Potty training 2 year old

[elm26]

Hi everyone

DD is 2 next month, she has been showing signs for a couple of months telling me when she’s about to do a poo, I bought some character knickers that she likes to put on over her nappy, the potty has been in the living room for 6 months and she often sits on it and says “wee wees”.

She often follows me into the toilet and wants some toilet roll herself, I let her break off a square and she pretends to wipe herself.

We have also bought the toddler toilet seat that sits on ours with the little steps, she says “big girl toilet” and takes off her bottoms and asks me to take her nappy off and although she sits on it she hasn’t yet done a wee.

I am due our 2nd child in September and ideally would love her to be out of nappies in the day by then but understand she’s still young if she isn’t.

Shall I just go for it? I need advice! Do I leave her bare bottomed or put her knickers on that she loves? Do I just sit her on the potty or toilet every half hour (or longer?) and ask her if she needs a wee or poo or do I let her tell me?

She loves stickers and choc buttons (probably has 2 or 3 a month, not packs but actual buttone) so was going to make a chart for stickers with a small toy (like a new colouring book or something inexpensive) once a week is complete and maybe a few choc buttons for her with the toy.

Any Ideas? Anything I’m thinking of doing wrong/incorrect?

Thanks in advance x

Go for it. Personally I think it's better to potty train them before they become older and more stubborn about it. I'd just take away the nappies and accept that there will probably be some accidents for a bit.

Sorry posted too soon,

I used the Oh Crap method so started off bare bottomed and then baggy trousers and then trousers and pants. Didn't use absorbent pull ups.

I did the Oh Crap method (which people on MN either love or hate) which doesn't use rewards, timed toilet visits, or expect the child to ask to go to the toilet at first. But even if you don't want to use it, it's worth reading the book for the rationale before you start, you've got plenty of time. We trained DS1 at 2 and a half, because that's when we had enough time available to do it, but I think he'd have been ready (and more compliant!) at just turned 2 and if DS2 ends up having similarly good communication skills I would totally train him earlier.

We did Oh Crap. I found the book quite infuriating at points but it worked. It doesn’t recommend a reward system like chocolate buttons or stickers, but I can’t quite remember why. Anyway, we didn’t do reward chart and it worked.

Thanks @WhatNoRaisinsits the thought of not leaving the house for a good few days that’s putting me off but I know it needs to be done! Do you think I should mix the potty and the toilet or just concentrate on one as to not confuse her? I was going to buy one of those portable potty’s for when we are out and about if she cracks it at home so don’t want to put her off using it in a public toilet as won’t be able to carry the steps and toddler toilet seat around 😂

Thanks @BarnacleBeasley, will check out the book. She’s really good at communicating and her speech is advanced for her age so I don’t think that will be an issue which is a bonus!

@WhereIsMyLightthank you! Will definitely order the book tonight, I’ll have a look on Amazon.

I remember why not rewards - it's because if they can't do it, then not getting the reward feels like a punishment. And I think also that going to the toilet is supposed to feel like a normal progression and not something to have power struggles over. But I always thought the rationale would be a bit like dog training, where if the dog knows it's getting a biscuit for doing a wee, it'll save it up and do millions of tiny ones instead of learning to hold it.

Re. potty or toilet, we started with a potty (the method initially involves waiting for them to be just about to wee and then scooping them up and getting them straight on there), but after a few days DS said 'I am a big boy so I use the big toilet'. However, he was still fine going on the travel potty when out.

Go for it now. She is ready. Read the oh crap books. Make sure she understands the difference wet and dry and getting her to practice pulling trouser and shorts up and now and then go for it.

That makes so much sense @BarnacleBeasleythank you! Maybe I’ll just use lots of praise when she does a wee or poo and if she has an accident I won’t make a big deal out of it so she doesn’t feel like she’s done anything wrong. With our dog, when he was a puppy and we bought him home we took him out every 45 mins and used a command and he got it within a week (puppy treats were used 😂) I’m hoping it’s that easy 🤣

@Sunnyglowdaysshe will tell me if something is wet or dry, she says “wet mummy” if she does something like dip her hands in my bath and then she’ll use the hand towel to dry and say “all dry”, she also touches the clothes on the airer and tells me if they are wet so I do think she knows the difference. She can take them off, she just needs help putting them on the right way around but she pulls them up too.

Did oh crap also, at about 22 months. First day was hell (wee everywhere) but he had it by the third day. If I remember right, on the third day you take them out somewhere for a couple of hours. I picked the park so as not to risk an accident anywhere, but it was fine!

Good luck. Oh Crap and NHS said from 18 months is ideal for potty training

Excellent. She has all the skills she needs to start.

I would do it.

I didn’t use any method as they both did it of their own accord. DD was 20 mo and DS 22mo but they both spoke full sentences at the time they got out of nappies- I think there is definitely a link as essentially it’s communication.

If you have outside space, just letting them wander around with no nappies works well.

Both of them just started using the potties and were out of nappies completely in a few days.

What was trickier was when we were out and about in the first week. I had to be really mindful of the timing of drinks! I found they needed to go to the toilet about 45 mins after a drink.

In case they do have an accident outside the house, crocs or welly boots are good- rather than wet sneakers!

Mine were both able to manage international travel without accidents a few weeks after training so it’s definitely doable.

Another vote for Oh Crap method although I personally ignored the bit about night time potty training. Daytime potty training my DD got within a couple of days using this method and then night time came naturally about 3 months later. Good luck.

We're starting just turned 2 year old tomorrow! 3.5yr old started 8 months ago, and still usually has several accidents a week, tho has has 9 days accident free twice.

Did bare bum to start with, but that was in autumn. Not sure how can be bare bum tomorrow or the weekend as the uv is too high 10-4, and can't cream her privates, can I?! We'll have the bifold doors open all day I'd imagine! Eeeek.

Go for it. It's easier in the Summer with sandals and less clothes. I trained both mine soon after they turned 2. One took weeks, one took days. The one that took less time was younger and I followed the Oh Crap method to the letter (we loosely followed it with the other).

I also separated day and night training which the Oh Crap method doesn't recommend bit does allow. I found night training wasn't actually needed as the just became dry at night a couple of months after becoming dry in the day.

What about sunburn private areas? I didn't have this issue with my eldest as we started in mid September

Lots of good advice here already about how to go about potty training. I just wanted to add, as you've mentioned you've got another baby on the way, that it's normal for her to regress once the baby comes.

We potty trained our son last March at 2 and 2 months and he got it pretty quickly, we were happy leaving the house after about 4 days. Then his sister came along 2 months later and he just kept wetting himself and refusing to use the potty (although thankfully he didn't regress for poos!) It took till about September or October till we felt we were fully through the regression.

Obviously that's just our experience and I'm not saying that's going to be the same for everyone, but when we mentioned it to the health visitor and nursery everyone seemed to say it was completely normal.

Do it. We did at a similar age. I heartily recommend the Potette for out and about as you can flip the legs out and turn it into a seat reducer for public toilets. Very handy.

We did it at a week past 2Y with DD for all the same reasons. 50% success the first day and by the end of the week, she’d got it. I shamelessly used chocolate buttons. We did stay at home until the third day so definitely recommend that but used the pants she’d chosen. She didn’t like getting them dirty and I think that helped. Good luck!

Well no worries about sunburn and suncream on privates. My 2 year, 1 week old put on potty after night nappy off, fresh pee in nappy, but squeezed a tiny bit of pee in potty, then again 2min later lol.

Them downstairs refused to be bare bum, has her sisters old pants on! (sister LOVED being naked) 10min later pee on floor, and then said "potty", so at least connected the pee & potty right away. Only thing is, she's sitting on me 😅