advice for potty training 2.3yo

[bessie26]

DD is 2.3, I've been asking her if she'd like to use the potty before her bath since Xmas (she gets read an extra story while she sits on it) and in the last couple of weeks she has asked to sit on it & done a few wees & one poo

I'm wondering what to do next... I've started asking her if she wants the potty at other times, but she's not shown any interest yet. Should I be letting her be nappy-free more often? Putting her in pull-up nappies/training pants? Or just carry on asking her if she wants to use the potty until she shows more interest?

As an added complication #2 is due in April, but for a variety of reasons could turn up any day now, and I'm not sure that I really want to be chasing DD around the house with a potty while trying to feed a newborn!

Any thoughts? I'm thinking we should just go for it for a week to see what happens? If it goes well then I'll deal with any regression when #2 arrives, and if she's not up for it then we'll just go back to normal nappies - does that sound sensible?

DH thinks we should just leave it until the summer, but I feel like we might be missing a golden opportunity if we don't try now?

I think that you should leave it until the summer. Having a newborn with an older child is really tough in the first few weeks.

My little girl is at a similar stage and I am in no rush to go to pants.

I offer the potty on waking and at every nappy change.

We trained DD1 at 22 mths (because she was weeing through two layers of fleece washable nappy & it was give it a go or go into disposables) - it worked but it took until about Day 4 for her to get the idea properly - no tantrums or anything before that point but quite a few accidents. I'd say give it a go for a week & if you're not making progress, give up & try again after the baby comes. Might be worth trying as after all you have more time now than you will have for quite a few months once No2 arrives. Regression doesn't always happen - my friend did DS1 at 23 mths and DS2 arrived 2 months later with no problems and so she only had one lot of nappies to change.

DD1 had maybe one accident a week for about six months (usually when she was very busy doing something) after she was trained but one change of clothes was a lot less stuff to carry round than two lots of nappies.

If you do go for it here's my two pennyworth:-

• buy lots of big girl pants (we got through 40 pairs in all in the first week but never that many again after that)
• make sure she has easy access to a potty (as loos are a long way up with you're small & in a hurry).
• give her plenty to drink so that she actually has some wee to give when asked (as can get v annoyed otherwise).
• make yourself a 'hit / miss / almost' chart so you can see if you're making progress. She's trying learn a huge new skill so it'll take a few days - remember how difficult it would be to learn to roller skate / play the piano in a few days.
• rewards are good - we used chocolate buttons as star charts didn't work at that age. Buttons any time of the day or night in exchange for wees or poops really concentrated her mind.
• get a Potette Plus folding potty & loo seat for when you're out & about. We still have our's in the car in case of rain swept layby requirements.
• get a Piddle Pad (or similar - often cheap on Ebay) to protect the car seat rather than putting them back into nappies for car journies (as I think it's confusing).

Good luck whatever you decide.