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Original poster

My God, potty training is a messy business.... Tips please !

16 replies

NomDePlume · 07/09/2004 11:03

I'm potty training my 2 year old DD (turned 2 on August 8th). She LOVES the potty, which really helps, but she doesn't seem to recognise the 'full' sensation yet. I realise that this will come eventually, we've only been trying for a few days, but can I do anything to help her along.

She does say 'I want a wee-wee, Mummy', and starts pulling her clothes down ready, but then she sits and nothing happens. I sit with her and tell her that she can come off the potty when she has finished doing her 'wee-wee'. She gets off the potty and then less than 10 mins later she has wet her knickers, which is a little frustrating. I don't make a big fuss when this happens, I simply clean her up and put fresh knickers on her with a gentle, clear reminder that we do wee-wees in the potty. So far we have managed to do one wee in the potty, which received much praise.

So from what I've said, is there anything you'd change about my approach to it ? What are your tips for successful training ?

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Original poster

NomDePlume · 07/09/2004 11:05

Plus, the pooing in the knickers is a NIGHTMARE ! It means at least 3 showers a day for DD and it gets EVERYWHERE, yuk.

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woodpops · 07/09/2004 11:08

I'd possibly wait a bit longer before starting. It sounds like she thinks it's a game just to sit on the potty. Ds did this so I waited a few more months when he started to tell me he'd done a wee in his nappy that's when we started. Plus she's only just 2 still a baby. Good luck anyway

Original poster

NomDePlume · 07/09/2004 11:11

Thanks woodpops. She does tell me when she has done a wee in her nappy, 'Nappy change now Mummy, please. I done a wee-wee.' So that's what prompted me to start, I think I might keep going for a few more days (she doesn't seem stressed out by the process) and if we are no further then we'll wait another couple of months.

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Lonelymum · 07/09/2004 11:12

I have to admit to being a late potty trainer. It depends on how much you want to see her trained in the next few months. However, I would say she doesn't sound quite ready for it. Could you not try again in a couple of weeks/months? From what I have seen with other people, what you are experiencing could go on for months whereas, because I started late, mine only took a week or two to get it right (and believe me, that seemed long enough at the time!) Still, you may have a reason for getting her trained earlier, in which case, I'll just say good luck and let another mum advise you.

Gingerbear · 07/09/2004 11:13

Hulababy's DD was potty trained at 24 months I think. - I think she did a thread on her experiences a while back.

My DD was 2 in June. We are still having the the same issues as you, so I have put her back in nappies for a while, as I don't think that she is quite ready. i.e. she tells me she wants a wee or poo when she has just done one. She still likes to sit on the toilet or potty and pretend though!

Northerner · 07/09/2004 11:16

Hi Nomdeplums. I'm in the first stages of potty training at the moment, and my ds is 29 months. At home is he has no pants on he wees in his potty, but the minute I put him in pants he wets himself. I have no advice I'm afarid, finding it a bit of a minefield myself. Potty training is a nightmare!

StickyNote · 07/09/2004 11:16

We started off very gently aged about 2 with the potty in the bathroom and having a wee before getting in the bath. This went on for quite some time before I felt either ds or dd1 were ready for training. It sounds like it might be a touch early - I'd give it a week then go back to nappies and try again in a month or two.

lydialemon · 07/09/2004 11:18

I always feel that at the early stages wearing anything is maybe to similar to the feeling of wearing a nappy. I know it means that you then get more wee/poo on the floor, but it is actually easier to clean it up from there, than when its smeared all over them and their pants!

Oh god, I've got to do this again in a couple of years too.......

But seriously, my DSs had less accidents when going commando, than wearing pants or pull ups. They would get far more upset about doing it too.

good luck!

Original poster

NomDePlume · 07/09/2004 11:20

Hmmm, it seems I've been a little premature...

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teabag · 07/09/2004 12:53

It really is a nightmare. I'm training ds1 who'll 3 in Dec and I am getting so frustrated. On Sunday he was taking himself to the potty ( no pants on ) so I thought this is my cue lets get going. Sunday wasn't too bad although I had to remind him and help him with his pants. Yesterday as soon as he felt wet he stopped himself and I got him to his potty now today he is just wetting himself. I thought it would get better but it's getting worse, it's just SOOOOO frustrating!!!
I'm finding it very hard to stay calm espically as he drew all over himself with lipsticks this morning. Please say it will get better :(

Original poster

NomDePlume · 07/09/2004 12:56

Oh Teabag, you have my total sympathy.

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teabag · 07/09/2004 13:06

He did make me laugh yesterday though. I told him that tomorrow we'd go out and he could pick his own pants ( thought this might help ). When I asked what colour he'd like he said 'Pink ones' and continued to reiterate this even when I asked if he was sure. I said we might not be able to get pink so he said 'ok Yellow then'. He clearly doesn't like the 'blue ones' I chose :)

Branster · 07/09/2004 13:07

could you let her around the house without pants on? saves on all that washing...

mrsjingles · 07/09/2004 13:14

I'm a fan of late potty. I've just trained my ds who's 3 1/2 and it took 2 days, no accidents or stress, he just takes himself to the loo and has now started standing up and aiming 'like daddy'.

I think people can feel pressured that they have to be trained early, but I think why give yourself extra hassle, the longer you wait the quicker they pick it up and everyones happy.

bakedpotato · 07/09/2004 13:34

i'm a fan of later training too. did dd when 2 and 5 months or so. couldn't believe how painless. she was just ready, and 'got' it instantly, so we had relatively few accidents. i suspect if we'd tried it earlier, it would have been more traumatic for all of us. it can't be fun for a nipper to fail, however positive you try to be about spillages...

kept bunging her on potty right after meals/before jaunts etc (and into nappies when napping/going out for the first few months -- but after a while they were predictably dry), plus whenever i felt like it. tv is useful for keeping them still.

also, runnning the tap...

ooh, and there's a good book by tony ross, I want my potty, all about a princess...

star charts worked like magic for us also. two stars for poos, show all visitors (the chart, not the potty contents!)

Mum2Ela · 07/09/2004 13:52

NDP I potty trained DD last month (she turned 2 last Friday) and it took until the 5th day for her to 'crack' it. She didn't seem to (and even now doesn't) respond to me asking her all the time. She would just say no all the time. But then on the 5th day she just got on with it and sat on her potty and did it (wees that is. She actually would poo in the potty from day 2).

I had to potty train her because we were getting to a point where whenever she had weed or pooed in her nappy, she would immediately try to take it off (a lot of the time successfully) which was costing a lot of money, and also necoming quite unsociable! (alsop wanted to train her as I am due in NOvember so didn't want 2 in nappies!).

The only thing I find is sometimes she is so engrossed in what she is doing that she doesn't want to stop and use her potty. Like this weekend, it was her birthday friday and party sunday. Over the weekend we had 4 accidents, when previously we haven't had one for a few weeks now. I don't know if this is due to her age or not.

Also, she still has some problems undressing so if she wants the potty and I am not near or don't hear her calling, then we have probs, but this doesn' happen often.

I would perservere for a bit longer and if there is no progression, leave it a month.

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