Help getting started/work and nursery

[JoEW]

DS is just 3 (physically very small though, still wears 12 - 18 month clothes and his development has always been on the slow side but he gets there eventually). We're pretty much ready to start potty training and I've been reading Potty Training for Boys by Dr Caroline Fertleman and Simone Cave, which seems quite gentle.

Yesterday we went out and bought 'big boy' pants and had a session with them. He sat on the potty while DH entertained him and did a wee. Much praise and a reward. Then we kept him in pants and he had another go sitting on the potty, followed by two accidents.

So, not massively successful but he did do a wee in the potty. He's at nursery all day today and I want to try to do lots of time with him myself before asking nursery to comply. I hate the idea of him being there and having lots of accidents.

What I can't get my head around is whether short sessions will do much or should we just get on with it? He's in nursery full days Mon to Thurs and we tend to do lots of activities at the weekends, so there's not a lot of time when we're just at home for long periods. What did others do?

I've read that you should sit them on the potty every 15 mins but surely that's only achievable if you're at home all day.

Or should I take a couple of days off work for this? Is it better to have a longer stint at home to crack it?

Any advice welcome.

Ideally you need a day or two in the house.

I know of a way that might work for you, but you need to spend a good 2 or 3 hours in and around the bathroom / toilet making time in there fun. it's from a book called "Toilet Training in Less Than a Day"

It's to reward the child for being dry and clean, rather than rewarding for using the potty. If the child is ready they normally get it in a day or two.

At first every 10 minutes of so we do “dry pants checks” where they feel their pants and I give them a treat if they are dry, if they are wet you express disappointment and tell them big boys use the toilet. As they stay sryer for longer you expand the “dry pants check” time to 15 minutes and so on.
That way they eventually learn to fully empty their bladder. The idea is to get them to realise they need to go rather you than telling them.

thanks Guardian, that's really helpful, I'll look at that book. New ideas are always useful.
It does feel like a very daunting task right now!