Help - toilet training, should I quit after tough 1st day?

[SKLM]

Hey everyone. Looking for some toilet training advice.

I am worried I have started trying to toilet train my boy who has just turned 2 too soon.

Background - We have had a potty around the house for months but he has still been in nappies. He was sitting on it out of curiosity from time to time and we talked about what it is for. Have talked a lot about wees and poos, he comes into the toilet when either me or my husband are using it and he knows mummy/daddy is having a wee/poo. He goes away discreetly to poo in his nappy. He enjoys washing his hands after nappy changes. He hasn't ever told us he needs a wee or poo or asked us to change his nappy.

So, some good signs I thought. I have a 5 day stretch to start trying to train, and his nursery are also on board. We have read a book about using the potty together and today went nappy free using those pants that hold a bit of urine (not pull ups).

Initially he seemed fine with it, put on the pants, and in the morning when coaxed would sit on his potty and he would help me pull down his pants etc. But he has become quite stressed as the day has gone on.

No success weeing/pooing in the potty. He is only weeing/pooing in the pants and doesn't seem bothered at all that they are wet or able to acknowledge they need changing. We have gone through 8 pairs today. We put a nappy back on for his nap this afternoon, removed it after and put pants back on. We have put a nappy back on now for bed. I was just following guidelines I read on this one.

He is refusing to sit on the potty since about 3pm and has been tearful when we gently coax him and has been saying no potty a lot and pushing it away. We have tried lifting him on a couple of times but he isn't interested. He has been pretty agitated all afternoon, I've noticed he seems pretty fed up and I am guessing it's the change as everything else is normal for him.

Have been suggesting potty every 1-2 hours.

If you have successfully potty trained, does this sound like a typical first day or have we started far too early?

I don't want to distress him at all but equally if this is par for the course I don't want to give up too soon.

He just turned 2? Wait.

You need to take the pants off. They need to be bare bum for at least the first few days.

Also, he doesn't seem to know he needs to wee or poo, or at least he won't say it to us.

Best advice I was ever given is that when they are ready, it’s not difficult.

For most children anyway.

This was my experience.

If he was older I'd persevere, but at this age I'd probably leave it for the moment and try again in a few months.

@RandomUserName12345 I am starting to think this too. I had no expectations of success, I was just testing the water, so I am happy to stop now if people think this. Last thing I want to do is upset him.

This advice is why so many kids are starting school not potty trained!

I'm glad it worked for you, but really it's terrible advice.

I’d just leave for now. Keep the potty out so he can use it if he wants and encourage it but keep the nappies on for a bit longer.

In a few months if he’s showing more signs then go for it again but it cold turkey and remove the pull ups completely. It’ll be messy but he’ll understand what to do a few the first few accidents….hopefully!

Keep going! I tried my son when he was 2. He didn’t really show any signs of being ready but I had a week off work so I thought I’d give it a go and ages 2 weeks he was dry day and night.

We started off day one at home with no pants on and he was great at going on the potty for a pee but as soon as I our pants on him he would sit on the potty with the pants on and pee through them!! I was for throwing the towel in day 2 but I kept going.

Naked on the bottom and just sitting him on the potty every 30-40 mins. When we went out I did trousers no pants and again just took him to the toilet every 30-40 mins.

he was having some accidents so put a pull up on him for longer car journeys etc but after a week he was dry 95% of the time and after 2 weeks he was dry and using the toilet!

2 is not too young, give it a go and persevere!

We never did that with our children.

Most likely not just being 2.

There is the old saying about potty training “start at 2 finish at 3, start at 3 finish at 3” But it’s up to you, you know your child.

Bare bum throughout the day and persevere.

We tried at 2 with DS. It was a really hard few days so we stopped. Tried again about 7 months or so later and he literally did it himself in a couple of days.

And of course there's the current saying "why are all these children not potty trained at 3/4 years old??"

We did. All three potty trained within a month of earlier of their second birthday. Lots of bare bums. I think helps them understand quickly.

The first few days are a bit of a shit show. They won’t ever tell you they need a wee or poo, you just need to to learn when to place them on the potty to catch the wee and poo. Then lots of praise.
i also found never asking DD ‘do you need a wee?’ As the answer was always no. I had to just tell her it was toilet time. Or we would go together, have family toilet time when we all go wee helped get her on the toilet.

chocolate bribery worked very well too!

also agree on the no pants, so bare bum. That helped us. Good luck.

i will also say 2 years old does sound quite young. My DD was 2.5 and I’ve also heard boys are harder/later

Stop for now, he clearly isn’t ready and if he is getting upset then it really isn’t worth it and will end up a long drawn out process that is stressful for you both.

Mine all trained very quickly when ready, one was 2.5, the others were around their third birthday. All could tell you when they needed to go.

Rubbish! DD refused to wear nappies when we were camping over her second birthday and was trained in the day by the time we got home a few days later. She had to wear nappies at night for many years, though due to a medical problem. Different kids. Different things.

From my experience I would wait until he's at least 2 1/2 years or even closer to 3. We tried potty training out daughter when she turned 2 and we had a similar experience to you so quit after day 2. We then waited until she was 2 years 9 months and she got it straight away.

He doesn't seem to be showing any signs of being ready just yet.

I'd keep the potty accessible and suggest he sits on it periodically. Try set times like before meals, before going out, before a bath and going to bed. Once you start to get some successful wees in the potty then try taking off the nappy.

One of ours pottytrained herself at 12 months. One was done a 3 yo 2 months. One done at 2.5 yo.
All ready for school.

Children are different. Follow their lead. Method isn't that import I think if you stick to it.

You missed the last line.

Does he know the difference between the sensation of wet and dry? Can he pull his trousers up and down himself? Does he hide to poo? If he can’t do all these things then he isn’t ready.

We did it at just turned two. Day 2 or 3 was awful but once we realised she was pushing back against timed potty visits, we backed off and almost instantly she was a lot better. We'd just say things like "the potty is there when you need it" and we didn't go overboard with the praise. Maybe try following his lead a bit more? And if he's not bothered about the training pants being wet, they aren't working. I'd stop using them.