Potty Training During Lockdown!

[LunaHardy]

So now seems like a better time than any and I've decided to potty train my 2yo dd during quarantine! I haven't potty trained for about 10 years and that was with my ds. I've bought her a potty a few weeks ago just to get her used to it but she's still not keen on sitting on it. Any tips please?

twisty - what a shame. I hope she sorts it out in her head at some point.

@peanutandpumkin we are kind of at this stage currently, I have the oh crap book & it’s not completely all over don’t worry (apparently!) does he show any remorse, or like “yuck” at being wet in his trousers? If so there’s hope! Can he actually pull trousers up and down? I had to help my DS teach him a bit Today, practise, & make sure the trousers/shorts were very loose

We stayed in pjs, practised pushing them down and pulling them up a lot when not needing to go, and I explained really clearly that it was important to try and tell me a bit earlier so we had time to get to the toilet in time. Stayed in pjs for about a week or so.

Oh @TwistyHair sorry to hear that - it must really tug at your heart when she says she's sad.

Try to remember how resilient kids are though. All of it is just phases! Before you know it she'll be potty trained - like how it's hard to remember them not being able to walk now!

We've had mostly bare bum adventures the past few days. He's the opposite to yours @peanutandpumkin - has nailed wees but poos are much more hit and miss (literally!) But hey ho, we're all at home and the sun's out, so I've decided no to worry :) He gets 10 yes TEN chocolate buttons for a potty poo, which is shameless bribery but since it's max one poop a day he's not going to finish a packet anytime soon...

Thanks. I keep trying to remember that it won’t be forever. It just feels like it at the time

Twisty, sounds like the movicol strategy needs to be given time and then hopefully once she is going normally you can think about introducing the potty (while I suppose giving the opportunity in the meantime in case she decides to take it before then, esp eg bath time when she is pull-up free anyway...) Best of luck.

It’s not the easiest time to be doing this anyway with all the covid stress in the background so I think we can all be very proud of ourselves,

Hey there I just wanted to pick up from where I posted a week ago. After the vom and the drama, under my DD's direction (a firm NO to nappies), we have continued with potty training. She finally started relaxing and letting go with her wee - Cbeebies on the ipad seems to be the key for us but on the downside that does mean lots of toilet visits just to watch duggee. And so far so good.

We've just done the first day in pants - perversely I actually was hoping for an accident as she hadn't poo'd for 24 hours but we've been accident free and she's just done a poo on the big toilet - she's had so many 'p' foods today that if she didn't I'd be worried lol. We are planning our first big excursion tomorrow (a long walk). Bit nervous as she really doesn't like little the potty so fingers crossed we don't have too much upset.

Anyway I posted not to boast but just to say if you're having a rocky start it can get better.

Great news wonder - we’ve had quite a few success stories on the thread , to the extent that a lot of the early posters have fallen away probably because they are doing fine ! (Hopefully anyway - hi to anyone still reading from the early days!) My view is that we are fed an unrealistic idea of how quickly this can be done...people talking about training in three days etc etc . I think it can take longer given that our children have been in nappies usually their whole lives...it’s quite a big change:

Clueless - oh, I’ve peed/pooed - oh I’m peeing/pooing - oh, I need to go - oh I need to go and what’s more I need to be quick enough to get to the potty - oh I need to go and be quick enough to get there and take my trousers and stuff off/down — it’s a journey!!

@fascinated I completely agree with you re: it's not a quick fix for most of us. We've only had a couple of accidents but is she potty trained after a week? Absolutely not. I can see progress and she's trying really hard but we are not there yet... and that's fine. My DD's emotional reaction to the change has been much trickier to navigate than cleaning up wee puddles and poos lol.

@fascinated & @Wonderfulstuff thank you your posts have helped me today...

21months old DS has been doing fab, day 6 today& if bare bummed then maybe only one accident then moved to trousers (No pants) & he is half & half which I think is great bearing in mind he can’t dress himself but even managed 2 wees going to potty himself & pulling down trousers but a few pairs of trousers down.

DH today totally made me feel like a piece of crap...when he wet his trousers said “he’s too young, all my work colleagues say so boys take longer way too young etc etc” as opposed to recognising the days of tantrums I’ve endured to get our strong willed daddy’s boy to this point where he clearly knows when he needs to go where he is stopping playing & going to potty himself! (so can’t be too young) & not once said “well done love”

His mother has told us for the last few months when I’ve said about nursery saying he was close & maybe doing it “at the right point it will be done in a week” I’m sorry I don’t agree with that. It is the right point but it will take longer, he is younger & im doing it myself not help from nursery (or her)

So we continue!

Comments like that are not helpful.... why can’t people just let other folk get on with it!? Your DH seems a chip off the old block... can you show him the section in the Oh Crap book for Dads? (And I don’t want to get into a discussion here about whether that is sexist or not. I found it reflected reality for most of my friends, so if anything it is reality, not the book, that is sexist).

PS my DH was v sceptical but I pressed on anyway...

Sorry he isn’t more supportive.

@fascinated thank you yes yesterday I got him to read the beginning & the dads bit & he did & in the afternoon he definitely agreed that he’s not too young & he is in fact doing very well so would be stupid to stop now & that I need his support (especially as DS adores him) so he’s on board now but I had a solid 4 hours of crying because I just felt so unsupported when I had endured a week of horrendous tantrums to get to that point & it was clicking into place.

Oh, what a pity. I hope you feel better now.

I cried in my car on the way to get the Click n Collect. For no specific reason, just to release the tension I think. Of this whole blooming situation, the lockdown. So I don’t blame you in your situation! I hope your DH felt suitably chastened.

I do thank you @fascinated & we all need a good bawl every now & then so there’s been many times when I’ve done similar recently

@ Minster2012 well done you for getting DH on board, sorry for the tears 😭 I think this whole lockdown situation has led to high emotions for all of us!

I havnt posted any updates recently as to be honest, I’d consider him pretty potty trained! Apart from the odd accident... speaking of... little man has had his first upset stomach since being potty trained (it’s been his birthday this week and I’ve let him eat too much cake and crisps and not enough veg!) and let’s just say, I’ve had to put him in the shower as it was only way to get him clean! My lovely grey carpet now has some lovely coloured stains and my hands are sore from scrubbing 😭🤣

Hope everyone is having good progress!

I’m considering reinstating the rug in the playroom....

@Caz1412 Well done! Go you guys! (Also v sorry to hear about carpet stains and sore hands, but let's face it - upset stomach can hit anyone at any age :) )

So can I ask for your top tips for navigating getting pants back on once they've mostly nailed it with a bare bum? That's where we're up to.

Also this afternoon we went for a walk and he asked for a nappy and I thought of those of you who've had stressed out LOs and I thought, fuck it and said yes. 10 minutes later we were heading home with him doing the cowboy walk of poop shame! :) He definitely still is more relaxed pooing in nappies than the potty.

BUT then after dinner he said he wanted to sit on the toilet and he just fully pooped on the toilet for the first time ever! (As opposed to the potty - I was excited anyway). Proud mum klaxon!

So I think we're getting there and taking our time and I'm good with that. But still be very grateful for any pants-transition advice!

I’m also with @WoolyMammoth55 on the please help with bare bum to pants/trousers please! We had 2 days of amazing with bare bum, going himself to the potty for wees and poo each day in the potty...but not specifically asking or telling us. Just doing it himself long as we tell him where the potty is...2 days of trousers now (no pants/boxers) & it’s been 2 days of accidents with mostly no attempt to get to the potty. But then if we get on the potty after saying “hold it” he’s done a bit in there. He’s seemingly going she’s in between wees today about 2 hours.

Is this good? Shall I go back to bare bum or continue to see if it clicks

Sounds fine, just keep going!

We had a few days of just underpants as quicker to get down. I watched him like a hawk and kept reminding.

I didn’t continue with the trousers with no underpants suggestion because the one day I did it he had a poo accident and it just fell down the trousers and made a right mess. At least with underpants on it is a little bit more “contained”. I use “dry like me” pads as well, used them with dc1 years ago and love them. They’re like fun panty liners shaped for little bottoms, makes it all a lot easier to contain if there is an accident, but don’t feel like nappies.

@WoolyMammoth55 i totally understand with the poo 😩

Thanks everyone!! I think he pretty much stopped dribbling we are getting proper wees now. Ive been prompting him for couple of days now and i maybe got few unprompted wees.

So now my question is: how long to this prompting thing goes? Do you think it shouldve stopped by now?? He had 2 accidents without prompting today, he understands its accident days uh oh. I just say next time and clean up.

"The poo poo song" helped my son with the poos if it helps.

Also, i hide one m&m in his potty pouch at the top so as soon as he poops or wees he checks it to see if theres candy and he thinks it magically appears after a potty trip! 😁

When i meant pouch theres a space box like at the top of his potty to keep tissues

@peanutandpumkin sounds promising and I love your chocolate hiding place! Genius unfortunately no where to hide it on ours

We’ve had a morning of loads of 💩accidents in trousers he’s gone 4 times after not going yesterday 🤦🏼‍♀️& even though I’m promoting in finding it hard to spot when he needs to go & impossible for 💩.

Though it might be getting better? The last couple he’s got trousers down &trying to get to potty before some 💩come out but there was several wee accidents this motning

Many of us found there was a day or two of regression , quite serious regression in some cases, before a good sleep got them back on track...

Thank you @fascinated, I’m hoping that’s the case!