So many wet pants

[PsychoPumpkin]

I decided that as it’s the first day of the summer holidays and I have no school run to do for 6 weeks that today’s is the day to re-start potty training my son.

He’s 3 in October and a previous attempt failed because he just didn’t seem to get that he needed to use the potty.

He’s drinking a lot as it’s summer and seems to be going every half an hour, i’m Asking him if he needs to go every 15 minutes but since 7am he’s had about 8 wet pairs of pants.

When he has an accident he looks surprised like he didn’t realise he needed to go until it was too late, even if i’ve Asked him a few minutes ago if he needed to go.

The wetness doesn’t seem to bother him either.

Is he just not ready yet?

My daughter was potty trained easily enough at 2.5, it just seemed to click into place.

I’d stick with it for a few days at least if I were you. We’re just over 2 weeks in with my DS. Day 1 I had about 10 pairs of wet pants - but nearly every time he started to go I managed to get him onto the potty to finish it. Day 2 he started to get it, but still about 8 pairs of wet pants. Day 3 onwards - hardly any and only the odd accident ever since. So I’d give it a few days before you give up.

It's only day one. Don't expect too much. My dd was like that last week. I just made her sit on the potty while she was watching tv. Didn't know she needed it but it was caught in the potty lots of praise. 5 days on she would tell me and have a 1 or 2 accidents. Today she's been dry so far. Try pull ups if you're worried about mess.

Okay, pleased to know it’s normal to have so many accidents! I’ll stick with it.

What do you do at night? Nappies or pants?

I'd give it a few more days just so he can get used to it and if not try again in a few weeks. I'd also take him every 15/20mins and make him sit on the potty/toilet.

If he is going every half hour he is either drinking loads or his bladder just isn't ready yet.
Do you notice him becoming a bit figity or uncomfortable just before wetting? It could take a few days to get the connection between the feeling and weeing.
If he is ready you should see him starting to get it within a week. Maybe not 100% reliable but having more success than accidents.

I'd also stick with nappies/pull ups at night - some children can take up to a year to be dry at night.

The great thing about toilet training in the summer is the ability to NOT wear pants.

Each is different and I only have one son, but he didn't potty train until he was nearly 4. He just wasn't ready until then. In comparison to a family member who pushed their kids early and had so many wet clothes, my son never had a slip up once we started. There was no pressure and he was old enough to understand and it worked for us.

As I said, each is different and you know your child best :)

I asked him if he needed to go, he said no, I asked him if he’d try using the toilet anyway and he said no and flopped on the floor in a strop. Two minutes later he’s wet and soiled the pants anyway but told me he hadn’t even while I was cleaning him up.

He’s fed up, he was quite enthusiastic this morning.

What I found worked:

1. Don’t put them in pants, ideally let him wander round naked on the bottom , when he starts to go pick him up & put him on the pot.

1. dont ask, he will say no! Put him on the pot and say «we sit on the pot to pee before lunch / before we go out» etc.

1. Google «Oh Crap potty training» amazing book!

Going every half hour seems a bit too frequent to me. What signs has he shown that he's ready? One of the things I look for when potty training is that they have fairly dry nappies for a while then do a big wee, rather than lots of small weeks like babies do - it's a sign that their bladder is starting to be ready for toilet training.

Don’t use pants he can just run around naked for the first couple of days. Also bribery worked for us - a choc button or sticker if he sits on the potty. I’d stick with it. Better than letting it drag on and on.

Signs? He tells me when he’s pooed and occasionally he’ll wake up in the morning dry. Other than that, no signs but I’m feeling pressure from my family to get him potty trained so I thought I should.

Pants off and read oh crap potty training book on your kindle or kindle app. It is a good time so go for it!

I found when they are going several hours between wees, are able to wee on demand when you put them on the toilet (even if it’s only a small amount) and can tell you when they have been (or ideally before they go) they are ready.

I also found them wanting to do it made a huge difference too.

Personally, I waited until they were completely ready and they just did it, no reminding to go, no accidents, no taking spare clothes out, etc. It was really easy. I was happy for them to be in nappies a bit longer though. Some people do ‘training’ and put up with the accidents, keep reminding them to go/taking them to the toilet but it does usually mean they are out of nappies a bit sooner. So do whatever works for you but it does sound like he’s just not ready and you’re going to have a lot of accidents.

Don’t do it because family are pressuring you to. Only do it when he’s ready. I’ve had the mantra mainly off the mother in law about how all hers were potty trained by 2 blah blah blah. I don’t care about that my kids are mine and not anyone else’s. My dd1 was about 2.5 but not over night until gone 3. My youngest dd is currently 2.5 (3 in December) and she’s just trained through the day. I only started her because she was telling me she needed a wee.

Leave him for now and don’t rush

Agree with others. Pants off as it's very confusing for them and they don't understand it's not a nappy or they forget so bare bum only for 2-3 days. If after 2 days and no success at all give up but that's very unlikely, so far he's not had a proper chance.