Started potty training yesterday: need a bit of advice/support

[mrsbabookaloo]

So, started yesterday eve after buying new potty (so we have 2) and "knick-knicks" with dd. So far, 5 accidents and two wees in the potty. No poos at all.

She was showing some, not all, of the signs of being ready, and nursery had encouraged me to go for it. She's not that motivated by the stickers I've got, and already seems to be over the excitement of the knickers.

So, my question is, how long do you give it before you decide that you started too soon ad give up and go back into nappies? Can you have a day full of accidents and then it suddenly clicks the next day?

I know I need to be patient and give it at least a couple more days, but being on my own with her in the house all morning has given me too much time to panic about it and doubt myself! We're normally very social and out and about so staying in while we do this seems weird..

We've got a few day trips and a holiday coming up next week, including 5 hour car trip to Devon. Can't imagine her managing that without a nappy. Was this a stupid time to start? Or can I just put her in a nappy for the journey?

Sorry for the ramble!

how old is your lil one?? i started trying with my eldest daughter who is 4 1/2 now when she was 18 mths old. she recognised all the signs and was telling me when she wanted to go a wee or poo but was doing it in her nappy. she was in pull- ups for about 4 mths before she got the hang of it and it was quite frustrating sometimes. at first, every half hour i was putting her on her potty!!
it was quite frustrating but when you think of how young they are its not surprising. in the end it took 4 mths till she was completly dry.
there was no rush with my second and she practially potty trained herself at 2 1/2. clean thru the nite frm day one. i wud def recomend waiting till they want to.
but if your in the middle of trying then i would persevere. it mite take a little longer but u will get there in the end...i did!!

Thanks sunshine smile: I'm somewhere in between those two. She's just turned 2, so I don't think it will take 4 months (hope not!).

Had a better afternoon. Risked a trip to the park having visions of her peeing/pooing on another toddler on the climbing frame, but she stayed dry and when we'd been there for an hour, I popped her on the potty with a box of raisins and voila; she produced! (OK maybe it's gross to eat when you're on the loo, but it was a good distractor).

Had a few accidents this eve, but it's going OK. She's in her cot, chatting to herself now, saying "Never mind, teddy" as it says in her potty book when teddy has an accident! Bless!

Hello started potty training my dd when she was 2 and 2 months and it took just over a week of very litle success and just as I was at the point of admitting defeat something clicked and she got it! Sounds like you are well on your way, loads of praise and encouragment and lots of 'oh well - nevermind' when she doesn't quite make it! Good luck XxX

Just trained DD 2.6yrs. I was at the point of going back to nappies but decided to try another day and it just clicked. Day 1 - no hits, and four misses, day 2 - 1 hit and 3 misses and day three there were puddles everywhere!
Within a week she was dry. It was like a switch went on in her wee head!
I will admit I used choc buttons - 1/4 of one for sitting on potty, and a big one for a success. Told her we'd run out after about five days. Stickers were not motivating for DD since she gets sent them all the time from granny!

Thanks for that hairtwiddler (hello: I've been on a couple of threads with you recently!); that's what I was wondering, so it's good to hear that it might suddenly click. And you're very disciplined with the choc buttons: I've been a bit sniffy about people using them, but you are very sparing...good idea! And I was going to give dd one tonight for a general "good" day.. but I forgot..bad mummy!

OK, now the stupid practical questions. There's loads of advice about how to prepare your toddler, what to do and say or not with regards to them, but I found that I wasn't prepared for her first poo on the potty, and even wees, I'm struggling a bit afterwards with the routine.

Do you keep loo paper in the living room by the potty?
How do you clean out the potty after you've tipped it down the loo?
Do you dry the potty every time? What with?

I'm really a bumbling idiot!

can be a week or 2 before it twigs.

my ds 2.6 still has his nappy for sleeping. if we gotta go any long car journeys we plan then around nap time so i have excuse to put nappy on.

you should still expect about 1 accident a week average (what i've read from various books) till about 4 years. if she's dry at night thats great? didn't see anywhere if she is or not? if not dont worry as that will be about the same(up till 4yr). stop using them at sleep time once you notice she's gone a couple of weeks with a dry nappy when she wakes up

we wipe bums with those wet wipes that can flush down the loo. and wipe potty with anti bac wipes

could use anti bac spray and loo roll too.

Thanks elmoandella: I'd forgotten that I've made my own life more difficult by not having anything like antibac wipes/antibac spray...I'm really trying to be green. Good advice re car journeys and nap time: I think that'll be the best way.

Just want to bump this as I am starting potty training today with dd 2.7.

Wanted to ask what to do re night time..do you keep the chid in a nappy over night or jsut buy some waterproof sheets and hope for the best?

(I have really no idea how to do any of this )

hi scootermun, i ended up buyin 2 of those washable trainer pants (boots and mothercare do them) for bed time. both my daughters use loved them as they thought they were 'grown up pants'. and i was using too many pull-ups in the day--too expensive!!

with my 1st i did wake her when i went 2 bed and put her on the potty (in her room.even tho she was half asleep she still managed to go.hope it helps

Thanks!Saw those pants yesterday and wondered what they were for!Will get some for tonight

Thanks!Saw those pants yesterday and wondered what they were for!Will get some for tonight

I've been using pull-ups for night time although I'm surprised to find she's been dry in the morning for 3 days now.
IIRC I think being dry at night often comes later than during the day. I call the pull-ups 'bedtime pants' to avoid confusion.(hello back mrs b and hope it's going ok!)

This is all very interesting; thanks for moving the discussion on scootermum. I was under the impression that getting them dry at night was a totally separate thing, not until quite a bit later, or until you notice that they're dry in the morning, so I don't think you need to worry about putting them back in a nappy for the night.

Pull ups would be a good idea, cos they seem more like knickers. You can't get eco-friendly ones, but I might have to just get over myself and get some.

Today....(drum roll)... 6 wees and one poo in the potty and no accidents!! I am amazed. It could be just a fluke....

Yesterday we had 5 wees and a poo in potty adn 2 accidents, so good start I think but two accidnents today already.But that might be me not paying attention.

Couldnt get any of those pants yesterday in the end so have just send dd off to her toddler football training thingy with dh in her knickers with a sanitary towel stuck in them in case of emergency.Desperate times call for desperate measures

Oh and DD2 who is 1 managed to tip the contents of DD1'S potty over herself yesterday before id had chance to get rid of the contents.Which was I potential hazard I should've forseen

Hope all trainees have a good day today

Gosh, scootermum; you've got your hands full with a one year old as well!

LOL at the sanitary towel!!

We've had two accidents today too: but we have also had 2 wees and a poo in the potty already, so still going well I think.

mrs b and scooter ur both doing fab.

we've been doing potty taining for 6 months now. there will be ups and downs.

as for the night time thing. according to all the books boys are late for this, and it depends if they have a drink directly bafore bed. i've got an 11 month old (dotti the potty over the head thing scotter, wait till your younger one tries to stick hands in potty while the older one is doing a poo!)

anyhow, at bedtime in my house i'm happy to let ds still take milk after his bath as it keeps him occupied while i give the young one her milk and put her to sleep.

so we are not even going to attempt removing nappy at bed time till i stop that.

but if your child is not fussed about getting liquid directly before bed. make sure the last thing you give them to drink is 1 hr before. minimum. and go for it with the waterproof sheets. my friends wee girl is 2.5 months and she's managed this, but she doesn't give liquids after her supper. and takes her for a pee directly before bed and as soon as she wakes up.

if your interested i combined the info from jo frost nappy book, and the gina ford guide to weaning in 2 weeks. both say pretty much the same. and so far it's gone exactly as the book says.

just one other thing. if my dh take ds away for the day in sticks him in a nappy coz he cant be bothered running to the loo with him then for the next few days we have constant accidents. we go back a few steps of the training.

and also if he's tired/distracted or gets a fright it can cause then to wet themselves. so if they are distracted you gotta remind them.things like going to dentist would also cause him to pee himself. so gotta let him pee before he sits in chair now.

doh, gina ford guide to potty training in 2 weeks i meant to say, not weaning

Thanks elmoandella!