Potty training experts, step this way please - advise needed!

[BonyM]

DD2 is 2.1 and we have been tentatively potty training for the last 3 days.

Physically I think she is ready as she can go for a few hours without weeing and has woken up in the morning with a dry nappy for months now.

She has been happily sitting on the potty or loo whenever we suggest it and unless she's just done a wee, she will always do one (and once a poo) - even if just a little bit, so can obviously "make" herself go.

However, she hasn't really been asking to go, and has had a couple of accidents, so I'm wondering if she's mentally ready. She knows when she has done something but doesn't seem to know just beforehand - or if she does, she won't let us know.

Should we persevere, or give up for now and try again later?

Argghhh - I mean "ADVICE" of course.

I just hate it when thread titles have bad spelling/grammar .

Ok, I know it's boring, but pleeaasse...

Personally I would persevere. She will get it in a few days. What is her communication like? A couple of accidents in 3 days does not sound bad to me.

I'd say that if she doesn't know beforehand - so she can't take herself off to the potty when she feels the urge for a wee - then she's not physically ready.

She's still only young and there's plenty of time. It sounds as if she's going to be ready fairly soon though, so maybe ease up for now and try again in a couple of months time.

Bozza - communication very good, her speech is quite advanced.

WWB - I think I meant physically with regard to her bladder - ie. she can contain wee for several hours. Tbh I hadn't really expected her to be ready yet as she is still young, but we've had a potty lying around for a while and occasionally suggest she uses it, so when she agreed to the other day and actually did a wee, I wondered if it was worth continuing. Friday she did every wee in the potty, but only because I kept suggesting it. Wasn't so persistant on Saturday, hence the accidents.

What I meant by not being physically ready was that it doesn't sound as if she has recognised the signs that tell her she needs a wee yet. If you're happy to keep prompting her then there's no reason not to carry on, but if you want her to be able to take herself to the potty then it might be worth leaving it. Once she's ready and can recognise the urge to wee, it won't take long at all.

My opinion though, is that with a bit of practice she will recognise those signs.

Hmmm, two differing opinions - so really it's down to whether I can face sticking with it at the moment?!

I've been putting her in a combination of ordinary pants and pull-ups (not at the same time!), so I guess if I were to stick with the pull-ups and continue suggesting she use the potty, then the odd accident won't matter and she may start to recognise the "needing to go" signs? I had read that it was better to just go straight to knickers though?

Am confused...

DD1 was in nursery at this age so I didn't really get much involved in potty training (well, can't remember really as there's a 7yr age gap).

I would go for the relaxed approach as it sounds like she is nearly but no quite ready. So nappies at night and when out and about but encourage the potty when at home.

We found a sticker chart really works for girls.

It can take mnay months for them to really get it. Out girl is 3 3/4 and still has the odd accident!

There's no one "right" way of doing it - just what feels right for you.

Depends on how long you want to spend training really - whether you want to (hopefully) get it done quickly once they're ready but older, or if you want to spend longer at it but (maybe) get it done earlier. Neither are wrong, neither beter than the other, they're just different approaches. Depends which suits you and the child better.

I belong to the "laid-back" (which is probably a euphemism for lazy!) school of potty training ... it's not for everyone but it suited dd and I far better. She didn't get it at all when she was younger, but once she was ready she was dry from day one. The relaxed way has always been the right way with dd.

Yes, we have a sticker chart - she's very keen on it!

WWB - tbh, I too favour the laid-back approach, can't really face weeks on end of "training". As, I said earlier, I really hadn't expected her to be ready for a while yet, and in fact, she'd not shown much interest in the potty at all until Friday. I think it's just that she did so well that I thought she was maybe ready. Maybe I'll leave it a bit longer.

Pulls are a good idea as it helps to get the idea. I wouldn't worry about accidents. Go for praise and stickers and it will come in time.

my ds is 2.4 and i would say we are half arsedly potty training sometimes a nappy sometimes pull ups sometimes pants we had a break thru for last couple of days as now he will wee on the toilet but only if i put him on facing the cistern!!! basically i don't think theres a right or wrong way to do it i'm wondering if ds is a bit young too but he's dry everynight and after every nap if i notice pull ups are dry i stick him on potty and it's saving me a fortune in nappies!!!

sorry that was a bit of a rambling post!! must turn off computer and go to bed!!!