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Original poster

Was your child potty trained by 3?

126 replies

Cherrysherri · 04/10/2024 21:21

I did a previous post. Really struggling potty training our 2y9mo but next weekend think I may just set a tough weekend aside and try it again

im so worried about the age thing and just went on the Eric site and got into my head

i I think it’s achievable by the time he’s 3? Around 3

But just feel so guilty that he’s over 2.5 and potty trained

anyone in the same boat or was in the same boat

OP posts:
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Clearinguptheclutter · 04/10/2024 21:23

Both of them were but only just before the age of 3, like 2y 11 months or something

in both cases it was really easy. I don’t recall barely any accidents at all.

WiserOlderElf · 04/10/2024 21:23

Mine were 2.5, 18 months and 4, respectively! DC3 is autistic.
There’s a huge variation in ‘normal’. Some kids get it later than others.

Musclebeach · 04/10/2024 21:23

One of mine started at 3 and was fine
The other just clearly wasnt ready so I waited until he was just over 3.5 and again it was then plain sailing

Some kids crack it early, some don’t. Most like most miles stones there is a very normal range.

Try to work with your own child and not the unwelcomed judgement of other people. It’s really none of their business.

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3 year olds Families Potty training
MumChp · 04/10/2024 21:24

Yes.

Clearinguptheclutter · 04/10/2024 21:24

I meant to say if they’re ready it’s easy. If they’re not I’d wait a few weeks before trying again.
a friend was determined to get her DS to be out of nappies by 2. He had accidents for months and months!

WiserOlderElf · 04/10/2024 21:25

Actually my easiest one to train was the 18 month old, mainly because she just decided she wasn’t wearing a nappy any more and that was it! I didn’t have to do anything. Her personality is still very much the same 😁

NewYearNewMeMamma · 04/10/2024 21:25

My DS turned 3 in May. We'd tried before then with no success, tried shortly after his birthday with no success again. Had a bit of a break and we managed to get it to work in the last 2 weeks of August, so at 3yrs months

Original poster
Cherrysherri · 04/10/2024 21:26

we tried at 2y5m as his younger cousin trained at 2y 4m (DH’s side) and the whole family made comments and we went on the Eric site and seen its best to do by 2.5years but he just isn’t ready

and again, Eric say readiness isn’t a rhing

bht as I mention in my other post it was constant accidents. Crying about them. Saying he was dirty (yep this upset me) lots of reassurance that he wasn’t and it’s normal but to try to aim for the potty (lots of refusal) and he’s had a speech delay

injust got upset because the Eric website mention bowel and bladder issues and I feel like I’m failing my child

OP posts:
TobiasForgesContactLense · 04/10/2024 21:26

No. Tried at 3y3m and he wasn't having any of it. Tried again about 6 weeks later and found it fairly easy as I could spot the signs after a week or so. He continued to have accidents at nursery for a few weeks as they couldn't watch him in the same way. Had literally one accident since he was 3y6m so I felt it was better to wait as he was more ready and it didn't feel like a long slog.

Underlig · 04/10/2024 21:33

Yes, 2 years 3 months with one, 2 years 6 months with the other. I used tge Christmas holidays as a good time to train them, because I had time off work. Both trained in a few days and no accidents.

tsmainsqueeze · 04/10/2024 21:34

My daughter pretty much was potty trained by 3, odd accident in the day but never at night but both my sons were over 3 before trained , it seemed never ending for it to happen.
I had a very wise older lady health visitor who reassured me that they were quite normal and there was plenty of time , i asked her when should i be more concerned and she said 4 years old , thankfully they 'got it' well by then and i remember that for both of them when they did finally learn it was very quick and no going backwards.

Disturbia81 · 04/10/2024 21:37

Musclebeach · 04/10/2024 21:23

One of mine started at 3 and was fine
The other just clearly wasnt ready so I waited until he was just over 3.5 and again it was then plain sailing

Some kids crack it early, some don’t. Most like most miles stones there is a very normal range.

Try to work with your own child and not the unwelcomed judgement of other people. It’s really none of their business.

This.
And my 2 same timescales. What's the rush. People (usually mums ) stress too much about this stuff.

muffledvoice · 04/10/2024 21:37

Dd was fully toilet trained by 2yrs but ds was day time toilet trained by 2.5yrs but didn't come out of night time nappies until he was 5 and still having accidents until he was almost 8.

Remember every child is different

MarigoldSpider · 04/10/2024 21:38

OP in almost every area of parenting there will be some guideline or advice somewhere that will say what you are doing is harmful long term. I don’t know any parents who stuck to every guideline 100% of the time.

The main thing is that you aren’t waiting until your DS is close to school age like a lot of parents who delay potty training in the name of readiness.

You know your child better than anyone. If you think this right now is harmful to him stop it and try again later. You have time.

We’re night training at the moment. We tired a few months ago but it made DS so upset. He would find it really hard to get to sleep and would sit on the toilet for ages trying to squeeze all the wee out and getting upset that he might wee in his bed. We stoped and tried again 2 months later after lots of talking about it. There were none of the same emotional issues This time around.

Alternatively just completely take the pressure off. Expect accidents and make dealing with them not a big deal, just a part of normal life. He’ll get there.

mindutopia · 04/10/2024 21:38

One of them was and other one probably mostly was, but I really can’t remember. It was definitely around 3. Really it’s just one of those things you have to schedule and do. It was no big deal but it does just mean really devoting the time to it for a week or two.

Theredjellybean · 04/10/2024 21:40

Both by 20 months...but they were girls .maybe easier.
It wasn't difficult, very few accidents but we did go through a lot of chocolate buttons!

User37482 · 04/10/2024 21:40

Yes just before 2 but occasional accidents, night times took a lot longer. We took a full week off work and tried the “oh crap” method. Highly recommend it.

Scutterbug · 04/10/2024 21:41

Yes my 4 were. No 1 was trained day and night by 2. The other 3 were trained by 2y 6m.

IMBCRound2 · 04/10/2024 21:42

Mine announced a bit before she turned two that nappies and tantrums were for babies and she’s a big girl now and just …. Stopped both? I nodded and smiled at her at the time but she was determined. Pregnant again and she keeps insisting she’ll be the one to teach the baby and I’m wondering if there’s anyway to make this legally binding.

but she was in cloth nappies and cloth nappy children tend to be out of nappies earlier since they feel the wet a lot more- would you consider cloth for a bit?

Original poster
Cherrysherri · 04/10/2024 21:43

if I’m thinking of a maximum age it’d be around 3.5 years - I want to do it as soon as I know it won’t be too stressful for him as I know it will be a little but also want to be potty trained and apply for school nursery which he can go to the September after he’s 3 so next year

he’s in private nursery now they’re not concerned

i know the main issue would be is if I wasn’t concerned and just kept saying he wasn’t ready without bothering or trying little bits

we have nappy free times just to see how he is, he grabs a nappy when he’s going to wee and asks for it on to wee in it. So he does have knowledge ? We just need to bridge to going on the potty or loo

OP posts:
TemuSpecialBuy · 04/10/2024 21:44

Yes.
We did it at 2 years 3 months and decided to separate day and night.

i decided I was going to approach it like quitting smoking.
I threw all nappies out so there was no going back,
stuck a potty in every room and my carry potty in the pram…

the out only way out was through. It was grim around 48-72hr mark then improved radically

she’s consistently dry for naps and nights are 50/50 at just over 2.5 years.
we will only night train when she has more consistently dry nappies…

artfuldodgerjack · 04/10/2024 21:44

My dd was dry before her 2nd birthday. I don't know why people are leaving it so late to start potty training now? There were so many kids in my daughter's year that were still in nappies when they started school, and none had additional needs.

Original poster
Cherrysherri · 04/10/2024 21:44

Yes so many aspects just make you feel like a failure don’t they. This is on my mind constantly I just feel like a shit mum that he’s got to 2y9m and isn’t potty trained I feel guiltg

L but I know my son and I just feel like he hasn’t been ready

compared to his peers with everything in general he is a little behind

OP posts:
LindorDoubleChoc · 04/10/2024 21:45

Yes. Boy and girl, both done by about 2 years 6 months. They seemed to be pretty average in my circle and at nursery.

Purposefullyporous · 04/10/2024 21:45

No.
None of mine were. I really struggled with my first trying to do everything people suggested from the age of 2.. but then I gave up and actually he just did it one day just after turning 3, of his own volition.
So with my others I just waited until it looked they wanted to do it.. and they were both dry day and night in a matter of days. But it was after the age of 3.

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