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Potty training

Is your child ready for potty training at nursery? Here's the place for all your toilet training questions.

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Original poster

Would I be an idiot starting potty training over Christmas?

52 replies

user1471426142 · 19/11/2018 16:45

So, I think my 21/2 year old might be ready by then. Would it be a terrible time to start? It’s going to be the only time for a while I’m at home for a stretch but we’ll have travelling, being away from home
and excitement of Christmas so there is part of me that thinks it would be a terrible idea.

The next time I’ll have a stretch of time will be just before a new baby comes in the spring which seems equally crap timing.

Any thoughts?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

golddustwomen · 19/11/2018 16:47

When I potty trained dd I stayed in the house with her nappy-less for a week straight. Was very boring but we cracked it. Personally I'd say if your travelling and out the house a lot then I'd leave it.

gnoomi · 19/11/2018 16:51

It's something I'm pondering, with a slightly older child who is ready now, but as I work and we've got a lot on I don't have anytime to start it properly (i.e. Have a couple of days at home) until Christmas. My older child was fine for quick trips out of the house after 2 days and was all done within 4/5 days (i.e. Probably only had maybe one or two accidents at all after that), but every child is different!
You can get car seat liners from Jojomamanbebe, so you could use those/pull ups just for car journeys?

SPR1107 · 23/11/2018 17:33

I'm going for it next week! I have a 2.3 year old.

I couldn't possibly stay in the house for a week, due to my sanity and because of work, but someone gave me the tip of opening up two nappies and lining the car seat with them in case of any accidents on journaled

SPR1107 · 23/11/2018 17:33

Journeys*

Original poster

user1471426142 · 23/11/2018 17:42

SPR1107 Good luck! I’m dreading potty training.

OP posts:

BertieDrapper · 23/11/2018 18:23

My DD is 3 in jan so it's something we really needed to jump on so did contemplate doing the same... training over Xmas as we are both off for over a week but travelling around.
But today she didn't want to wear a nappy so we have had a whole day of no nappy and only one accident !!
If she hasn't cracked it this time we will def be doing over Xmas!

Ifyouthinkiwillsleepyoudream · 22/12/2018 18:51

Good luck OP! Are you going for it? I must be mad but I have decided to potty train DS over Xmas. Work full time and this is the only time of the year that I have 2 weeks off ahead of me and the nursery is closed so we will be both at home so in some ways ideal time. We have cranked up the heating and DS is naked waist down all day today (with socks on). Can't say there's huge progress yet but only day 1. I will see how it goes and if it doesn't go anywhere after a few days I will stop. Read Oh Crap and thought he might be ready so giving it a go... DS is 25 months now

SPR1107 · 22/12/2018 20:06

What did people thing of Oh Crap? It feels like a lot of information (and waffle), to take in!

Are you all skipping the night time training? I'm pregnant and don't think I've got it in me to disturb his sleep at night.. so might just see if it's something he naturally does?

We have bought a potty, a toilet seat for the downstairs loo, and one for the upstairs loo.

Going to line the sofa (water marks easily) with puppy training pads and put throws over the top. Just so we don't have a major sofa cleaning job on our hands in the midst of it all.

We haven't started yet and I'm already grateful that all of our downstairs is wooden flooring!

gnoomi · 22/12/2018 20:15

Some friends have done it but it seems a lot of faff to me. My first kid found it helpful to know she was wet when she had an accident and she was trained in just a few days (and only 2 at home).

You can't train for nighttime. It's a hormone level in the brain. Either they wake up with dry nappies or they don't. (To be fair some have a wee just on waking - if you think it's that have a potty next to the bed and use pull ups I reckon!).

Dermymc · 22/12/2018 20:17

I'm thinking of doing this.... Well planning to start Xmas eve because we're home for 3 solid days... Think I must be mad but I can't see another window of opportunity.

SPR1107 · 22/12/2018 21:05

At least we have a little support group here for all of us mad enough to do it over Christmas ha.

We're thinking of starting the 27th. Christmas and Boxing Day is filled with too much excitement, presents, family and food. I think there'll be too much distraction for DS.

When are you all thinking of starting? And how old are they? DS is 2.4 exactly on Christmas Day

Dermymc · 22/12/2018 21:15

Mines 1.11 but has pooed on the potty for 4 months so hopefully the wees will come easily to him! Due to work etc I can't see another opportunity until the 6 weeks holidays and I feel we might have missed the optimum time. He's already super stroppy. If it's not working we can leave it for now.

Ifyouthinkiwillsleepyoudream · 22/12/2018 21:59

DS is 2.1 but I am only trying for daytime now. Nighttime seems too hard and most people I speak to say it comes later anyway... OH Crap seemed to make some interesting points but I admit I didn't read it cover to cover! I sort of 'consulted' it on some points and basic steps

HoustonBess · 22/12/2018 22:05

Well hello support thread! We're also planning to potty train straight after xmas, DD is 25 months. Would prefer to wait for warmer weather but have another baby due in May.

OP we decided to wait until after family/travel stuff is over, too much excitement and distraction plus perhaps not great for other people's furnishings!

HoustonBess · 22/12/2018 22:06

BTW the Oh Crap book says if you have another baby due, delay night training until a few months in, once baby's routine is relatively established but you're still up in the night and can plop a sleepy toddler on a potty once or twice hopefully without fully waking them.

SPR1107 · 22/12/2018 22:16

I read that part @HoustonBess. We're expecting in April, so not as far on as the book says, but I'm using at as the excuse j want to delay night times a little longer ha.

megletthesecond · 22/12/2018 22:19

If you're at home then go for it.
I put mine into pants over the Xmas break (no work and we didn't have to be anywhere) and they were all done by the time they went back to nursery in the January. They had had months of potties and pull ups before that though, the Xmas break was the last step.

gnoomi · 23/12/2018 09:37

I'm planning to start on Boxing Day.

teaandbiscuitsforme · 23/12/2018 14:00

I'm contemplating starting DS on Jan 1st/2nd because we're off for the rest of the week. He's 2 in early January.

I used Oh Crap with DD and I'm a big fan. I'll definitely be using it again and I don't anticipate it being a huge deal. However, he is in full time childcare whereas DD wasn't during potty training so I think that's likely to be our issue!

Ifyouthinkiwillsleepyoudream · 23/12/2018 19:43

So we are on day 2. DS easily holds his pee if needed and gives me signs or tells me when he needs to go. With a bit of prompting, he will sit on the potty and we read books etc waiting but either he doesn't wait long enough (gets bored, distracted, whatever) and leaves (I think this is not a v big deal, he will get used to waiting eventually won't he), or if he starts peeing, he freaks out and jumps up and the pee goes everywhere. He seems to be scared that it is happening. I try to be calm and never tell him off when this happens, but is there anything I can do to help? How do I get him used to the idea that pee happens and it's normal?? Or does this maybe mean he is not ready yet?

SPR1107 · 23/12/2018 20:49

If he jumps up, could you catch the wee with the potty, then praise him lots for the wee being in there?

Crazycatlady83 · 23/12/2018 21:08

I was told I was completely crazy for starting potty training my DS (aged 3) over the Christmas break. He has ASD with limited speech but was showing all the signs and has been making some great progress recently so I started last Thursday. He had three days of just accidents despite me shadowing him with the potty, trying not to keep my eyes off him for a second. On Sunday, as I was about a nano second from giving up, he sat on the potty and did a wee! I almost cried! I think he did it to get rid of me!! He has only had 3 accidents since! Im so glad I stuck with it. I was told we would have difficulties, with all the distractions of Christmas and given his diagnosis but it’s worked really well!

Ifyouthinkiwillsleepyoudream · 23/12/2018 21:24

@Crazycatlady83 you are giving me hope. Well done to both of you!

@SPR1107 good idea, thank you, I will try!

SPR1107 · 23/12/2018 22:45

Well done @Crazycatlady83 to you and your DS! I feel so apprehensive about it, but know how ecstatic I'll feel if (when!!) this pays off

Crazycatlady83 · 24/12/2018 06:24

Thanks so much - we don’t want to think we’ve cracked it (with autism there always something we haven’t thought about!) But we are hoping!

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