When potty training do I need to stay in all week?!

[GordonTheGopher]

Because quite frankly I will end up with cabin fever.

simply no you don't. first few days were the worst but after that ds got it and we went out. made sure he went for a wee before we left and didn't go on any really long journeys.

if you're really worried bunge a old naappy cut in half under the dc on the car seat in case of accidents.

if they really need a wee when you're out i don't think many dcs mind weeing being held in the air and in public.

So I need to stay in for a few days then? I can't stay in for more than a few hours!

no you can still go out but be prepared for accidents so take lots of spare pairs of pants and trousers 9or skirts - depending on your dc)

1st couple of days i put ds on the potty every 20 minutes but on day three it was about every 45mins.

could you invite someone to your house for some company or go to someone else's?

Sorry Gordon, I think you would be wise to stay in for the first 2 days. Just invite some friends over! You could probably go to the park, you can always take a travel potty with you. You would need to put him/her on the potty really frequently to start with to 'catch ' one, which is what binds you to home. But once he/she has 'got' it, you can easily go out after a wee.

Also, take spare shoes too when you go out, as these can also get soaked

Well he doesn't drink much so I guess that's a bonus!

We use a mix of pull-ups and pants and DS doesn't give a fiddlers. He'll ask for the toilet and hold it upwards of half an hour while wearing a pull-up. He's an adaptable child. If your child is less adaptable, maybe you need to make the pants-or-nappy decision and stick to it, but we're not having any trouble alternating.

If you wait til your child is ready you don't have to stay in at all because potty training takes 5 minutes "Mummy, I don't want to wear napies any more ""OK darling, here are some pants and there is the loo" You then make shure he/she has a pee before you go out and don't go anywhere too far from a loo or a convenient bush for a few days. Job done.

I don't think I'm alone in this. These is huge pressure to potty train - I really don't think many people actually wait til their children are REALLY physically and psychologically ready. Of course it's possible to train them before they reach this stage, but it's going to be more stressful and involve more wet carpets than the laissez faire approach.

Also, get a potette to take out with you.

I never stayed in expecially.

Have you got dd or ds?

I have tried the staying in for days potty training strategy with my two children who were both over 2 when I tried..had no success whatsoever. In the end both children were finally out of nappies at 3.3. This seemed frustratingly late but both children were ready at this stage and as a result I've hardly ever had a wee accident out with them.

I tried training DD at Easter when she was just 3. Stayed in for five days and had no success whatsoever..constantly cleaning up wee accidents..it was very depressing. After 5 days I could take it no more so put her back in nappies..a couple of months later she just said she wanted to wear pants one day and one month later we have had no wee accidents..still asks for nappy to poo.

Therefore my experience is similar to Seekers...

I would try spending two days mainly outside with your DC with a potty to hand.. If your DC seems to be doing well by the end of the second day you will find you will soon be able to go out and take a potty with you wherever you go..in the car you could sit DC on a towel on top of a plastic bag. For a long journey you could use a pull up nappy just for the journey.

If your DC doesn't seem ready I'd just go back to nappies and try again in a few months.

Justaboutgrownup is right that potty training is so different from child to child. Some children are ready as early 18 months and others are much more reluctant.

Good luck with training your DD

oh, see it's ds-

In that case, instead of travel potty, I'd recomment a wide-necked (preferrably opaque) bottle. We use an empty (white milk) wee bottle, even still now keep it in the car. Any need to wee when out and about easily & discreetly do a wee in the wee bottle. Dh would kill me if I told anyone he's been known to use it too.

I just have to suffer & wait

And now I've got a dd, so the beauty of the wee bottle will not work for her

Or, when I was stuck in a traffic jam with ds once, a Starbuck's coffee cup. Boys have such an unfair advantage!

Agree that cabin fever can set in very quickly! We potty-trained in the summer and it was a lot easier being outside rather than clearing up puddles in the house! Walked to our local park with spare pants/shorts and let little man wee 'al fresco' - we werent caught out with a poo outside but take some nappy sacks and wipes and off you go!

Agree with Katabee and seeker. I tried three- four times with my DS to potty train him, staying in, going mad, getting through piles of pants and dettol, and it was obvious after 4-5days we were getting no where so I stopped. I was trying because of pressure from my mum and thinking he had to be potty trained for pre-school.
Then just after third birthday HE decided no more nappies, day or night, and that was that.No potty, straight on to stand up wees. We do have a potette which is great in the car.
My mum said she could not believe the difference between my DS and her trying to potty train us in the 70s - she had so many accidents and wet beds and it was on going.
So sometimes it goes work to go with the flow (excuse the pun )

I'm only doing it in August as I'm not working and it's warm. If it's a failure after a couple of days I will leave it for a few months as I know he's quite young. (2.4).

That was when we started, and I could tell we were getting no where when he would sit on the potty with me playing court jester to keep him there, and then he would stand up and go and wee somewhere else (little bugger!!)

he's not necessarily too young though. DS was in pants at 2.2 and we've only had a handful of accidents, which are because we haven't got to the potty or toilet in time. give it a go and if it doesn't work then you can try again later.

I've been trying my dd for a couple of days with the potty. She seems to touch her 'bits' when she wants to go and points to a nappy. I try and get her to sit on the potty but she won't, i even tried teddy on the potty so she could see what to do but nothing. She then wee's on the floor or poos and then cries like she is frightened of what's just happened. I don't know what to do?

Seeker. Toatally agree with you. You should let it happen when they want it to and then it's easy. Just left a potty in the corner of the living room. It was there months until one day DS1 used it without promting and that was that. DS2 needed slightly more encouragement but i have never understood this idea 'I have decided next Monday they will go on the potty because that's what I want'. Much too much stress for everyone involved.!!!

MsSparkle: try a toilet seat! Or her backwards on the toilet resting her bum on the seat for balance. Reassure her when she pees whether it's on the floor, in a nappy or on the toilet/potty. For her whole life a nappy has been The Place For Wee And Poo and now she's being faced with a sudden adjustment. Not all kids are super adaptable and some need a lot of reassurance to make a big change like this.

My 2nd is too young to start trying but my 1st showed no signs at all at wanting to potty train - was just advised by another Mum with a few boys (!) to not even bother training boys until they are nearly 3. Took the advice and cracked day and night in a week - apparently its important to hit on the night times too if day is sorted. Guess more relevant when they are a bit older. Lots of friends often talked about their boys being sorted just after age 2 but then they regressed. As others have said - all children are different so I guess bottom line there is no set rule for all!