toddler nappy changing nightmare!!!

[chocolateshoes]

DS is 2.7 and I don't really think he's ready for toilet training quite yet. He never says when he is doing a poo or wee and would prefer to stay in a dirty nappy than have his game interrupted to change it. Attempting to sow the seeds of training him I have got him to sit on the loo (with an inner seat) and he'll sit there quite happily but doesn't perform - even if I offer him a raisin - his most favourite thing in the world!

Recently he has been a total nightmare when it come to changing his nappy. Screaming, crying, won't stay still. When I suggest we do it in the bathroom he is much happier & will let me take his nappy off, wipe down what I can & then let him sit on the loo. (Its all a bit backwards really!) He then complains big time when I clean him up properly & put new nappy on.

So.....

is he ready to be trained & this is why he is being so difficult?
if not, do you have any ti[s for managing nappy changing?
any other advice - can't stand the crying!

Thanks!

anyone??

sounds to me like it's time to give toilet training a go... I think the fact that he is happy to sit on the toilet is a good sign, even if he doesn't actually do anything yet. My DD never really told me that she was doing a wee or a poo, and wasn't bothered about sitting in a soiled nappy - but I noticed when she was about 2.6 that she could go an hour or two between wees, so I gave it a go and it worked. One day I said no more nappies (during the day) and after a few days of accidents she got the hang of it.

The cold turkey approach worked for us - just buy lots of cheap pants and be prepared to do a lot of washing for the first week or two. Some people recommend bribing with treats, but I found it didn't really work for us - just got DD all upset! I think the key is to just be consistent and don't get stressed about it (or at least don't let your child see you getting stressed about it!!)

hth

Thanks for your help MM. I'm on half-term next week so DS will be at home all week so it might be timely. Don't really know where to start! Eeek!

I would definitely give training a go. Ds1 was 2.2 and never told me when he was doing a wee or a poo. He was going to nursery and seeing other children using the toilet and started asking to go on it but never did anything. I thought he was too young but gave it a go. He was trained within a week without much drama. Think I was lucky but you should try - you might be pleasantly surprised!

So where do I start BirdyArms. Must admit I don't know wwhere to begin apart from get a shed load of pants!

agree ds was never really telling me he needed a wee or pooh but when dd1 was born he was 2.2 and he decided babies wore nappies. Week later he was completely done. DD1 was just turned 2 when we did her but she had said a few times that she needed wees and poohs.

Meant to say I always start bare bottomed for first day or two with potty in eyes line and lots of prompting to the point when they are peeved you keep asking.

pick a convenient time - half-term sounds good. don't make any plans to go out anywhere, be prepared to stay around the house for at least the first couple of days.

tell him as of today no more nappies - ooh how exciting!

remind him regularly to use the potty/toilet

bare bottom is good to start with, then you can move onto pants when they start to get the hang of it

if he has an accident (which he will!) just clean up, don't make a big deal of it.

give him lots of praise for successfully using the potty/toilet

possibly try bribing with treats? sweets, stickers, etc?

go with your instincts, after a couple of days we were able to start going out for short trips, then longer and longer as time went on.

I should point out that I am no expert, but this is what worked for us! try searching for Cod's "potty training boot camp" threads in the archive. There is loads of good advice from other more experienced mums on here - those who have done this more than once!

good luck

Thank you - this is quite scary but also a little exciting! Thanks for the tips. Will go and search Cod's boot camp.

We made a big deal of buying bob the builder pants

Gave lots of praise whenever he sat on the potty or toilet

Phoned up relatives with big whoops of joy whenever he did anything

Didn't make a big thing of the accidents, just 'oh dear' put some clean clothes on

Used stickers a month or so later when he went through a phase of doing poos in his pants

Did clothes rather than bare bottom - I think it's good for them to feel wet, also helps absorb some of the wee reducing the amount that goes all over your sofa

Stayed in the first day but even the second day went out for very short trips taking potty and a couple of changes of clothes

Good luck!!!

Thanks! Will go to ASDA to look for Bob pants tomorrow after work! Funny how you read some stories where it was easy & over in a week, and others where after a couple of months they've had to give up for a while. Am wondering which way DS will go!