Help should I potty train my 22 month old?

[triton]

Well I swore I wouldn't get stressed about potty training with my dd who is now 22 months. I felt I got it a bit wrong with my ds (now 5) so I was all set for going with the flow and leaving her until she was ready to do it herself. I have friends who left their kids in nappies until well past 3 and theirs just seemed to train themselves in a day or two stress free.

However my dd is now telling me when she needs to poo (and sometimes wee) and then getting really upset about doing it in her nappy. She really panics. I have offered her the potty or the toilet but she doesn't like that either. What usually unsues is lots of crying and shrieking and running around on her toes until she does it in her nappy. She then gets upset getting wiped.

Today she would sit on her potty distracted by a bit of cbeebies but I feel like we are getting into the realms of potty issues! What am I to do? I don't like seeing her so upset about doing it in her nappy. Have I freaked her out even suggesting the potty?

I also don't want to miss the boat if she is telling me she needs to go and before she has done it.

Help!

Why not try in the house or garden letting her run around with no clothes on and with a potty close by, and see what happens?

I tried that and she did a poo on the carpet and freaked out at that! She kept saying 'dirty' and was really upset. I reacted calmly and reassured her and I really don't know where she has got the idea of it being dirty from. I have never said that.

The thing that no-one tells you is that you can give it a whirl for a day or 2 and quit for 6 weeks or so if it's not happening and start again!

My dd1 was showing all the signs at about this age but I'd just had another baby and was not in the zone to think about it. So, we did pants at home when we could be bothered and nappies out and about on and off until I was in a better place. FWIW with girls I go for dresses when potty training as it's just the one thing to whip off and replace. This worked for me both times i've potty trained girls.

Give it a go, but she is still very little so if it's not happening try again in a month or so. Good luck!

I think you should, yes. She sounds like she's ready but just needs a little bit of encouragement to feel comfortable with the potty. Sitting on it while she watches cbeebies seems like a good start. And maybe you could let her decorate it with stickers or something? Just let her take it slowly.

With ds at a little younger than this age, we regularly put him on the potty before bath time - dd was still using it though so it was very familiar. I wasn't really expecting him to do anything on it initially but by about 20 months he usually did.

I think now it is nice weather I will try just letting her run around either bare or with pants, with potty nearby.

good advice guys thanks! I suppose I wasn't expecting it. Yes take it slow is a good idea

I think with ds I got all anxious because I was pregnant and wanted him out of nappies before newborn stage! He was 2 and a half and I pushed it a bit. looking back I could have taken it slower.

Oh well.