Anyone else about to embark on the longest week of their lives? (ie. potty training the reluctant)

[BettySpaghetti]

A while ago I decided half term was going to be potty/toilet training DS week. That way I don't have to worry about the school runs, activities we go to etc.

I had visions of sticking him in the garden in pants with a potty nearby and Hey Presto!

Slight problem (or two):

1. weather forecast looks as if its going to rain all week
2. DS (2.11) is reluctant (to put it mildy) to sit on the toilet or potty.
3. DS says it feels nice having a poo in your pants
4. at the end of day 1 I'm exhausted

Anyone out there going through the same this week?

Its going to be a long old week.........

madamez - at least carpets can be cleaned.... DS's bedroom has very bad floor boards, and I had visions of puddles of wee pouring through and leaving nasty marks on the lathe and plaster ceiling in the living room!!!!

My DD was potty trained almost instantly at 2, with no accidencts once she had decided what to do. Now nearly a year later she is having several accidents a day. She has had urine tests, and she doesn't have an infection. I know that she needs to go as she often holds herself and does a little dance. She then lets a little bit out - excellent pelvic floor muscles! then is fine and won't go to the toilet or potty to finish up. She doesn't have an accident every time she needs to go, and occasionally it is a poo accident. We have tried sticker charts and Dora pants but she is just not that bothered by them. Does anyone have any ideas? I don't want to punish her for it, but I am at a loss. Nursery don't seem to phased (this has been going on for several months), and doing the washing doesn't bother me. Should I just put her in nappies again?

Morning all. Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you PizPizPiz. You definitely don't need the stress of potty training with a new baby.

We've had some success this week. Dd hasn't weed at all in the car on the way to mum's or the way home. She's also had 15 star stickers on her chart (although some of them started out as accidents - we wanted to encourage her). When I took her nappy off this morning she sat down on the potty by herself without saying anything and did a wee! I was sooo proud of her and she was proud of herself. We've still only had poos in her knickers but I think this is normal. I guess they don't see anything different when doing a poo in knickers as they do in nappies. I couldn't believe it yesterday when she held on to her wee for 4 hours!! She must have been exercising those muscles.

LisaandFrancesca - oh no! don't put her back in nappies.... not sure what else to suggest - except finding something to reward her with which does motivate her?

Is it every day? does she ever do a full wee in the toilet? Have you tried being really mean and leaving her in damp knickers for a while...it's not punishment, but it might remind her why being dry is nicer.

That said - you said you've had tests for UTI - did the GP seem at all worried? If they weren't worried, I'd chill a bit and try a behavioural approach. If it goes on for months and months, it might be worth another chat to the GP or HV - but don't worry yet.

Day 5!!!!!
Must admit it is all accidents but he is holding onto it for longer. I reckion this means he is exercising some bladder control but can't actually be bothered going to potty/loo.

Mex - how old is DC? And what is the rush?

Day 2 and 4 stars on the chart and only a dribble in the knickers so far. the chart is working miracles, thanks everyone!

Great news Mum07! My dd sat on the potty with her nappy and pyjama trousers on this morning. She told me she had a wee and then asked for a star. I let her have one to try to encourage her and 10 minutes later she did a proper wee on the potty without even being prompted.

Sounds like things are going swimmingly.... I think my worst moment was at my B/F son's birthday. I didn't take "the" potty, as I naively thought Ds would sit on her sons toilet inset.

SOooooooo wrong.

Ds clutching bits for all his life's worth, I rang DH and asked him to bring the potty over pronto.

20 minutes later (we only live 5 minutes away), DH rings to say he's lost, just as Ds wee's over bath room floor. He picked the one tile that hasn't been grouted in...... so in a few months time the wee I didn't mop up will be brewing nicely into something fragrant..

I did own up to it!!

Well done all of you who've braved it out this week, with varying degrees of success it would appear. DS is almost 2.6 and showing no signs of being 'ready'. DD is 5 months old and I'm quite sure she'll be potty trained before her brother.

He's regressed abit too - he used to tell me when he'd done a poo in his nappy, now he says he hasn't, even though the whiff clearly indicates that he has! Also seems we might've made abit of rod for our backs - used to ask him if he wanted to sit on the potty for a wee-wee. Now he thinks a wee-wee is just a sit down....hmmmm....

Hi all

Betty - it sounds as if your DC's are similar ages to mine. DD 7 and DS 2.5.
I think I will try the stickers with DS, and DD can help chose. DS came running to me earlier asking for the toilet, and bless him, he used it, so I shall definitely dispense with the potty, except for when we go out. He was a bit surprised by the splashing sound as the bomb landed, but he then thought it was quite funny!

Growing Bagpuss, I have a folding toilet seat that I use in public toilets - just need to find it. I think I got it from a baby catalogue - try a search and you might find one. No need to stress about falling down public loos!

Seats for public loos - I have found a couple on the net - they seem to be called Folaway Toilet Seat Protector or a Toodle-loo seat. Cost approx £7.00. Hope this helps Bagpuss.

Sorry - typo in last post - should read Foldaway.

And I don't use them , my DD did. Just thought I'd clear that up!

Ah no.... the folding potty... have one of them.... Ds is rather large for his age, in height and weight, and HATES IT! I bought it, careflluy put the funny liner things in, and the first thign he said after sitting on it was " No mummy, I'm too big"

thanks anyway though!!

We tried this week too 2nd child out of 3 (third is 12 weeks, all boys) we left first till he was 2 and 10 mths and did it in a week, But don't think my 2nd nor me are ready this time, always helps if you're ready too not just the child. Anyway tried for three days then gave up. He knows when hes been but doesn't seem to have grasped when he is about to go, also has speech problems so can't vocalise it. So going to leave it till Summer hols, least I'll have more than a week then before I'm on the school run again. And I know this is awful but it is such a relief to not have the stress of constantly having to watch him like a hawk. Am now enjoying half term. As I said before I'm not ready either. But when he was going he preferred the loo too. And they are so much easier than having to tell him to point it down and not at the wall or ceiling.

Hi
The folding toilet seat isn't a potty, it is a flat piece of plastic that you place on top of the toilet - it just gives the toilet a smaller hole. It folds so it can go in your bag.

Ahh... now that sounds far more useful.... I'll look it up on the web. thanks!!

hi i haven't posted on this thread yet but saw it tonight and felt so relieved that someone else was going through what i have been!!
i just seem to be constantly watching the clock waiting for the time she goes to bed or has the next accident and i hate being stuck in its making me go crazy but just not confident enough to go out!
i started mon 1st day wee everywhere 2nd day thought she got it wed 1 accident then thurs about 7 and fri and sat 0, 1 accients just want this nightmare to end getting down about being in all the time may get pull ups just when out and about any advice or do children generally see pull ups as a nappy, dont wanna confuse her

oh angie, sorry you're having a tough time of it.

It is difficult being stuck at home isn't it. We went out on day 2 (?) due to cabin fever but chose to go to some woods for a walk. I figured that if DS needed to go for a wee then he could do it outdoors and if he had an accident then it wasn't the end of the world and I would have a change of clothes in my bag and change him there and then (I knew he wouldn't need a poo so was safe ther ). Could you do something outdoorsy like that?

I also recommend the star chart -DS has loved that, really motivated him. Go and choose some "special" stickers together maybe.

Re: Pull-ups, I haven't used them with DS. The only time I used them with DD was in the very early stages of potty training when we had a long motorway journey and it wasn't always possible to find a loo with 5 secs warning!

yeah we went out for a walk today no accidents so feeling a bit more confident about taking her out, feel i have things a lot more in perspective today no accidents still feel a little on edge just waiting for her to squat on the floor but i guess that passes with time .
pull ups helped me to feel a lot more relaxed and explained to her that she still had to do her wees in the potty and she didnt seem confused at all. day 7 and think we may have got it!!

Glad to hear you're more positive today angie .

I'm worried my bubble will burst tomorrow when DD returns to school -DS is bound to need to go during the walk to school.

Even if he does have an accident at least you know that he understands now what he has to do and where he should be going and i think that is the big battle, i keep thinking so what if she has the odd accident now, compared to monday when i first took the nappy off its amazing how quick they cotton on as they are used to weeing when they want and its all they have ever known.good luck with the walk though sure he will be fine

2 days with no accidents hope she has it now! hope your walk to school went ok BettySpaghetti

hiya angie -yes walk to school and back went well thank-you.

2 days! Thats fantastic -you've turned the corner.

How long do you think it is before they can master having a wee when you want them to ie. "right we're about to go, can you go to the toilet please" rather than just going when they get that feeling to go.

That's a good question Betty. I've been asking dd if she needs a wee every time before we go out. I think she's only said yes a couple of times. Fortunately we've still had no accidents despite going out in the car for at least 20 minutes twice a day. Although she did a poo in her knickers on the way home the other day in the car. She's done one poo in the potty so far but the rest have been in her knickers. To encourage her we've bought some gold star stickers which she seems quite excited about. We've had 2 completely dry days now

Can anyone suggest when to stop giving stars out for wees? I won't stop just yet because she still asks for them most of the time when she's done one.

i'm still giving stickers now and im into the second week i dont know when to stop don't wanna go to long as she will always expect it but then again still want her to have that bit of encouragement that she's done one its a tough one !
oh and thats really good news BettySpaghetti still no accidents, i'm taking DD to toddlers for the first time since potty training tom and i know she gets really engrossed in that so think will have a few accidents there but we are on day 3 with no accidents so still going well