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Potty training

Is your child ready for potty training at nursery? Here's the place for all your toilet training questions.

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Original poster

Gina Fords 'potty training in one week' - is it ever really that easy??!

14 replies

mumsgonemad123 · 18/12/2011 21:54

so i read Gina Fords little book from cover to cover, decided that my twin boys, aged 2 years 5 months were definately ready according to her criteria, and decided that Christmas time would a good time to start as no tots groups for nearly three weeks, nothing much planned, all shopping done, family all live very local and hubby off work, an ideal time to be at home and really concentrate on it. Was hoping that by Christmas day we could be over the hump so to speak.

End of day one today and i am completely frazzled and really not looking forward to tommoro!! one of the boys managed one wee in the potty all day and the other boy managed nothing. My boys are VERY lively at home and kind of feed off each others energy, running and bouncing around and that is the main problem, just cant get them to be calm enough to sit on their pottys. Its frustrating cos i know they are ready, they are very verbal and talk in complete sentences, very capable of understanding instructions etc, old enough now to have some bladder control, etc, etc, but they are livewires and just wild at times to be honest, i talk to them and they just dont listen, completely shut off from what i am saying usually cos they are interacting with each other.

I would really appreciate any advice, success stories, moral support, any input really. Am i being unrealistic to expect any success on the first day? anybody think Gina Fords method is flawed? Should i be waiting till they are closer to 3 years old? help please!!!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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GreyRosesAreMyFavourite · 18/12/2011 21:59

Honestly, it will get better! I promise
The first day or three can be rough and you feel so trapped having to stay inside and eveything. But I promise it will click into place if the ready signs are there and you will end up being thrilled you didn't wait longer as you save so much on nappies.....

Wine. It's the only way to get through....

thebigkahuna · 18/12/2011 22:01

It worked for my DD1 at that age but she is a very calm little girl (when not whining about every-fucking-thing).

Sympathies, two to train at the same time

JarethTheGoblinKing · 18/12/2011 22:03

Definitely possible in 3 days if they are properly ready. tbh I'd wait a bit, especially with two.. but I'm a lazy cow

coccyx · 18/12/2011 22:04

Only if the child is ready

tethersjinglebellend · 18/12/2011 22:06

Can you train them one at a time?

Sorry if that's a no-no, I am clueless; just thought perhaps if one does it, the other may copy?

Tillyscoutsmum · 18/12/2011 22:11

I have no experience of training twins (and feel faint merely at the thought of it ) but ime, the first day was awful, day 2 was equally awful and by the end of day 3, it suddenly just "clicked". There was no gradual progression. It was wee everywhere except the potty for 2 days and then pretty much no accidents at all from day 3 onwards.

I did have to bribe mine to sit on the potty though. They were often found sitting in front of Peppa Pig with a packet of chocolate buttons in hand ! Not terribly hygienic but at least it made them sit still for long enough to get a couple of wees on target and once they'd done a few, we were home and dry (so to speak ).

An0therName · 18/12/2011 22:18

if they are ready -i would give it a week as you have started - i did it about the same age with my DS1 -w ith some bribing - no cry potty training solution also worth a lot if this week doesn't go better

mousysantamouse · 18/12/2011 22:20

if they are ready, they will be dry very quickly. a bit competition might even help.

Original poster

mumsgonemad123 · 20/12/2011 00:15

OP here again......well day 2 and we decided overnight that it would be better to train twins one at a time! So we picked the one who showed more readiness and today has been a huge improvement. No stress at all really (compared to the nightmare that was yesterday, lol) and he did 3 wees and his one and only poo in his potty. RESULT!! he had 5 or maybe 6 accidents all day, all wees.
I do feel justified in going for it now really. Time will tell and its early days but all the signs today seem to be that he IS ready. 10 minutes before he pooed he said ' i wanna do a poo poo on my potty' then just sat there for 10 whole minutes till he did it. i was amazed!!
TBH my feelings on potty training is that i just want to get on with it and get it done. We use disposable nappies and not only is the weekly cost at the supermarket horrendous, the sight of them all going into our wheelie bin and then to landfill is awful too when you stop and think about it. We have a gas fire so cant burn them like some people do!! I want to enjoy my spring and summer with my boys dry and in pants. I also know another mum of twin boys who left it till nearly 3 and says she wished she could turn back time and go for it earlier, they ended up not being dry till well past three and i think she ended up feeling kind of burdened by it all, and a little pressurised from her pre-school provider.

OP posts:

Seabright · 29/12/2011 22:22

My DD has just fallen in love with Peppa Pig, so think I might try TillyScout's method!

Pishtushette · 30/12/2011 21:44

Hi OP

I hope you had more success today. I'm about to start with DD. Do you use pull-ups of have gone straight to pants?

A friend's DD was trained in two days by going straight to pants, but in my head I just think it will be a disaster if I do that.

Sandra2011 · 03/01/2012 12:02

I don't know how a woman like Gina Ford can tell anyone how to raise their children after all she doesn't have any.

I was laughing about her sleep training thing after I heard that she slept in her mother's bed until she was 11 years old.

Pishtushette · 03/01/2012 19:04

That's funny. I hadn't heard about that.

BlackSwan · 03/01/2012 19:49

That's so funny - just googled and read about her early life in the Guardian. Thanks Sandra!

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