Finally getting around to potty training.

[skyatnight]

dd is 3 and 1 month. I have had several half-hearted attempts at potty-training in the last year but then wimped out again. She has been in pull-ups and the nursery say: 1) She is not influenced by peer pressure and can't be bothered, nappies are easier for her. 2) She gets wrapped up in what she is doing and doesn't ask to use the potty.

The nursery don't seem too bothered but she is the last in her age group to stop wearing nappies.

She also attends another pre-school and the people there are slightly disapproving so I decided it is time to tackle this properly.

I have put her in training pants over the weekend and set up a reward chart. She has had as many accidents as she has had successes. I think she gets distracted and forgets she doesn't have a nappy on. This happens even when I have just asked her whether she needs to go. She also does a lot of little wees, seems to need to go 15 times a day. She must have a tiny bladder. Or is it because she has been wearing nappies too long and has no control? I can see that I will have to do a lot of washing.

Please tell me this is all normal/typical as it is early days? Any advice would be appreciated.

DD did loads of little wees when she was first potty training - I don't know for sure, but I did have a theory that she had never bothered to hold on when in a nappy, but just let her bladder go at fairly frequent intervals. It meant she never had a dry nappy when changed, so missed one of the 'signs' for potty training.

I thought she was going to end up like my friend's little niece, who hadn't grown out of the little-and-often habit at nearly 4, but she actually stopped doing it pretty quickly - even if she hadn't, as long as they know they need to go, and can hold on a little, it's mostly just an inconvenience.

Just to say thank you for your message on my simiar post. Unfortuntately I don't have many tips as am in the same boat. Just wanted to say that my daughter sounds similar to yours over this issue. Her nursery have been ok with her being in nappies but I've noticed that many girls much younger than her are out of nappies. My daughter is on her last week of hols this week so am feeling desperate to get the potty training to work as it is always harder to do such things in term time. Despite having little success on the potty this weekend my daughter was very excited to wear her "charlie and lola" pants..maybe you could try letting your daughter choose some packs of knickers with her favourite character on? My daughter has had some long stretches of 1 1/2 or longer without a wee but then sometimes does 2 or 3 wees in quick succession..I have also experienced the situation where she has just sat on the potty for 10 mins and I've read a story then she has got off walked across the room and weed...I know one is not supposed to get cross but I'm sure you can imagine my frustration! Regarding the 15 wees a day..I remember my son used to wee constantly due to being in a nappy but the number of wees quickly reduced once the toilet training started working..but he was 3.4 when he was finally out of nappies! Good luck with training your daughter.

Thanks Kate. I have taken her to nursery this morning with a bag full or spare pants and clothes and her reward chart. She has about a 50% success rate over the weekend. We will see how she does today.

I did buy her some nice knicker and vest sets a while ago but she weed through them so I am trying training pants now. I am not sure they will be any better because they are a bit thick and she says they feel a bit like nappied (could be part of the problem). Oh well. I have promised her that once she starts having less accidents, she can choose some Peppa Pig or Charlie and Lola pants or whatever she would like. Hopefully, as you say, that will help to movitivate her. I think I just have to be patient.

I think dd is started to catch on. The reward chart is working. She had a lot of accidents at nursery, we came home with a bag full of wet clothes, but she is having fewer accidents at home. I know there will be relapses but I am feeling optimistic. Yey!

I don't know why I am writing this on here because I should have just read the other threads or done a search but somehow it helps to post about it regardless of whether any one is reading it or not! Indulge me!

I think you should put her in proper knickers rather than training pants, especially as she says they feel like nappies!

Good luck.

Thanks Bozza. Yes I think I will swap her to 'normal' pants as soon as we get the accident rate down a bit.