Where's Cod when you need her?! Potty training started today, and I really don't think I can be arsed. I need a kick up the arse!

[IntergalacticWalrus]

DS1 (2.1) has been asking for the potty for weeks, and has started to take his nappy off for wees and poos etc. I put him off for as long as poss, but 2 incidents this week of shit smearing on walls (Tuesday and yeasterday) have propmted me to get him potty trained.

So far he's done 3 wees on the potty since about 2.30pm and about 4 or so on the carpet. I don't really have a clue what to do.

any tips?

or go back to popper vests (damned handy for this sort of thing)

he's in washables. he can undo poppers on the wrap and he's worked out that if he tugs at the nippa it'll come off.

DP taught him to do that.(No idea why) I'm cursing him for it now

Better sew him in, then!

Actually, that was meant as a joke, but maybe it's not as daft as it sounds?

I'm tempted.

He's psychologically damaged anyway, so I might as well damage him properly

How about telling him that if he wants to go without a nappy then he can't wear pants and trousers, either?! ('Now it's time to go out for a nice long walk, darling'!!)
What a sadistic mummy I am! Luckily my 2 have turned out pretty normal

I've been trying to potty train ds1 since he was 2.3.I started again a week ago,he's now 3.3.It seems like it's going well he's now asking to go himself whereas previously when I've tried he's been content to sit in wee all day.
Obviously I wish he was trained by now (he starts nursery next week)but if they don't want to do it you can't force them.But if they're ready it isn't half the struggle.

I'm going to sod it until he leave home. Too much like hard work

He's happily taken his nappy off and peed on the florr 3 times this morning.

The joys.

Can I have help here please????????

Ds 3.1 not interested at all in potty training would happily pee and poo in his trousers all day long. Doesn't like his potty or trainer seat. Treats/praise not working either. Had a quite glance in the library at a book about this by a certain person and apparently as he is over 3 dh and I need to go on a potty training workshop! Arrrgggghhhhhh!

Donlt worry about it Fimbo. My friesnds ds wasn't potty trained until he was nearly 3.5 He did it in a matter of days

Thanks IGW. I will try again next half term I think.

fortyplus - you make sense. The ONLY reason I've started potty training now, rather than wait for summer (DD is 2) is expectations of MIL. I'm a calm and collected professional, who doesn't flap when the pressure mounts, I maintain welcome host when six people turn up as a Hogmanay surprise from the other side of the country, and need fed, watered, and beds. I don't panic at medical situations involving children and hospitals (I cry instead when I wake up at 4 in the morning for a pee). However I seem to want to throw things or jump how high whenever MIL pronounces her theories. MIL nursed children 60 years ago and had her own five... Such different theories to my own... WHY did I cave in this time??

Calm, my mum has been mounting on the pressure to potty train DS1, but I have ignored her. (She;s been going on about it since he was 9 months, FFS)

Just tell her you have tried, but your DD isn't ready and you will try again another time. Say you want to do it in the summer when you can air the house after accidents etc.

calmontheoutside - One of my friend was ranting on about 'common' people who get all smug and self righteous because their dc will sit on a potty and perform at 6 months or whatever.
I told her she should reply 'Well, it's nice to know they'll achieve something in life!'

I know my MIL issues belong on another thread, but did anybody else throw something with food in it over the festive period? (Not at anybody or in front of anybody...) She stayed for two weeks and it's too much - I get so enraged, and after 13 years it hasn't eased off.
I'm 35 and SHOULD BE ABLE TO STICK TO MY OWN DECISIONS ABOUT BEDTIME, DINNER AND POO without anybody constantly trying to correct me.
I do love her, but AAAAGGGGHHHHH... I can't even take it personally, she corrects EVERYONE.
I feel a bit better just writing the capital letters. I'm off to the hut of glum - they're serving drinks in there.

Aw Calm, My mother is the same. I have chosen just to ignore her, but it does get you down sometimes.

I'm from the smile sweetly and say "yes, I might try that" school of thought. Then I go away and do the opposite

I love my mil, too, but in some ways she's even worse... will just sometimes quietly say something like 'This is really difficult, because I feel as though I'm criticising, but do you reall think you should...' whatever.
My in laws are very prim - fil usually in shirt, trousers and sports jacket - wears a tie for meal times. I did post on another thread... never ever had any reason to suspect that he's done a poo or farted.
You get the picture?

yes we get the picture. I am tempted to put the whole thing with the potty on hold. After two days, DD is pleased when she manages but really it's luck, and in two weeks we have to go and stay with MIL for moreorless 6 weeks. (Long story, we live in France just now) I just don't know if she can take pee or worse on her carpets. I think her idea is to put the potty with DD on it in the bathroom for long spells, and knowing her, to be negative about accidents and sound as if she's scalding a puppy. I'm very much for the shrugging the shoulders never mind try again next time approach instead myself. We'll see how it goes in the next few days.

scolding not scalding. She's not that bad.

Intergalacticwalrus - I am going to try harder with the smile sweetly might try. It's going to happen twenty times a day and I'll develop my face muscles there. And I will still get the satisfaction of doing my own thing (most of the time). Maybe with this therapy I'l be calmer on the inside also.

calmontheoutside - forgot to post at having your MIL for 2 weeks! That must be hell! Mine sometimes come for 3 days at Christmas and that's plenty for me! (Even tho I do love them really). I escaped this year - they stayed with dh's brother Christmas night, and his sister Boxing night - then came to us for lunch on 27th as it's ds1's b-d.