Hate potty training. What's the method that worked best for you?

[Londonlady92]

I have 2 children and hated potty training with DS now DD is 2.10 years old and I know its time (been putting it off) I found waiting till this age helped the process but what worked best for you? Letting them feel wet and figure it out for themselves? Putting them on the potty every half hour?

Need wine.

I could have written this same post. I hated doing it with DS and DD is 2 and a half and we've started today. Tbh she was ready earlier but I've been putting it off.

I hate it so much. My eldest is climbing the walls he's so bored being stuck inside.

She's doing alright, we've done regular potty time and a star chart. She's now doing wees in the potty so not bad for the end of day one.

I know it's hard on her as she's fallen asleep (doesn't nap any more)

But god I hate doing it

I did Gina Ford potty training (yes I know she’s hated and reviled on here). It’s basically strictly timed potty visits, rewards, and staying at home for a week to get into the routine. After a week we started going out with a portable potty but I still timed it. It’s very structured which suited me. Worked for all 3 of mine, but I love structure and routine, some people don’t, so might not suit them.

Wine. All the wine. Honestly, DC2 was so different to DC1 it didn't help me at all.

@MissyB1

I did Gina Ford potty training (yes I know she’s hated and reviled on here). It’s basically strictly timed potty visits, rewards, and staying at home for a week to get into the routine. After a week we started going out with a portable potty but I still timed it. It’s very structured which suited me. Worked for all 3 of mine, but I love structure and routine, some people don’t, so might not suit them.

I love a bit of routine. Nothing wrong with it at all.

We're also staying home until she's a bit better with it.

With DS when we ventured out we did going out wees and then a tactical wee every time we saw a toilet lol

Wait until they are really ready then in to pants and told to use the potty when they need to go. Yes there will be a few accidents but as long as not constant you can probably nail it near enough in a few days. Keep checking they don't need to go. I carried a potty everywhere for a bit, slung under the pushchair or in the boot. We still used pull ups at night for a bit but once dd 1 and 2 said they no longer wanted a pull up at night that went too. My girls were both nearly 3 and got the hang of it pretty quickly. The little one just wanted to be like her big sister so she got the hang of it really quickly.

@Twizbe how weird sounds identical! We started today shes had a few accidents but a few potty ones too. I just hate the staying in and constant stress!

My eldest son didn’t really need potty training. We waited until he was ready and wanted pants and he quickly picked everything up when he was just shy of 3.

We are however having to currently potty train our 3 year old youngest son. We would have hoped he would naturally show signs he wanted to but he stubbornly held onto his nappies which was fine but he is now starting nursery at his brother’s school in September and needs to be dry.

He has stayed in with me or dh for the past 2 days and will for the weekend. We have kept him in just pants and he has received a gold coin for every time he goes in the potty. After 10 coins he got a small hot wheels car. I think giving him a coin after each time has really helped and encouraged him. He has had a few accidents but none since 10 o’clock this morning. He has a step and seat for the toilet but prefers the potty so I think we will be taking that out with us.

With my son we tried at 2.5 and it didn't work. He was just shy of three before we tried again. He got it within a day or two. I really agree with waiting until they are totally ready.

DD is a different kettle of fish, she's very clever and really has been ready for a while. She picked out some big girl pants ages ago. I've been putting it off because I hate doing it so much.

She had 3 accidents this morning but now has got it and was taking herself to the potty every few seconds to get a star 🤦‍♀️
Now she's telling me she's done a poo to get another biscuit.

I gave it a try with DC 1 and we had wet pants so tried again a few months later and they were dry straight away with just a couple of accidents, no staying in or carrying a potty about . With my other DC I just waited longer until I was convinced they knew what to do. Then straight to pants , normal activities but obvs watched them like hawks for the first few days .

We left our son naked and kept our eye for his cue before he wee'd then put him on the potty, he soon picked up where his poos and wees go, then put him in baggy trousers with no underwear, so when he got to the potty they were easy to push down, then after he was consistently getting their in time to push his pants down, we added underwear.

It was quite a quick process for us, and took 5 days but it took our friend a little longer.

We tried Oh Crap and it was a disaster. A combination of Gina Ford -esque scheduled visits and chocolate buttons for successes seemed to work. DS was over 3 so we skipped the potty and went straight to the toilet

I found with all four of mine (2 boys and 2 girls) that leaving them without pants was always key, underwear can feel like a nappy as in it’s snug fit whereas if they wear tracksuit bottoms or shorts with nothing underneath it’s a very different feeling.

They all potty trained at very different ages ranging from 20 months to 3.1years and this worked with them all x

We did oh crap, all done in 5 days and we've had about 5 accidents in the year he's been trained. The book has some weird "advice" but the method worked like an absolute dream for us.

Probably go absolutely tits up when it's time to train DC2 but until then I'll just act like we're potty training geniuses.

Waiting until they were ready worked better for us. That did involve waiting until they were later threes though.

All my kids “got it” between 3 and 3.5years old. With dc1 I started at 2.5 and it took a year of accidents before she was reliably dry and could tell me when she needed to go. With dc2 and dc3 I started much later (3+) and they both barely had any accidents at all.

Agree with waiting (if possible) until they are ready. My two eldest were between 3 and 3.5. Hardly any accidents and dry through the night almost straight away.

Reward based when I thought they were ready (ie I was seeing behaviour).

A big demijohn type jar
A bowl of marbles
A plastic box of treats (book, toy, badges, and funnily the most popular was a voucher to ‘call Granny to tell her!’ etc)

If you used the potty you got to put a very satisfying clunk of marble into the jar (all supervised heavily before anyone berates me for choking hazards). All day dry and potty used - then a chosen treat from the box too.

I did wait till they were ready but for me that was DD ages 2.2 and DS age 2.5. Pull-ups at night for a subsequent 6 months with both I think? But that was to do with confidence in using the loo/potty at night.

I let nursery deal with it and took home endless bags of washing
By the weekend he was dry!

I’ve used the Oh rap method. DD1 was just turned 2 and it just worked. DD2 was not quiet 2 but adamant there would be no more nappies and it was time for the potty and it’s a nightmare. I honestly think the biggest difference is I don’t have as much time and energy to focus on it.

Tried the Oh Crap method and hated it - way too intense and I don't like being trapped in the house.

Instead we took the pressure right off and went bare bummed at home without comment (no carpets downstairs anyway) but carried on putting nappies on to go out. After two weeks she was reliably taking herself to the potty at home so we ditched the nappies altogether. No accidents, no stress. I suppose it was a halfway house version of Oh Crap but it worked for us.

I just lazily waited until DD announced she was going to do it herself and took herself off to the potty and did it. Then naked time at home, lots of high fives for a success (didn’t want to conflate food/reward), and always a wee before leaving the house, and doing only short excursions or taking the potty out with us.

Also took her shopping for big girl knickers straight away so she was invested in not wearing nappies.

Still a few accidents but only wee ones. Our main issue is stopping her lifting a full potty in triumph and marching round the house with it. She’s still in a nappy for naps and nighttime. I’m not sure when I’ll stop living in fear when we’re out and about, though so far she’s gone with holding it, then running to the potty the minute we’re home.

The oh crap book is LIFE CHANGING

We loosley did the oh crap method and it worked out ok, it wasn't stressful really, our DD was only 26 months at the time.

I waited until my DS2 was more than ready. Just ignored people's smart remarks, or replied 'I don't expect you to change any nappies' or shall I leave home with you for a week?'.

He was just shy of 3 years, I waited until his nappies were dry most of the day with big wees. It took half a day. And as he had better bladder control, there wasn't the constant needing to wee all the time. It was an absolute breeze. About 2 or 3 accidents.

@Buttons294749

The oh crap book is LIFE CHANGING

Yes, couldn't agree more, that was our guide