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!

morning everyone - we had a goodish day yesterday with no accidents but I have been thinking that he never takes himself off to sit on the potty and it has been quite a few days since he has told me himself that he needs to go. So although we haven't had any accidents, I'm not feeling terribly confident as I am plonking him on the potty ever 1-2 hrs so there's probably not much opportunity.

He does ask to go at nursery so that's something. Not sure whether to just wait and see if he asks or continuing to put him on myself. We didn't do bare bum yesterday as there was work going on around the house. I took the potette out with us yesterday but he absolutely refused to sit on it with the liner in it -he wanted to use it without it! In the end I used it as a toilet seat and he managed to go. Just as I was writing this post, DS did he standing still about to do a poo look so quick run up the stairs to sit him on the loo. I really don't think he would have told me........I'd better get on with it as we are supposed to be going out to the park this morning so at least we have the poo out of the way!

So far no accidents but he was bare bum to begin with than dh woke up & put him in pull up so I am going to hide the pull ups & put him in pants & see how we go today, anyone know where to get a travel potty from & how much they are

I got my potette plus from Mothercare for £15 I think. But the liners are PRICEY!!

Your DH is a devil for pull ups eh Shaz!

Oh yes he said ds put them on but he don't know how yet, plus I said to ds do u want to wear big boy pants & he said yes took the pull up off & pick out a pair of pants bit before we could finish getting dressed I asked him if he needed to go & he said yes & went wee so I think it dh that is trying to hold him back & not let him grow up

Just a update 3 accidents & 7 wee & 1 poo in potty all in pants I am hoping tomorrow will b better ?

Hi everyone - sounds like an okay weekend!

We have had a few accidents which is a bit disappointing considering she hadn't had a single one since last Saturday. 2 on Sat - one she was trying to tell Daddy but he wasn't listening/didn't know what she was saying etc. The other was in the park - she just started to wee standing up (in her wellies and everything) so changed her and continued (husband nipped back home to get some new shoes - we live on the same road so it didn't take long) to the playground. Today she went out with just Daddy to the park and had another accident ( despite me talking to her before they left and her saying she needed to tell him and wees go in her yellow potty etc). Anyway I think she doesn't quite get it with him and forgets to tell him - he was really good - asking her all the time if she needed a wee apparently. Nevermind though. Bit of a shame given how good she has been but she seems fine with me and tells me in the park and sits on her travel potty!

Blackcat - she is just 23 months, started at 22 months about 2 weeks ago. But eveyrone keeps commenting on her being young (as if to imply I am a pushy parents or something! Which I am not - she is ready and hadn't had an accident all week apart from the weekend's confusion )
We have the baby bjorn chair potty btw - it is really good and she didn't like sitting on a normal potty at first but would sit on this one - we now have one upstairs, one downstairs and one at my mother's we like them so much!

Shaz - well done - sounds like a good day! We have the carry potty which is fairly expensive - £25 - but no liners needed, and it is watertight when closed so if nowhere to throw the contents you can close it up and dispose of it at a later time (not that you would especially want to )

Sounds like things are going ok there Kings, just a few accidents.

DS had a pop accident this morning but has been fine apart from that. Although v little in the way of wees today . I hunk he tried to tell me about the pop this morning but I didn't hear him as I was in he kitchen getting breakfast. But then in the past, he's taken himself to the potty and dealt with it himself (not dealt with getting rid of it obv!) so I was still a bit disappointed that he 'let' the accident happen . Still, better than yesterday's debacle! Hoping we have a better week as it's been an up and down weekend. Since last weekend he's had 3 accident free days and 4 days with one accident each on them. So hoping next week tips the balance

Thanks kings going into town tomorrow so we will see how things go hopefully not as many accidents fingers crossed

hello everyone. Bit of a strange day. DS drank loads, hardly peed then noticed that his willy was a bit swollen and some discharge on his pants - balanitis I think. He had it a few months ago so is obviously prone. I think he is maybe got it from not cleaning properly after pee. I normally tend to give him a quick wipe with a tissue but not sure what nursery is doing. Only discovered at 7.30 when getting ready for bath. Doc closed so found bottle of amoxicillin in cupboard prescribed for tonsillitis earlier in the year so mixed it up and gave him a dose. Don't think my DH had much confidence in what I was up to and asked me if I knew what I was doing. Will take him to doc in morning but hopefully this will kick in quickly. What a day! Shaz, we have the potette plus (25 for it plus pkt of refills). Kings, a friend had her twins (boy & girl) trained by aged 2 so I wouldn't worry about anyone saying she's too young! Biscuits, it's good that your DS is taking himself to the potty himself - this week can only get better!

So far a good morning ds has asked for potty twice whilst in pants & done 2 wee's let's hope it stays like that

Rathlin - oh no your poor little chap - hope he gets better after a quick trip to the dr!

Thank you - I tend to just say "yes I know it's earylish but, she seems ready to me" etc. Funny you should say that - I actually know someone (well, not know as such - we go to some of the same baby/toddler classes) who has twins - a boy and a girl, think they are just two and have been potty trained for a few months. How weird if it were the same two - not that it's particularly likely! You in London?

Good luck everyone today.

Rathlin hope your DS is better soon - what will they do for it? xx

I don't think I can carry on with this potty training I have had 2 accidents already but he knows when he needs a wee because this morning he told me twice he needed a wee

Morning all, I'm not sure about Potty training. (Don't know whether to give up temporarily). I am going to see if I can get any help from my Health Visitor about potty training.--If she ever bothers to ring me back-- I tried to ring one 2 weeks ago and have heard nothing. I moved house over a year ago and since then I have been confused about who is my HV. Changed areas! If I ring them they never answer (Always an answer machine) then I never hear anything back from them.
Sorry just needed to have a rant. I feel I need support as it is a challenging time!
Would I be wrong to ask GP for help if I don't hear from HV?

Oh dear ladies - hope you're both ok!

Shaz I know what you mean that it seems so hard when you know they can tell you and then they have an accident anyway. I felt just the same when DS had his poo accident yesterday. There were no unusual circumstances. We were at home, he knows where the potty and toilet are but still didn't use them. And the less said about our debacle outing on Saturday the better! I was so about it.

But, your DS does seem to be getting better! I think you just need to keep having super positive cheering etc when he gets it right and business like when there's an accident. And keep him out of pull ups! Or at least make sure your DH does!!

Blackcat it is so hard going isn't it! I would say if still no answer from the HV, maybe ask the GP if they can confirm who your correct HV is. I don't know whether the GPs would help advise on the potty training itself at this age - I would guess they would only be interested if the child was getting old enough that a referral was required to a specialist? What's your success : accident ratio at the moment?

If we put her "Bare bum" all day she seems to hold it in till we put nappy on then does it in nappy or she just wees on carpet.
Not all that keen about sitting on potty.

We haven't had any proper wees in potty But I don't know if I'm just not helping matters by giving up some days!

Anyone know a good potty training book that I should get to see if that helps

I've got the Gina Ford book and Potty Training Boys by Simone Cave, both of which I thought were OK

I was pleasantly surprised about the GF book as I never quite got on with her contented baby stuff, but this all seemed like a lot of sense.

Help! I started training my DS1 last Tuesday. Was going fairly well for the first half hour or so, as he was happy to wear pants and to sit on the potty, although no wees on the potty. Then he had an accident, and in the seconds it took me to find a cloth to wipe it, he slipped on the wet floor and went flying! He was then too scared to stand or walk on the floor and cried if I asked him to do anything apart from sit on my lap, so we gave up.

Tried again this morning .. and the minute we got into the kitchen with bare feet, he was very nervous at moving around and within a few minutes refused to do anything except sit on my lap again. Gave up again. So, all I seem to have achieved is to totally traumatise him.

I was quite upset too as my mum thinks I've already left it too late - apparently my sister and I were 'trained' at 18months. Now I have no idea what to do though. I've had him in just a top and pants barefoot in the kitchen (hard floor) I don't know what to do if he's now scared of slipping on the floor, as I presume that is why he is getting so upset. Any ideas? Totally discouraged now :-(

Shaz - sorry you're feeling fed up - it is really frustrating... Remember he is still quite young (esp for a boy) so it wouldn't be the end of the world to leave it for a few weeks (not "give up", just "postpone") and perhaps come at it again with fresh energy? If that is what you feel you need - having lots of accidents does get draining after a while. And maybe have a word with your husband and say you need his support and you need to all be doing the same thing (Ie if you are training him, he needs to wear pants, not a pull up when your husband wants him to?) Just thinking aloud for you!

Blackcat - also sorry for you! V frustrating esp when she is holding it in for so long. What potty do you have? We originally bought a cheapie which had very rounded sides and she hated it - refused to sit on it . The baby bjorn chair one a) has flatter sides therefore making it much more comfortable and b) is like a chair so feels more secure and enclosed. I think it's great. Perhaps try and bribe her to sit on the potty with tv or books read by you (or stickers or choc) and really praise her for being such a big girl sitting on the potty and almost then forget she is on it as she is being distracted by something else? We have a good potty book which shows lots of "big girls" sitting on the potty and wearing pants etc - would something like that help? Mine really liked it Girls Potty Time

ilovemyoboe - ah how annoying - what a shame for that to happen - my daughter has done that once or twice and did get a bit frightened. How old is he? Perhaps show him how you walk on the floor in bare feet and say it's okay etc and remind him that if he wees or floor is wet to just stay til until you come and clear it up so he doesn't slip etc? Not sure what to suggest! Is it that he knows that without a nappy he might wee and therefore slip so wants a nappy on? 18 months is really early - I would imagine you haven't missed the window - don't worry!

Ah oboe you poor thing!! (is it ok if I call you oboe?)

Firstly, fear not about advice from mothers. I feel your pain there! How old is your ds? Mine has just turned 3 and we've only started a few weeks ago. And my mum has been huffing and puffing about it since he turned 1! She even bought him some 12-18mth boxer shorts when he was 1. I mean boxer shorts . Even if I was training him then he wouldn't be wearing flipping boxer shorts!! But according to my mum my sister and I were trained by 18 mths (although sometimes if my mum wants to make a point apparently I was done by 12 mths )

Nappies are different now, and unlike my mum's days of terry nappies they are much more effective at stopping them from feeling wet / uncomfortable. I know that ds has never ever complained about having an uncomfortable nappy, whereas I think it used to be commonplace that babies cried if they needed changing? So, for better or worse, I think the nappies mean that kids catch on to the wet / dry thing later on and consequently most people do train later.

Also, I strongly believe that when our parents say we were trained they actually mean that they were trained to put us on the potty / toilet every hour or whatever. Whereas now, I was going for ds being able to actually identify when he wants to go and then do something about it. When my mum spent the day with us, she kept trying to make ds go to the loo. I often just ask him and if he says 'no' I know that he is reasonably reliable. But when she was with us, if I asked him and he said no, she would then try to coerce him to 'have a go' until I told her that if he said no he probably didn't need to go. And I think this is a hangover from the way she trained my sister and me.

Now, sorry, that was a big ramble, and I haven't even got on to the thing about being scared of the floor thing. That is certainly a tricky thing. It sounds just like the sort of thing my ds would do - he has a great memory for things like that and would certainly remember what had happened for ages so even going back to nappies for a few weeks wouldn't trick him very effectively! But I guess you know your ds - do you think he'd forget if you left it for say a month?

Other than that, I'm going to go and think about it while I clean the bathroom.....

Thankyou all I am going to have a look at potty books as see if any will suit me.
I am frustrated cos he was doing very well than went back to weeing anywhere & everywhere when I had ds2 now I have got him back to the stage where we were it seems like we have gone back again I know the signs of when he needs to go & he knows when he needs to go it just seems like he can't be bothered to go the full whack I wish sometimes they all come with instructions or there was a camp they could go to & we get them back fully trained it probably don't help family members are saying he should be trained by now you was or mil saying dh was dry night & day by 2 ??

Hi all, will have to catch up with you all later (haven't had time to read all posts)

Anyway managed to speak to my old HV and she gave me some hints and tips, Will update later. Took today off potty training but might try tomorrow.

Well!

DS has had 2 accidents today at nursery. Although here were 3 pairs of pants in his bag, so maybe 2 and a bit accidents? This feels like a huge step backwards.

I know he can do it, it just seems as though he's not trying? He wet himself in the room where the loos are at nursery, but was apparently just stood there, not trying to go to the loo?

I'm finding it very hard at the moment as his behaviour generally is quite questionable. So I'm trying to be calm about the accidents, like all the books say, but then enforce I've tidied up from an accident I'm having to tell him off about something else, so I feel much crosser generally than I would be about the accident. Even if he does do it in the potty / toilet I'm then telling him off about something else within 5 minutes!!!

He just seems so stroppy at the moment, and isn't generally like that.

The only thing I can think is that he seems to have a bit of a cough, which I think I have too. And I guess I feel a bit short tempered, maybe because of it, so maybe he does too? Either way he's doing my nut in. I'm so fed up of telling him off