Asking for a wee or a poo?

[shinyshilling]

Just typed out a long question and lost it!

Is there anything I can do to encourage my DD 2 and 8 months to ask for a wee/poo? She seems to find sitting on the toilet a bit of a waste of time. Doing really well at home, but doesn't ask at nursery and often comes home with wet pants and trousers. People say that kids hate this feeling but she doesn't seem to mind. We've been learning together for three weeks and though we're having some success, it doesn't seem to have been cracked yet. Am I rushing things or could I be doing anything differently?

I'm not an authority, but have been potty training my DD 2.2 over last couple of weeks so I thought I would share my experience with you.

I ask her regularly if she might need a wee or poo and if she says no I just say, well if you think you might need one then just tell mummy. So I just kept telling her she could ask, but to avail at first. Then yesterday, 10 days into the training we were in Sainsburys and she asked for a wee! It was completely out of the blue as I had forgotten to ask her as was busy with the shopping. I had visions of her weeing all over the floor right there and then, but we managed to park trolley at customer services and get to the toilet for her wee. So I guess I would just keep reminding her that she can ask, whilst also taking her regularly yourself. I also found alot of role playing with toys really helped, so we have a little doll potty and every now and then I would get one of her favourite toys to come and ask for a wee and then sit them on the potty so that she got the idea from that too.

At her nursery, they ask the ones being potty trained every 30 minutes if they want the toilet and also encourage them to ask inbetween, so much the same as I do really.
I plan on lengthening the time between asking her now so that she has more and more opportunity to ask and get the sensation of a full bladder.

I have heard from others that prompting can be fatal and it's much better not to keep asking - I guess it depends on your child's temperament! I try not to ask (unless we are about to go out, which tbh seems to be most of the time!) and I have noticed that too much prompting leads to a day of accidents the next day. I use phrases like 'the pottys there when you need it' rather than asking if he needs to go.To be fair I guess going to the toilet does seem like a waste of time until you've really internalised the whole business!

We had a bit of trouble with nursery for a while; he'd do great at home, then wet consistently or poo himself at nursery. He now doesn't poo there (seeing as they never managed to listen to him ) and it was a matter of having a word with the key worker who put her foot down and took control of pottying. All the other workers were putting them on the toilet long enough to change a pull-up because they were lazy. Kids get so absorbed in play at nursery and the teachers have so many to watch that they really need to take them for scheduled toilet breaks, especially in the beginning.

DD is gettig better at not having accidents but still won't ask. She is happy to try and the potty and most times does the business, but she still won't ask to go. Will this just happen? She sits on the potty and we read to her, but my sister says that we shouldn't be doing that. What do you think? Her son is 9 and I wonder if maybe she's forgotten what potty training entails?

I'd tell your sister that she doesn't have to sit and read to your DD, but you're quite happy to spend the time doing one-on-one interaction with her if it makes the whole potty training thing easier on all of you.