS2 just 2 months old, I just couldn't carry on dealing with his tamtrums at that time.
Also, he could see the other children at nursery being potty trained and they werre putting him on the toilet at the samw tim than the others - hence his reaction I supposed.
I had a few months with about 1 accident everyday. I am not sure he was physically not ready. I think that becuse of the timing PT was a good way to attract attention AND sometimes he could be bothered.
No more issue at all since he is 2.5yo.

Piffle · 15/08/2006 16:08

truly ready as I have no patience and knew if I did it any other way I'd lose it!
DS was 3 yr 10 mths and just said I want to use the toilet. So he did, dry straight away and amazingly dry at night 2 weeks later
dd was 2.5 and said exactly the same thing I want to wee in the toilet
She has been dry in the day since she is now 3 yrs 8 mths and has been dry at night for about 2 mths
No stress, the way it should be!

FoghornLeghorn · 15/08/2006 16:09

This thread is interesting because my DD has started taking her nappy off as soon as she has done a wee saying she has done a stinky and doesn't like it. When we are home alone I let her wonder around without anything on and when she has an accident she comes and tells me, we sit on the toilet, wipe bits, wash hands etc.
However, this morning found her in the lounge butt naked with her bone dry nappy on the floor, she had taken it off to do a wee (Warm puddle on floor). When I asked her why she'd taken her nappy off she said "I needed a wee mummy".

Am still humming and ahhing over whether she is really ready or not yet though, what are your thoughts ? She is 2.1 years

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