Day two - zero progress

[englishbreakfast]

We started potty training DD (2.4 yo) yesterday. She has shown signs of readiness for a few months. First day was in re-usable training pants, zero effect! We'd put her on the potty every half an hour or so, she's sit for a minute or two, then would get up and pee in the pants at some point later (won't tell us when she's done it, although can feel that pants are wet). All day today went bottomless, same story, we would sit her on the potty every 30 mins, but she would only pee on the carpet (quite cute really, like a little kitten! ). Managed to catch wee once in 2 days. Have no idea how to encourage her to go in the potty? Any advice from more experienced mums? x

I am at work today so DH is holding fort! We had a massive wee on the carpet in the morning (after she sat on the potty for about 5 minutes), then she did poo in the potty a few minutes later which was a result! They went out to a play group wearing two pairs of training pants to avoid any leakage and she had no accidents. They are back at home now and had no wees since the morning so I'm not sure if it's good bladder control or she's holding it in as it seems like a very long time. Have told DH to keep giving her drinks as it's hot so maybe she's sweating it out instead?

Wow, DH just emailed to say that he's just found wee in the potty. She must have done it when he was talking to me on the phone a few minutes ago. Good girl!

Yay! Awesome progress!

We've been potty training dd since last week, it's going ok but she is holding her poo in and takes 5/6 tries before she does anything - it doesn't bother her but it isn't the most convenient!! Any tips?

Also she's been dry at night too but not peeing anymore in the day?

Any more not anymore as in she is still peeing just no more than usual

sorry Bea, no tips as haven't got a clue myself! Hopefully more experienced mums will be along soon. So, DD is in bed now, and on day 4 we had 2 poos and 1 wee in the potty, with the rest of the wees on the floor. Progress is VERY slow but it's progress... Sage, how's your day been today?

Hey Bea! Welcome to English's 'prevention of lunacy over potty training' support thread! I have no suggestions what so ever but I do know that poos can be a common stumbling block.

English apparently Winston Churchill once said, 'If you are going through hell then keep going'. This is now my motto.

Nothing in the potty today but had small breakthroughs such as DD sitting on potty of on volition twice and also running toward potty when we were outside shouting 'wee wee' her knickers were damp so I think she'd stopped herself mid pee and there was a tiny amount in the potty once I'd popped her on. She's a feisty, stubborn lass just like me so I'm now all casual (trying to be anyway). I've decided (after me ending up almost in tears this afternoon- pathetic, I know) that I'm going to carry on and see the week out. I just need to out-stubborn my little girl.

She looks so cute in her pants though. Was walking around with one bum cheek hanging out today and ooohhh she's so cute!

Bon chance ladies!

It is very much two steps forward, one step back. DD did a poo on the toilet at nursery (they have been fab with her). She has run to the loo twice after nursery but been unable to get on it in time due to moving her step into the lounge to jump off. She had a proper melt down about me moving the step back into the loo so that she can climb onto the loo (she isn't as keen on the potty). I have cleaned a lot of wee out of the carpet in the downstairs loo. No idea why it has carpet in the first place. I don't think the previous owners gave much thought to us when they bought cream carpet throughout .

Thanks guys - yep I know poos can be an issue as ds was dry at 2 but didn't do a poo in the toilet until he was bloody three! Dd is doing everything in the potty / toilet but its jut the endless 'need a poo' runs to the loo to produce nothing until the 7/8th attempt - it's such hard work and ds is ill and I've had no sleep - excuses excuses!

On a positive note dd managed to use a loo a few times now when out as about which obviously don't have toilet sets for little bums on them :) also is asking now to go rather than me reminding her / asking her.

They'll all get there but I completely sympathise with the tears , on our 5th 'I need a poo' trip by 8am I was losing the will to live!

Well, here is to tomorrow. Good luck and lot of patience to everyone!

Same to you!

Ok, I'm on the other side and have a 3.6 DD who is dry most nights & loves the loo.

I hope this helps a little. The longer you leave it the easier it is.

DD is strong willed but gentle & sensitive. At 2.8 mths was potty trained in 24 hrs(with 2 weeks prep work). She was showing signs of being ready from 2 so I allowed her to try but it was equally hit and miss. So I took the pressure off and left it 6months (she was ready after about 3 months but our family wasn't, things were happening).
So brought it out again but didn't try her, instead for 2 weeks I kept the potty in the toilet so dolly or teddy could go when she went with me. I also allowed her easy access to a quiet spot so she could go in the nappy. I worked out her routine as I got the nursery to pop a time beside her movements. DD was an afternoon girl. If there was no show she was a next morning then again late at night or thru the night girl. During this time I also allowed her to see her dirty nappies both types. At first she was shocked (at the poo! her poo!), but then she relaxed. At the end of 2 weeks (I work part-time so it took me this long) I bought a simple padded potty with a lid and stickers to put on it. She still loves it. I popped her on every 2 hours. bingo she got it. Only had about 3 accidents the first month. She is dry most nights but with the heat I'm not rushing anything. More fluids = more mistakes at night. She uses it to stand on to wash her hands now. Good luck & best wishes.

Brilliant to hear your DD is doing so well Titian. When DD pooed in the potty yesterday, she then had a proper look at it for the first time, and there was such a funny look of disgust on her face. Didn't stop her trying to stick her hand it it though!

Breathe, we've got carpet everywhere in the flat too and I'm just grateful for the hot weather as at least it dries very quickly!

We are now in day 5, DD did a wee in the nappy in the morning and nothing in the potty yet. I'm at work today so DH will be on potty duty. I'll keep you posted how today goes for us.

Waves at Titian! Thanks for that- I had read that it was a good idea to show the little ones their poo in case they were freaked out at being suddenly confronted by it. DD just gazed with awe and wonder at the teeny poo she did the other night. 'Oooooh! Poo poo!'

I fear I'm becoming a potty bore and my friends and family possibly want me shot!

But, drum roll: Day 3 today and DD did her first two wees on the potty. The first was partly her letting me know and me partly spotting her cues and the second was totally unprompted. Two followed on the floor but I'm elated! Might hire a marching band! So I'm going to stick it out for the week and just see.

Bless her though- she was a bit agitated just before going the first time. I think it must be a very different feeling than going in a nappy.

How is everyone else doing?

Excellent news Sage, well done to you DD! Today was much of the same for us. Managed to catch a couple of wees in the potty, one was on the carpet and one in the nappy during nap time. DD's got a fever today though so maybe that's why she's been a bit disinterested. Onwards and upwards hopefully!

Oh bless your little pickle English- I hope she's feeling better soon. This weather can't be helping!

Final count for today: 4 in potty, 2 when DD told us she needed to go, 1 me spotting and 1 her yelling 'wee wee' and me catching.

It's official: I've become a potty bore.

How to get little ones to do a poo though????????

Waves back to english and sage

hope your DD is feeling better. hate it when they're ill. I always wish I could take it away from them somehow.

sorry for the late post but only getting 5 mins now.

Poos are strange to do cos they feel the motion more um leaving their bum and don't immediately associate it with a poo.

I would change the dirty pullup and finish by tipping it into the loo with DD and giving it a flush with lots of praise. I'd point out at the same time that healthy poos are smelly. I let her come up with the idea to use the potty then tip it in so it doesn't stick to her bum.

Its a lot of work but well worth it. The key is to make it a fun game they are good at & build it up bit by bit. oh yeah and choc buttons helped a lot blush

hope your DD is feeling better soon. I've her in my thoughts.

Thank you Titian! She's still asleep, which is highly unusual, as she's normally up around 7 - 7.30am. Not sure if we should carry on when she's unwell, but at the same time don't want to write off the last few days either...

I really don't think that happens, I think she'll be pleased to show u what she remembers when u pick it up again. i'd give her time off cos she might start to get upset when she's not well, and start learning how to avoid rather than do. Just a thought.

DD broke out in a rash today, nurse at 111 said it's most probably chicken pox . Now going for an out of hours GP appointment to confirm. We are carrying on with the potty for now as she seems to be willing. She weed in the potty in the morning and then when both DH and I were out of the room for a minute, we heard her calling and she was stood there with a potty with wee in it in her hand to give us . Although there was a wet patch on the carpet to, so she must have started weeing on the floor and then remembered about the potty!

Awh bless her!

Chickenpox didn't make either of mine ill as such just itchy so fingers crossed she won't suffer too much

awww bless her wee socks. Hope she's better soon.

Well done for her potty training. Looks like you've cracked it.

Oh poor DD English. A friend's DD has just come down with the dreaded pox - it's no fun. I hope your little poppet feels better soon and isn't too itchy and miserable. And go her doing a wee and then proudly showing you- definitely sounds as if you've cracked it!

So, today was day 4 for us and DD had NO accidents!
All wees were pretty much unprompted (3 wees in total - she's certainly got bladder control). One of them we got just in time as her pants were a bit wet but I think we're getting there. . . with wees anyway.

Still no poos but we almost got one at bedtime. DD shouted 'oh! Wee wee' and, although she was already in pull ups ready for bed, I thought it best to help her pull them down and have a go. Very unfortunately (rookie error) she'd actually meant poo so flecks of poo came flying out as we were whipping the pull ups down. Her leg was smeared, outside of the potty was smeared. . . oh dear!

She's been pooing into pull ups during her afternoon nap and at night time but, to be fair, she's been doing this for a while at sleep time - way before potty training- so I think it's that she's relaxed and feels more able to 'let go' when she's asleep/almost asleep.

I'm going to try and give DD the main bulk of her daily fibre by lunchtime to hopefully change her number two timings.

I'm obsessed, aren't I?!

We had a wet nappy this morning, then no accidents all day (which was amazing as we have had a busy day). I'm not entirely convinced that DD has been drinking enough. She waited for her bedtime nappy to be on before doing a poo - which is fine by me.

Yay Breathe and Sage DDs!

DD was dry during out trip to the doctor's yesterday but had a couple of accidents in the evening where she started to wee on the floor and had to be reminded to use potty, so would then run to the potty mid wee and finish there! Her nappy was full this morning and although she's sat on potty a few times, she's not produced anything yet today. She's not drinking enough so maybe doesn't want to go. Tbh I'm not expecting much progress until she's better as she's probably distracted by feeling a bit miserable, but we will probably stick with the training unless it starts to upset her.