Potty training started today!!!

[hotCheeseBurns]

Ds turned 3 yesterday and I decided to try him out in pants today! Haven't really prepared but we have one potty upstairs and one downstairs and we've had two accidents and two wees in the potty so far! He's had one of his christmas chocolates for each wee in the potty and I've promised him two chocolates if he does a poo.

Is it stupidly optimistic to think that because he's three this might be quite easy?

I'm slightly concerned that he hasn't done a poo yet today, I'm hoping he's not holding it in. And I'm wondering if there's any chance I'll be able to go out in the sales with a potty training little one?!

Any advice/ideas welcome!

Hi guys, been away for a while and a bit at your success stories.

We are still very much at the stage where if I don't take DD to toilet regularly, she has accidents. I can tell when she looks like she might need to go, so I just take her to the potty and all is fine. However if you ask her if she needs to go, she will always say no. This happened twice with CM today, and immediately preceded and poo and a wee in the pants.

Still not sure how to proceed. Carry on (I prefer washing clothes to nappies)? Are there psychological reasons against this? She is still happy to use potty and pants, and isn't bothered by accidents. Or stop, tell her we are going back to nappies and try again at easter when I next have some time out? Not sure how that will play with her psychologically either?

Hobnob, IIRC Gina Ford suggests that if a child keeps having accidents despite being capable of getting themself to the potty you could make the child help clear up any mess and wash their pants etc. - not as a punishment as such, just to show them the consequences and make using the potty seem preferable. Maybe you could try this?

Hi there, we seem to be at the same stage as Hobnob. We had about 5 totally dry days, then either she got complacent, or I got complacent, or both so for 2 days we had tons of accidents. Ugh. Still, better than washing nappies!

I decided to keep her in pants. She had done so well that she was clearly capable, but I think will need reminding for quite a long time. That's fine with me, I just have to remind myself to remind her ifswim.

I also bought some stickers to re-energise the situation. Wees and poos on the loo and she can have a sticker on her jumper to show daddy when he gets home.

Also, dd is still young and can't possibly get herself up onto the loo on her own, even with a step, and she doesn't like to use the potty. She also can't get her clothes up and down easily, although she does try. (she walked through a cafe this morning with her bottom on show - I hadn't realised that she'd only managed to pull up the front of her pants and trousers!)

My other dc were out of nappies at this age, and I don't mind having to help them on and off the loo, and with clothes. I think I had just forgotten that they need reminding for quite a long time after they are dry/clean.

Does this sound familiar? Or is everyone finding it a totally different experience?

I waited until ds was big enough to pull his trousers up and down and use the potty by himself before starting to potty train, it's all part of it isn't it? And he doesn't need reminding.

Hi Hot cheese buns - you're probably right in many ways. Being able to get yourself to the loo and use it effectively is all part of it. But if they can master one part, then I'm going to go with. Saves me washing the blasted nappies and trying to get them dry in this weather. (I also really start to object to children's poo, it gets too 'adult' for my liking) I could be waiting another year if I wanted to get it all into place before whipping off the nappies...

Hooray, no accidents since Sunday! He's getting really good now, even not wanting to go in his bedtime nappy.

How's everyone else doing? It's great not having loads of smelly nappies to deal with isn't it? Even if they are partly replaced with smelly clothes, they're easier to deal with like mum23 says.

So how long after being fully potty trained before they stop needing nappies at night generally?

No idea I'm afraid, I think it varies enormously.

Just wanted to share my momentous occasion this morning. It's my day off, and after breakfast my eyes were involuntarily crossing over and I fell asleep in the sofa. DD was still in her nappy from overnight. After a good while, she woke me up after bringing her potty into the living room and asking for her nappy to be taken off! woohoo!

She still needed persuading that she actually needed a wee at lunchtime after much squirming in her highchair.

Poos still infrequent, but she's really not eating much at all these days.

Brilliant news hobnob! How was today?

We've been out and about, I had to sit ds on the potette in front of a huge queue of women in the brighton shopping centre toilets but he was very good. We were in habitat when he said "it's coming" and I grabbed him and the nappy bag and ran! Need to relax a bit, he normally gives a good warning. Still no accidents since sunday, apart from when he misses the potty/toilet (he hasn't got the hang of aiming!)

It really helps to hear how others are getting on.

Yesterday dd asked for the potty a second time when I was busy cooking in the kitchen (well, I actually overheard her run along the hall mumbling 'get potty' and caught her battling with her tights ) and after much sitting and talking about it on the potty after bathtime, a poo was finally produced too.

We don't have a potette and I don't think I'll get one since we are so very rarely out that far away from a toilet. However, we did have an outing today and didn't have any accidents. But poor DD was marched to the potty before we left, the toilet after we arrived and had had lunch, and the toilet again before we left for home!

Feeling really positive about things now, finally, after 3 weeks of relative uncertainty. I'm sure DD will have an off day tomorrow and put paid to all that, but it's a nice feeling while it lasts! I'm happy now that she knows how to deal with needing to go, even if it's not all of the time.