What made you decide that 'today is the day 'for potty training?

[Thankyouandgoodnight]

...to those who got their timing right of course

I'm not sure if I've got the timing right yet, as I'm only a week or so into the process, but I decided that I couldn't be arsed to wash another load of nappies. DS is 2 and a half. Seems to be going fairly well so far.

I think toddlers have certain things happen in their brain, that means they can recognise the need to go, and then act on it after the event, then eventually before the event iyswim!

It's a natural phenomenon, all kids do it eventually, you shouldn't worry.

With ds1 he started to say when he had done a wee, then when he needed one, and one day hopped on the toilet facing backwards and got on with it.

He was resistant to pooing anywhere but in a nappy for a while. He would go in the garden rather than the potty!

You're all very good!

DD is 2.3 and has started asking for a nappy change when it's just wet, saying 'poo' and pointing to her nappy but then she does one later and intermittently showing interest in sitting on the toilet - VERY intermittent. She was keen to sit on the potty yesterday but not today etc. I bought a sticker that goes in the bottom of it where a picture appears once you wee on it and that set off the interest yesterday but she hasn't otherwise been interested in the damn thing at all. She hasn't actually weed anywhere other than her nappy.

Do I bite the bullet or leave it until the warmer weather??

DS went to a new nursery and was the only child still in nappies. They put the pressure on, to be honest (!) as I was very lazy and wasn't particularly bothered about it.

He was pretty much ready, though, as was proved by the fact that in under a fortnight he was dry day and night and has never had an accident since (now 4 yrs old).

He was 2 yrs 10 mths, by the way.

Am wondering same. DD is 2.3 and I'm sure she's ready but I can't work out how to do it. Know the best way is to go cold turkey but I guess I need to stay in house for that and also have 5 mth old DS who I'm bound to be feeding when DD wants a poo... What do people do when they go out? Put nappies back on at first?

Both mine had to be dry to start school (ecole maternelle) at two-and-a-half. With both I left it until a few weeks before and both were dry within a week (actually ds had a few problems with poos - insisted on doing it in a nappy - but he could always hold on til he got home). I think it's easier in the warm weather because you can let them run round with virtually no clothes on which is much easier while they are getting the hang of things. SydneyB - I went cold turkey and took a travel potty when we went out. For that reason it's best to pick a week when you don't have much on so you can devote yourself to the task.

I work 3 days a week and DD is at nursery - I guess I would just send her in with loads of spare trousers???

I would talk to the nursery and find out what their policy is. To be honest lots of spare trousers is essential wherever you're doing it.

I didn't DD did, announced she didn't want a nappy and that was it.

I can't remember with DS

DD when she was age 3 said "I don't want to wear a nappy any more" and that was that. A couple of accidents, but no more. Did the same at night time. Just waited until she said she didn't need a nappy.

Fear that he might start school in nappies.

SydneyB - I waited till a hot week in the summer so that if he wet himself while we were out on the school run, he could just be wet until we got home again. Actually it was so hot that week that he was dry again by the time we got home ...

And ds2 was used to having his feeds (his whole life in fact) interrupted by ds1 needing a poo. Once they realise that you will drop everything and run if they say they need a wee/poo, they make the most of it.

Unfortunately I can't answer your question as I'm still waiting for that day myself! (DD is 2.7)

Personally I wouldn't bother yet though unless you have a pressing reason to do so - 2.3 is still quite young and I think the older they are the quicker they learn. (This is just from anecdotal evidence, mainly on these threads!).

What Fruitful said is very true, toddlers love attention and drama, and will use 'needing a wee' as a convenient excuse to have you drop everything and run for the nearest toilet / potty, which is a complete pain if you're out and about. Also there's the obvious disadvantage of the mess and fuss of a prolonged transition out of nappies. Put it off as long as possible I say

With my first I gave in to the pressure from my mum, mil etc telling me that their off-spring were toilet trained by 18months and tried much to early (19 months) It was a nightmare and took me months and months to get him properly dry...

With dc2 - waited until he took and interest in wearing pants and ditching the nappies (about 2+8 I think) - the whole process took a week with very few accidents.

DC3 is 19 months now and not planning to start for a while as I now swear it's easier to wait.....

That said, your dd does sound as if she's getting the idea - so if you are really keen to get her trained, you are feeling up to it, have a free day or two (and have got wipe clean floors ) why not put her in some pants and have a go? Good luck

Thing is that DD is very big for age. Size 6 nappies are getting a stretch so I fear we may have nowhere left to go soon! Thanks for the tips though. Might try in a couple of weeks when we're at my parents for a week. Involves getting on a plane either end though.. She also takes her clothes and nappy off at the end of the day and does it at end of her nap too so am fearful for dreadful accident before too long..

"Today's the day" was when I was going shopping one month when we had a particularly tight budget. "No more nappies" was for the sake of our bank balance, no altruistic parenting motive

DD was 2.4 and got it immediately.

To be fair she had been showing some signs of readiness.

SydneyB - try and sit her on the potty when she gets dressed in the morning, after her nap and before her bath. If you manage to 'catch' something in the potty, make a huge fuss about how clever she is..... she'll soon get the idea what you want her to do! It will then (hopefully) be easier to switch to pants.....

dd decided herself. She was very young (about 20 mnths) and I wasnt planning to start till the following summer but she didnt like having nappies on so we just went with the flow.

lol at 'went with the flow' ShauntheSheep Very apt considering the topic!

DD was talking about wanting to wear knickers (and also about her cousins who sat on the loo/potty) so I decided to take her at her word and see if she was in fact ready.

I knew she knew when she was weeing and that she would sometimes say 'nappy change' before she pooed - however, it occurred to me that she had no real reason to tell me in advance as long as she was still wearing nappies.

It took her about 5 days to get the hang of it, and since then we've been just over two weeks accident-free. So I think I got the timing right - it's still relatively early days, though.

I decided "todays the day" last Saturday and it's been a nightmare! My dd has only weed on the potty once, she doesn't like sitting on it, or the toilet and i just feel really disappointed. I really thought she was ready because she was telling me when she had a poo and asked to be changed and would even get the nappy! She just isn't getting it at all. She's 2.5.

oooh well tonight she pulled her nappy down, plonked herself on the potty and did a wee! Then when I was putting her nappy on for bedtime, she siad 'no more nappies thank you mummy'. I couldn't believe my ears. unfortunately she only owns about 4 pairs of trousers, no knickers and i chatted to nursery about things today and they said not to bother until after easter because she has only just settled in to her new room and now is the wrong time. I haven't told them yet but she's changing nurseries at easter time so i guess then is wrong too....I'm now in a bit of a fix

oh and what do you do about the bedtime milk once they're out of nappies at night?? Surely that's a recipe for disaster?!

My DS decided at 2.6 himself just a few weeks ago. He is slow to talk, but I got the message when he just started walking around the house without his nappy. He had a few incidents, but he is now dry after a nap and even though he wears a nappy at night he sometimes takes himself to the loo at 4 in the morning ! A reward chart with stickers and chocolate helps, although we are still waiting for him to poo in the right place. It is scary when you start but just bring around a few changes of clothes and experiment at home for the first week so they recognise the feeling of having to go and realising they need to hold it a bit with enough time to get to the loo. It must be weird for them at first. I was worried as when he starts another nursery in September when he'll be 3, he has to be potty trained. We have 6 months to get it right ! Eek.