Started potty training today - anyone else want to give / get a bit of moral support?

[Biscuitsandtea]

Hi, DS is 3 and we've started potty training him today. We were hoping to wait until he woke up one morning and said 'I'm done with nappies thanks very much Mummy - let's go wild with the pants', but this hasn't happened so we thought we'd just try him with nothing on at first and then pants and see how it goes.

Just wondered if anyone else was starting too and wanted to go through it together?

We've done various bits of nappy free time for months with varying amounts of success, but only ever an hour or two here and there with no consistency to see how he was doing and whether we thought he knew when he was weeing or pooing. It's only recently that I've thought that he actually does know hence deciding to give it a go today.

We had a quiet weekend so thought 'no time like the present!'

Now a couple of times in the week we'd had no nappy on and a fair bit of success in the potty. Wednesday = lots of mopping up wees but a few 'hits' at the end of the afternoon. Thursday was better with no accidents. but this was still doing everything bare bum!

Today we were doing pretty well this morning. Everything going in the potty and no accidents, so after lunch we thought we'd try adding pants into the equation. previously pants = accidents (I wonder if he would forget it wasn't a nappy?) so we never persevered with them, but we have this afternoon. Certainly more accidents this afternoon, which is I think a mixture of being tired and the 'pant effect' and we had a very rough few hours between say 3 and 5. Then we've had a few more wees on the potty and going a bit better this evening.

We're planning more of the same tomorrow but we have a birthday party to go to in the afternoon and I'm in a bit of a predicament about that in as much as I don't want to go back to nappies and confuse / demoralise him, but equally don't want loads of accidents at my friend's DDs party so as yet we're undecided. I think at the moment we'll be erring on the side of a nappy as it's just not fair if he has an accident in the middle of the party?

Anyway, anyone who wants to join me for the ride, please come aboard :-)

I'll have , and to help the journey go along!

I know how you feel I have been potty training my 2 year old son since he was 18 months & no luck yet but we are at the stage u r at we let him have no nappy on during the day & he uses the potty we have a few accidents but when ever we put him in pants he wets them but at the end of the day if u put him in a nappy u will set him cos that is what happened with me just put him in pants & make sure you let everyone know that you are potty training & make sure you have plenty if pants with u I am sure most people will understand specially if they are going through the same thing or have been through it

How's it going?

Well so far, I've been enjoying a lie in while DH has dealt with two wee successes but a poo accident (so glad it was on his watch!)

But definitely getting there. Think we will probably nappy up for this afternoon's party as DS really doesn't have much warning I don't think, so given he'll be engrossed in the party and then w'd have to extract him and get him to an actual toilet, I think it would be too much for his first excursion. And I think lots of accidents might upset him too.

He's at nursery tomorrow though (and then another party) so think I'll send him in pants and trousers to nursery with a million spares of each as he is definitely getting more hits than misses. Then we'll see how he's done there as to what we do for tomorrow's party. Tomorrow's party is in soft play though and I'm pregnant so can't really go in with him much to keep an eye on him, so we might need to nappy up for that one too .

Then we have Tue-Thu mainly at home when I am hopeful we'll make even more progress.

DD is potty trained but I wanted to comment on the bare vs pants thing. I started off with her having nothing on. Once we got that one just right then I added the knickers. We went backwards a bit because she started to have accidents again but at least she knew what she was supposed to do. It was the timing of removing them that she had to practice.

I found it really helpful to take DD to the potty even if she had an accident just to reenforce the fact that she should go to the potty.

They all get there eventually. Good luck!

Thank you SurprisEs.

That sounds exactly like what we've doe with the bare bum / pants thing. We're still getting there with the pants, not quite as good as bare bottom but definitely improving. I'm anticipating perhaps another step backwards when we add in trousers to the equation! But at least he gets the idea of what he's supposed to be doing. And even yesterday on day 1 (proper) we were getting more hits than misses so all in all I'm reasonably pleased with how it's going.

I was a bit mean (sorry) and made sure DD drank gallons of squash. I kind of wanted her to have accidents because they were the perfect opportunity to teach her what to do. I never told her off for an accident though. It got frustrating at times, but I just went somewhere else in the house and focused on something else for a minute or two.

Well ds seems to do loads of wees anyway but we've been making sure we offer him plenty of drinks, and I've relaxed my limit on those fruit shoot hydro things as he drinks those nice and quickly

So far I have had 1 accident in pants & 1 bare bum which I am very pleased with my ds is starting nursery in 2 weeks do I send him in pants or pull ups & how many ?

Is that 2 accidents in total this morning? That's pretty good going! We had 4 accidents in total yesterday and 1 this morning so far.

Re nursery, I would maybe call them next week and ask what they think, but most of them are pretty good at helping with potty training, so I reckon if he's still doing OK I'd go for pants. Mind you it is a new place for him and new carers I suppose so that might be off putting. Hmm I think I'd see what the nursery say and if they have any suggestions.

Stuck between not wanting to confuse him by going back to pants, but not wanting to upset him with loads of accidents if he's somewhere new..... I guess there are those specific potty training pull ups that let them feel the wet aren't there?

I think I'd speak to the nursery and see what they say.

I'd send him in pants. DD was only 19 months when I started potty training and the nursery were reluctant and mentioned that accidents would be unhygienic etc. But I insisted that she would go in knickers. It an be very confusing to be in knickers one minute and nappy another. They will have to be patient.

Yes 2 accidents all morning since 7 I know the nursery helps with the potty training but I will ring them just in case cos like u say it's a new place but I know he is keen on pants as every morning I give him a choice of pull ups or pants & he says pants but we are going to the in laws today & he is in pants so fingers cross not too many accidents

Good luck at the in-laws Shaz

2 weeks is a long way off too - he might have it totally nailed by then. I reckon what you need nursery to work out is how they're going to approach making him feel comfortable enough quickly enough to ask for help etc. As you say they should be OK to deal with the accidents, it's just that it's new faces and a new place for him. How easy is it for them to get from their room to the toilets? If they need to be taken then he's going to need to be comfortable enough to ask them (and I know DS hardly spoke when he started at this nursery even though he was 2 and a half and could definitely talk!)

If they have easy access to the toilets that could make it easier. Otherwise you might need the staff to keep asking him in case he's too nervous to say?

I know they have potty's there & u can take your own cos my mates son goes that's how I know they encourage potty training but I will ring them to discuss the steps they would do

Well today went well total of 4 accidents & they were all wee went to the park as well but put him in pull ups & he asked to go wee twice so I took him had a bit if a dribble but finished the rest of in a bush as we didn't have any loos to go to

That is pretty good going. We had 2 accidents in total (well, so far - not actually gone to bed yet) - we went in a pull up to the party but I don't think he actually did any wees in it and did a big wee in the potty when we got home and took the nappy off, so so far so good.

Tomorrow will be the big test - with the pants at nursery thing!

Hi, I hope you don't mind me joining as have just started training my 2.5 yr old DS and we're on Day 2. He has recently started coming to me when he has done a poo but has never seemed bothered about wet. He is keen to wear pants and will sit on the potty/toilet. He is also dry most mornings and has been for a few months.

Day 1 was yesterday and had 1 accident but today, I've lost count but I think some of that is down to me and I'm not putting him on the potty often enough. Although he will use the potty, he doesn't seem to know that he needs to pee and will never tell me (I know "never" is a bit strong to use on Day 2) but I'm wondering if he is actually ready as I don't think he knows that he has to pee. One good thing is that he now knows when he has done a pee and will come and tell me after he has done it.

We have been out a bit (library yesterday) and to a park this afternoon (had an accident just as I was getting potty out). We are heading out tomorrow into central London and am dreading the tube. Pre-training he hates going into public toilets with me and I know he won't use the potty on one (discovered this in the library yesterday). Any tips welcome - hope you are having better luck than me. He goes to nursery 3 days a week and they will carry on what I've started. I'm thankful I have wooden floors - they have never been cleaner :)

Ah Rathlin welcome!

Agree re wooden floors - mine have never been so clean either!

Sounds like you are getting there though and if he is getting the idea of having done a wee and being able to tell you hopefully it won't take him long to catch up on the wee front

I gave up waiting for ds to tell me about wees or poos - he never did while wearing nappies.

Good luck with London though - don't envy you there! Let us know how you get on.....

Oooooooooh I wish I'd have seen this yesterday - We started too!

We went through 6 pairs of undies just with little dribbles in before we decided to go butt naked for the rest of the day and then again today - We only had one accident after that and it was at lunch time in the high chair!

Onto nursery tomorrow in the hope that they will magically send him back totally trained and agree with others who said they over watered their growing chilren to encourage ahem learning ahem - It worked and he did a massie piddle on the potty [prean]

He stood up and did a big WAHOO with his hands up and everything - I think he likes the attention - Also agree with starting off rudey and adding one thing at a time, so undies went back on after lunch and tomorrow it will be pants for nursery - I am off on Wednesday so I think we will spend just one more day in the house learing and then we should be good - Still in nappies for the night time but I don't think that'll be for long as he wasn't too happy about putting them on again after the bath - He is yet to poo but I am awaiting it eagerly ha ha [loser emoticon] He is still in his cot bed anyway so maybe not for a while

How did it go all in all for you guys?

How long do these things take?

I am so glad I got laminate ha ha and agree they are flippin sparklin tonight!

I have carpet, I had to do a lot of scrubbing on my knees!

DD is still in nappies at night. Pull ups. She hates it but when I tried goig without at night it was horrible. She cried a lot at night and got really upset she wet the bed. So she still uses them at night for now.

Whenever she went in the potty I washed her hands and explained they were wet an then dried them and explained they were dry. It helped. She was under two so the concept was new to her.

Hi I found that the little one hate wet socks!!! Didnt bother them with the wet knickers/pants after an accident- it was the wet socks after dribbling down their legs!! Sorry to be so gross but it worked with both my DDs!!! Hope this helps ever so slightly!!!

Thanks Nat - all tips gratefully received

Welcome chunkymonkeymother and good luck tomorrow with nursery! I also am hoping for a fully trained little boy coming back tomorrow . I pay them enough!

Not sure how long it's going to take - DH and I are hoping he'll be quite reliable in a couple of weeks if we carry on like this, but who knows eh? I suspect it will be a roller coaster!

Oh and DS also loves the attention when he gets it right - he likes to do a couple of laps of the coffee table whooping, and then a few choruses of 'I did a wee in the potteeeeee, I did a wee in the potteeeee'

It's very easy to get disheartened when you pick up DC from nursery and bring home a bag full of wet clothes and DC in spare nursery clothes. But just remember that at home wet clothes are put in the laundry pile straight away so they are easy to forget. It doesn't mean there has been no progress at nursery.

I'm taking all his trousers and pants tomorrow with one pair in reserve for his party! Will report back on how much avoids the washing machine!

Thank goodness for the washing machine and tumble dryer

Good luck everyone my house is laminated apart from stairs & landing but my little one don't like going to bed with pull up on & thankfully I have had a few nights of no wet bed, I hope it don't take to long but I am pleased he understands where he should go tomorrow will be a mix of bare bum & pants will let you know how I get on