How do I start potty training

[onionchildren]

Hi, DD is 2.8 and we want to start potty training over the bank holiday weekend when me & DH are both around. Just not quite sure how to do it. Do I just put knickers on her first thing and put her on the potty at regular intervals? if so how frequently?

We're not planning on going too far but were hoping to nip out in the car to local shops, probably 10-15 min journey. Will she just wee all over car seat?

Trying to stay calm about the mess, should I just get a bucket and cloth on hand and be thankful our carpets are not the best!

Some suggestions:

1. Explain to her what's going on - that she's a big girl now and she doesn't need to wear nappies in the day time anymore (apart from naps) and that she needs to tell you when she needs the toilet

1. Put potty in same room wherever you are - you may not get that much warning between "I need pee pee" and "I done pee pee" - if weather's nice and you have a garden, perhaps spend most of the time out there so accidents not an issue?

1. Go for very easily removable clothes for first week or so (see above re short notice) - may be easiest if warm enough to just let her be naked from waist down for first couple of days.

1. Be prepared for accidents - with my first child, I got very discouraged and cross (though tried not to show it) at times - there will be mess, accept that.

1. Offer potty perhaps at hourly intervals (or a bit more often than that if it's been a while) - if she refuses, don't make a big deal about it, but encourage her to at least sit down for a minute or so to see if anything comes out.

1. If she successfully uses the potty - cue massive praise, clapping hands, stickers, etc. If she doesn't, grit teeth and say "better luck next time".

1. Don't backtrack and put nappies back on full time unless she really isn't ready. You could make an exception for car journeys (and explain that that is why nappy is going back on) - take it off as soon as you're back home.

Thanks that's a great help. I've been putting it off for ages (at least a year according to my mother!) because I didn't feel she was ready. Her speech is now coming on and over the last month has shown some signs of recognising that she's had a wee or nappy needs changing.

Fingers crossed.

Best of luck!

hi I am just about to start my son (20 months) on potty training. The lady in mothercare had a long chat with me about it and what worked for her, and what I am hoping to implement is:

1. potty that he likes - we chose the thomas rewards one (as he loves trains)

2. big boy pants that he chose - he chose Thomas ones! we went on a special shopping trip to buy them.

3. really special book - he is getting a thomas rewards sticker book that he will only be allowed when he is on the potty

4. Staying home for up to a week (hopefully less, but up to a week before giving up if it doesn't work this time around - in which case I'll try again in a few months time) and putting him on the potty every 15 mins till bedtime

5. I have a koo-di seat protector with monkeys on that's quite fun which is his special seat I move into car seat/buggy and stops the accidents leaking through hopefully

6. using clothes that are easy to see when wet and easy to pull up/down but keeping him clothed so he gets uncomfy - an incentive to go on the potty and not in clothes

Fingers crossed! Good luck!

I've always found the best way is to just leave them on the potty until they've done their business after meal times etc. Don't let them off until they have gone.. then they might remember to hold it in until potty time so that they can then do their business quicker and get off the potty and back to playing with toys sooner!

A bit like this vid on youtube lol

Hiya, we put our DD in pants, and took her to the toilet every 30 minutes (tiring at first!!). Or at any change of activity eg. 'Before we do this puzzle, we need to go to the toilet' We decided not to bother with a potty and went straight to the toilet - not sure how this would go if you haven't got a downstairs loo...

At first I was pumping her with drinks trying to make her need to go - I thought that once she'd been, we could do the whole lots of clapping etc.
We had lots of accidents but every time she did, we just took her to the toilet and explained that we do wees in the toilet now - 'next time we'll do it in the toilet'. I kept a basket full of spare pants in the toilet.

Once she'd done it in the toilet, she realised that it was fun to wee in the toilet because we clap (and do a party wee dance!).

It's hard not to be disheartened when they have accidents (and there will be many!) but try to stay calm and explain things again.

Handy cleaning up tip: white vinegar! If they do a wee on any fabric furniture or carpet, soak up as much of the wee as you can with kitchen roll; don't scrub it because you'll just rub it in. Then soak the area with white vinegar and use a clean cloth to rub it in. If you've really soaked the carpet with vinegar, leave it a few hours and blot up any excess vinegar. If it's not too much, just leave it to dry. It stinks at first but magically the smell just evaporates and leaves lovely clean, smell free carpet

Good luck!

Thanks for the extra tips everyone. Have to say that the weekend was a bit of a disaster and we'd had 4 accidents by 10.30. She has no idea she needs to go although will sometimes tap her nappy after she's had a wee, poo is another matter and doesn't seem bothered by it at all.

I kept putting her on the potty every half hour or so but in the end she was getting distressed and just wouldn't stay on it and I didn't want to forcibly hold her on it.

So we've put the potties away for a couple of weeks and will have to try again. Everything I read gives me such mixed messages as to whether to go cold turkey and persevere or to wait a bit longer. Meanwhile my DM still nags.....

My dd had accidents with pants on, so just let her go commando and she got it on the first day we tried that,for the next 3 weeks she was completely fine using the potty if she didn't have knickers on ( think they felt too much like a nappy) thrn she got used to the pants. She was 2.8 years aswell