TOP 10 TIPS FOR POTTY TRAINING PLEASE!!!!!

[alicet]

Other than 'wait until they're ready' - I think we're there as he already goes in the potty a couple of times a day....

don't go back once you have started, no pull-ups etc s they will get confused (ok to do nappies for naps if you are not quite brave enough at first tho!)

• go trouser-free at first if poss. if not, buy lots of cheap elasticated-waist trousers from supermarket
• leave shoes off, or get some cheap slippers so they don't ruin shoes with wee
• a potty on every floor of house
• boots cheapo potties really good for boys as they are long so willies don't hang over the end!
• soda water to get wee out of carpets
• potette for going out
• reward with exciting pants!

good luck!

Get potty out to 'view' as early as possible. Leave one in the bathroom to use before bath time - a good introduction to routine. Leave one in the bedroom so it's always there. We had 3 altogether indoors and one in the car.
When ready to use it properly, just take all clothes off little one and keep saying 'potty is here look, if you need it for a wee etc' Do this for few days.
Then put knickers/pants on but no other clothes. Keep reminding them 'potty is here look if you need it' do this for a few days.
Then add easy pull down trousers and repeat!

Within a week ds was using the potty himself, with only accidents outside the home.
Next level outside the home is to take potty everywhere with you and just remind them you have it. If you are worried about leaks on long journeys in the car or while shopping then use 'bright bot' traning pants - found these great, they look like normal undies but have a thin waterproof lining, got them on ebay.
Good luck!

Please don't laugh as this is what we did:

• I started saying to DS, when changing his nappy, from about 18 months, 'if you need a poo just let me know and you can go on your potty'
• have potty in toy box from about 18 months
• encourage him to sit on poty with his clothes on as a normal seat when reading stories, watching a bit of telly, etc, so that he'd get used to the feeling
• tell him that he would get a chocolate button if he'd wee or poo in his potty (not a trendy thing to do, I know!)
• read stories like 'aliens love underpants' and 'the queen's knickers'
• try to figure out when he is doing a poo and ask him questions about it, so that he became increasingly aware of it
• letting him watch us go to the loo, and watch other children go to the loo (with parent's permissions, of course), and see us flush poo down the loo
• when a bit older, about 2.3 I think, I encouraged him to go on potty without his nappy first thing in the morning. Almost guarantee to catch a wee and improve his confidence!
• buy really cute knickers (Thomas, Pirates, Noddy...) and let him wear them for short times, and give him lots of praises if they were still dry after only 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc as this builds up his confidence
• finally, at 2.4, he asked me one morning to wear knickers, and of course we had accidents but he was dry in a few days, with some accidents for a couple of weeks.

we haven't bothered with potty as ds is 3.8 and no one else in the house uses one (so would be odd to him).

Number 1 rule = rewards.
Chocolate buttons every time he sits on the toilet (whether productive or not).
Present for first time he actually sits on it (only something small).
Present for first wee (special present for 'big' kid - ds got some real screwdrivers).
Present for first poo.
Present for first time they tell you they need the toilet correctly.
Present for first time they go all morning/afternoon with dry pants.
Present for first time they go all day with dry pants.

Incrediable amounts of praise (it helps if you can rope in family members into this).

Set timer for every 15 mins to start and make them go everytime it goes off (whether they want to or not). You can make the timer go off if you think they need toilet but they won't admit it.

Lots of underwear - about 20 pairs. Maybe more.

Only elasticated waist bottoms if they wear them at all.

Visual chart on wall with stickers/ticks every time they wee in toilet (do one everyday).

If they won't stay on the toilet read them a story on it. Make room nice friendly place.

chocolate buttons worked for us too...1 for just sitting on it, and 2 or 3 for a wee or poo.

Agree with no half measures, once you decide then thats it. we used those bed mats for lunchtime naps (only 1 accident ever) so the nappy could stay off.

I would say put pants on though, apart from the added incentive of character pants (pingu pants v. popular in this house) they also help to reduce the spread of accidents (speclaly poo!!)

Wow thanks thats fab!!!!

Much appreciated - will let you know how we get on...

Tried pant son him yesterday only as soon as they were on he siad 'I no like it' so we stopped again - no point pushing it before he's ready! Will try some of the other things you have suggested though...

chocolate button if he wears the pants also??

alicet, do you have an 8 month old also?? I seem to remeber your name form a vbac/not vbac thread??

Yes hairybabymum I do have an 8 month old too - knew I recognised your name from somewhere too but couldn't place it! Hormones have obviously frazzled your brain less than mine!

How are you getting on?

Good here, ds2 great.

How about you...did you have VBAC in the end?

I boked VBAC for 40 wks but then went into labour at 39wks so went for it au naturel but got to 9 cm then lots os meconium and baby in distress so had another emergency c/s.....was fine though was home after only 1 night in and recovery fine.

Hope you had a good experience too.

ds2 great here too! Sleep could be a little better but hey thats normal isn't it!

I had an elective section at 39 weeks in the end. Prevaricated about it endlessly and nearly changed my mind on several occasions but in the end that was what my gut reaction told me to do. Really good experience for me too. So much calmer and more relaxed than last time and my recovery was loads easier too. Stayed 2 nights but the second was only to get more help with bf rather than anything else...

At the end of the day I think as long as the 2 of you are safe nothing else matters does it and in retrospect I don't know why I found it that hard to decide!