Potty Training - How to start?

[Rosebud1302]

Hi :)

I have a 2.5 year old little boy. I haven't put any pressure on him to potty train at all as I know some kids take longer than others etc. However I feel now we are at a point where we can try. He sits on the potty happily (unless he is engrossed in something more fun and it takes some song/book persuasion). But I am just a bit stuck of how to go about this whole thing.

For context I work 3 days a week and he is at nursery. He is very quiet at nursery and won't tell them if he needs to go. I have him without a nappy on at home but obviously they can't do that with him. So what happens on those 3 days?

Also what happens when we go out? We have a dog so are out for at least two hours a morning when I'm not at work. I put him in a nappy but surely that's counterproductive? Do I take a potty?! On a dog walk?

Do I just let him go commando at home and keep repeatedly trying? I'm just unsure how all the pieces fit together if you get me. I'm also not wanting to ask him all the time and he maybe develop a fear of it.

Advice welcome please!

Potty trained about 3/4 months ago just before DS was 3. He's s also in nursery for three days so we did four days at home (initially nothing on his bottom, and then just trousers) before he was back in again, which meant he was starting to get it (combination of taking him to the potty a lot, having something fun to do on the potty and lots of praise and a mini cheddar for any wees/poos he did while sitting on it). We sent him in normal pants and trousers and I think we had a week or two where he came back from nursery with lots of wet clothes (we sent him with at least 3 sets of spares a day) and then it seemed to click, although he still has occasional accidents there if he's tired. Maybe talk to them and check how they can usually deal with potty training children, I don't think they'd expect parents to do it all at home.

I think once you stop nappies it's good to stick with it. We've taken a potty to the park and once I started thinking about potty training I noticed more and more (and to be honest at the moment I regret it when I don't because if DS looks like he needs a wee, it can be stressful getting from whatever fun thing we're doing to the loo).

DS got pretty good at just taking himself off to the potty, and then went back to having some accidents at home when he'd left it too late, so we've gone back to reminding him if he's showing obvious signs of needing to go. What seems to help is emphasising he can go and then come back to whatever he's doing, and he also often comes to sit on the potty if I say I'm going to the toilet (one of the many things I didn't realise I'd be doing as a mum - announcing my plan to have a wee!) I think early on they can find constant asking frustrating, but I think it can help to link it to something (like transitioning between activities for example, so rather than asking, maybe saying 'remember, we have a try on the potty and then it's time for snack' (or whatever)).

Hope that helps, obviously limited experience but that's just what I've found. Good luck!

Try reading the oh crap potty training book. Will need to ask to go at nursery. In my daughter’s nursery their 2 year old room had toilet access. I agree that when you nappy free you can’t go to and from them as it’s far too confusing.

I did this with DD recently over half term. We waited until then so that she had been for a few days without accidents before she went back to nursery.

To start with, I let her roam around the house with no bottoms on at all (so that she remembered she didn't have nappies on) and every time she did a wee in the potty we made a big fuss of her. We weren't going out the house much because of lockdown anyway so that helped! For the first couple of days we did put her in a nappy for going on walks as it was cold and if she had done an accident it would have been uncomfortable and upsetting for her. Then we started her wearing clothes inside - a couple of accidents happened because she forgot but she soon got used to the potty. We can now take her out without a nappy on but I take a portable potty with me which has been needed when nowhere near a toilet in the woods etc. I guess wees are much easier for boys though?! so maybe no potty needed. I keep her in nappies overnight but they have been dry for over a week now as she just does a big wee when she gets up.

We did have a couple of false starts on other holidays where she was very reluctant but this time she was keen to be a 'big girl' and was very proud of herself.

With both my kids I committed to a good few days where they were just at home. So my DS went to nursery on Tuesday and Thursday so I started on a Friday and had that block. A lot of friends have done it over a long weekend or when they have annual leave. My DD we were in lockdown anyway so that was the perfect time

We did naked at first. Lots of praise every time they pee in potty and I took them every hour. I did one m&m for a pee, 2 for poo. Once they did good with that (maybe a day or 2) then I took them less often. Probably every 2 hours if they hadn’t already been themselves. My DS caught on extremely quickly and was back at nursery on the Tuesday in underwear and pretty much never had an accident after the first 2 days. He was nearly 3 though. We did use pull ups for trips out (supermarket, soft play etc) for the first few weeks, but that was more for me than for him.

My DD took a lot longer. She was about 2.5. We did naked for a few days, then we progressed to loose trousers, but no underwear. Probably took 6 weeks for her to become completely reliable taking herself to pee and in underwear and tight fitting trousers. We never did pull ups with her. But then we were in lockdown so we couldn’t go anywhere. She’s nearly 3.5 now and is fully day and night trained and accidents are extremely rare

For a walk for 2 hours with a boy, I’d probably just bring a spare pair of trousers and let him pee on a tree if he needs to go. Obviously go right before you leave the house. We have a fold up travel potty for my DD and it has been the best purchase ever as all public toilets have been closed for the past year

Nursery should work with you. Send plenty of spare clothes, but ours were happy to remind them at the intervals I said. Ours take all the kids for nappy changes/toilet trip every 2 hours though so mine have had very few accidents at nursery as they’re so conditioned to the routine and all the kids go so there’s peer pressure

Another vote for the oh crap potty training book - got mine second hand it was great and has been helpful to go back to if there have been issues. DS was just turning 2 and had a reaction to penicillin with a nasty rash so I'd had him nappy free and followed the book. He was fully potty trained within a few days - getting him off the potty and onto the toilet however