More confused and unsure than ever now!

[KH369]

I posted a few weeks back about DS starting showing signs of potty training and was recommended the oh crap potty training book. I got it. I read it (up to nighttime training) now I don't know if DS was showing signs at all or whether I can commit to it any time soon!
He is in nursery 5hrs a day Tues, Wed, Thurs and I work all those days and Sundays all day. The problem is I can't take any time off work now - due to my mum breaking her ankle and not being able to have him her usual day/time I have to use holiday hours every week as there's no one else to have him, so I have very little holiday hours left until March next year but I feel that might be leaving it too late as he would be 3yo in the May.
I don't really know what I'm asking if I'm honest, some advice? Do I try now anyway or leave it until I can take a few weeks off work? And how can I get unconfused?!

I doubt you’d need a few weeks off work. I did it over half term so my DD was at Nursery by day 9 but we’d resumed normal life by about day 5.

Read the chapter on childcare. I think she recommends having a 3 day period that you’re off.

Yeah, I don't think I'd need a few weeks either I'm just thinking to be on the safe side in case things don't progress as well as I thought (plus two weeks no working would be wonderful!) I have glazed over the childcare section and know DS nursery would get on board as I know there's already a few in his class who are in the middle of it, I just don't feel I'm going to have a solid go at it if it feels I'm constantly having to stop and start to go to work. Before reading the book I had sort of decided to wait until beginning of next year anyway as he'd be older and understand a bit now but now the books terrified me to think if I don't start now (DS 29months this month) then it will be a nightmare situation! I never knew you could potty train as young as 18months, my mum told me between 3-4years!

I think it’s really hard to find the right time if you’re working and at some point you might have to bite the bullet. I was lucky my daughter started refusing nappies and half term was coming up so it seemed a good time. She was 22 months.

I’m not sure about the age thing. I think in the U.K. it’s become the norm to train very late compared to a lot of countries. It seems that to a lot of people, training means leaving it until the child is ready to virtually train themselves. I was quite happy to do a bit of teaching/guiding/whatever you want to call it to train my DD but I think a lot of people think that if the child doesn’t initiate the whole thing by themselves, you must be forcing them on the potty every half an hour or leaving them on the potty until they wee which is, of course, not at all how it is!

Different strokes for different folks and all that. I was happy to get DD out of nappies because I had a 6 week old as well and out of nappies is so much easier!

I potty trained my DS back in July, he was 3.4yro. We had tried on previous occasions, since last summer but he just didn't get it. Took us a few days to get into routine and his nursery were fantastic. Numbers 2s took a little longer to master but now he just goes to toilet by himself. I wouldn't worry about the age thing - every child is different. My DS2 now 21 months - copied everything he did. He used to sit on potty (with nappy on), tells me he needs a wee wee, he goes into the toilet. So I think he will potty train earlier. Can you take a sunday off ? From what you have said you will have Friday, Saturday and Sunday to try him and nursery should follow your routine. My DS nursery took him to potty every 20 minutes. But don't be disheartened or that bothered if he doesn't seem ready yet.

If it dies t click in a couple of days, wait a bit longer - he's not even 3 yet!