Does DD sound like she's ready to potty train?

[Toska]

DD is two in March but I've got two weeks off in January and this is quite rare for my job. She is very interested in my trips to the toilet and offers to flush. We use reusable nappies and she likes to have a look in them and says 'poo' if there is one and helps me flush the poo away. She smells her toy's bums to see if they've pooed too.

She also had some nappy free time and before DH had noticed she said wee after wetting herself. She hates being changed and I've never noticed her feeling uncomfortable because of a soiled nappy, she says no and pretends that she hasn't pooed to avoid being changed. She can't remove her clothing but her understanding is very good, she can follow instructions, throws things in the bin two rooms away and returns, and says a few sentences, can ask for food, and to be picked up but I think her language is maybe only slightly ahead for her age, although I don't know any other children her age.

I've read oh crap potty training and the gentle potty training book but I'm a first time mum with no clue and I don't want to rush her if it's too soon but equally I wasn't dry until I had periods and that marred my entire childhood so it's quite an emotive subject for me and I just want some neutral advice.

Thank you!

You can only try, if it doesn't work out leave it a few months

I’ve always felt that if your child voluntarily goes on the potty/ loo just once the first day you try, they’re ready and you stick with it. If they don’t, leave it a while.

Give her lots to drink so she feels what needing to wee is like.

I kept mine in pull ups at night for ages as I didn’t want the ballache of changing bedclothes loads. My DS naturally went dry within 2-3 weeks but DD didn’t get the ‘wake you up to wee’ hormone until she was nearly 7!

I think she sounds ready. I trained my son at 18 months a few months ago having read oh crap. Disagree with the pp who said they have to go voluntarily - it took 3 days for my son to do that but he was totally dry on day 4.

If you'd like to start more gradually, you could get a potty / toilet seat and start sitting her on it first thing when she wakes up, before a bath and before bed. We started doing that with DD at about 18 months (at her insistence as we were potty training her older brother). She got the hang of it eventually and after a couple of months was weeing on demand. It made the first step of potty training much easier, as she weed when we put her on the potty.

Having said that, 22 months is very young. We potty trained DD at about 29 months and DS at 39. Despite DD having all the signs of readiness, it was much slower and much harder work - days until she got the idea, and months of accidents. It's also a right pain when going out when they are that much younger as they really can't hold it over long. Could you cope with regular accidents for months and months?

We got my daughter done at 22/23 months by following Oh Crap. To be honest, she wasn’t showing any real signs other than it was impossible to get her to keep still or lay down for nappy changes. It was driving me insane!

I’d say pick a method & stick to it. I found different books are a bit contradictory otherwise. And just have it in your mind that it is a tough but short period of your life! I nearly lost my mind on day 3 but around day 5, suddenly a break through! Have wine, chocolates, pizza for the evenings 😂 I’m really stubborn & thought I’ve done 3 tough days, I’m not going back & having to do this again!

I think it’s important to remember it’s called training for a reason. All they’ve known is going to the toilet any time and on the go. Suddenly, you are asking them to recognise needing to wee & poop and to get to a specific location to do it. It’s a huge learning curve & exhausting for them! But they will learn & surprisingly quickly! And expect weird regressions & accidents when you think they’ve got it. My daughter hadn’t had an accident for months & suddenly had a little one at softplay this week! She refused to go when we arrived & had drunk loads with lunch! She was very upset bless her!

I’d say give it a go & see what happens! My daughter could go 3 hours between trips to the loo by 24 months, it totally depends on your child!

Ps. If you do Oh Crap, there’s a fantastic, private Facebook group of support & ideas!

I think give it a go and if it doesn't work wait a few months and try again.

My friend tried to train her boy at I think nearly 3. Three weeks (including one week off from work to do it) she tried and he kept being sent home from nursery as he'd had two accidents (their policy). It was absolute hell for her but everyone was putting on the pressure so she persisted. She eventually gave up and he's 3.5 now and happily in nappies. I think she's still recovering from the stress!

My dd was nearly 3 and a dream to potty train. We had tried a couple of months earlier but she just wasn't ready so I gave up within 3 hours! When she was ready she had less than 5 accidents, including a poo under the kitchen table!

Every child and every parent is different. Do what you want and good luck.

Maybe. Personally at the age I wouldn’t go all out. Maybe just start getting her on a potty before bathtime and see how it goes.

DD1 showed no signs of being ready before we started trying but she was at an age I thought we needed to get on with it. She was trained in an afternoon.

DD2 showed loads of signs for well over a year but took several weeks to be reliable with poo.

So my theory is to just go for it rather than relying on a book telling you when to start.

I’m sorry you had such a difficult childhood with this 🌷. I can understand your worry about it all.

I think you’ve got nothing to lose (except your mind 🤣) by doing it in January. She sounds perfectly capable of understanding instructions and realising when she’s been to the toilet. Learning how it feels before they go and getting to the toilet need to be learned whenever you toilet train them. She’s not going to be any more ready in a years time and there’s a line of thinking that if you leave it longer they just get very ‘lazy’ about changing something that requires effort for no real reward.

I’d do it in January A pile of knickers & leggings at the ready and go for it.