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?

@MmmNutella that's really helpful thank you! She is 25 months old. We have the potty wherever we are in the house and just put her on it every now and again but she hates sitting on it, I have been trying to look for signs and I think I've spotted that when she starts "fiddling" the wee is not far away, so when I spot that I pop her on but so far nothing as she won't sit there long enough. I think the "calm jar" is a great idea, I'm going to try that!

Anyone still trying? I started now that my eldest is on hols officially so no schooling pressure...

@fascinated yes! Today was day 6. Still doing bottom half naked. Today was really trying we thought we'd made progress in the last few days as he started coming to us saying 'wee' (even if he means poo). But today he was saying wee all the time and didn't always mean it. Then the one time he did we didn't believe him and he wee'd on the floor 🙈 Definitely had the feeling of failing today (as a parent, not the child) as it is a bit depressing sometimes but we're going to persevere! I'm sure it all part of the ups and downs of learning.

In this process we've also realised that he's a camel. Literally does 2 wees during the day and a poo every other day. So only have about 2-3 opportunities to get him on the potty. If he went more regularly I feel like we could embed the message more 🤷🏻‍♀️

How is everyone else getting on?

We are sort of going but as we have carpets everywhere we're going for nappy on potty training... first time child and she's not 2yet so no rush. Some days she does most wees and poos in the potty, sometimes none. Got her pants she loves. Maybe we'll go bare bummed in the garden later. This morning, took her nappy off and it was dry (quite normal for her) and she say on the potty, did a wee (she sometimes refuses potty when she's just woken). Had a breastfeed with me sat next to the potty then she decided to go back on potty for a poo.

Can I join? Dd is 2.5 and I thought like everyone else it's bank holiday, it's lockdown, let's give it a go.
We've had a wee on the floor and a wee on the highchair so far.

Had to give an awful lot of chocolate chips just to get her to sit on the blooming potty. I'm pretty sure that's wrong as I was only intending to give them if she actually peed .

I keep reading about cues? What are your little ones cues? Both wee's today took me by surprise

Sometimes a get a shiver with a wee but during not before so not really helpful. For me after a sleep is a good timing for a potty wee now she's learnt sitting on the potty means she needs to empty her bladder (sometimes)

Well my little one pooed on the bathroom floor this morning.hows it going for everyone else?

Haha! We had poo on the playroom but at least he was trying to go ‚toilet‘ , just didn’t make it. Didn’t help that he was a bit loose...

Trying again this morning. He seems to get it but is tending to have accidents when not bare bottomed.... how long do they recommend bare bottom?

Hi!

Haven’t read the whole thread but can I join?

Bought the oh crap book and we started about 3 days ago. DD is 21 months but seemed ready and has been ahead on most milestones so far. DD furloughed, we have months at home so seemed like the way to go.

Naked bit done- she’s been self initiating wee and poo on potty and also with some prompting. Mostly got it on day 1 but did 3 naked days to help her along.

Tried leggings on her today, only been for the morning but she’s had a poo accident and some wee accidents too.

If we ask her to go wee it seems to be okay, I’ll pull her leggings down and she will go. With poop she’s quite private and likes to take herself off to go herself so not sure how that’s going to go..!

Joining this thread for the moral support!

• that should read DH furloughed!

I keep reading about cues? What are your little ones cues? Both wee's today took me by surprise

DD seems to hold her legs together! With the naked bit it worked when I took her mid wee to the potty so she could get some in there and connect that wee goes in the potty. Finding clothes more challenging for sure!

Thanks for the solidarity everyone. Still noting on the potty or toilet here. I think I might be putting too much presure on her bless her

Iris same here! Legs together!

Good hear your experiences! It's bloody bloody hardwork lol. And having to time our 'daily exercise' rounds his bladder and bowel movements 🙄 😆

@Joywillcomeagain I know what you mean, as sometimes DS really resists the potty and I wonder if we're putting too much pressure on but we've found that if he really needs to go he's happy to be put on, and if doesn't need to go oh boy do you know about it. It would help if he didn't keep coming up to us and saying wee though, as we then put him on the potty often when he doesn't need it.

We have Hey Duggee on standby on my laptop near the potty as that seems to distract/relax him into it, and a couple of favourite books. Will he's watching/reading, we remind him to 'do a wee' every couple of pages (if he needs prompting).

I out a nappy back on for cycling or exercise - can’t face accidents al fresco just yet....

Oh and our cues seem to be going quiet and having a very concentrated look (or saying 'wee').

Yes a “look”, or saying “toilet “

@fascinated ha I know what you mean. DH thought a plastic bag under a towel in the buggy should do the job, been ok so far with that 😬🤞

On day 4 here. Doing Oh Crap (did it with older DS, worked fine.) DS is 2.6 and showing all the signs. Keep having to remind myself we’re looking for progress not perfection. So far our wet pants:dry pants ratio is in favour of dry pants so that’s good (as opposed to Day 1 when we had 1 wee I. Potty and 7 accidents) I know that Oh Crap advocates going naked but I literally couldn’t get him to go naked. Resulted in an hour tantrum. So he has pants on. Have managed a few wees in the potty today and he’s telling us when he needs to go which is good but half the time he doesn’t want to stay on the potty, so has a trickle then goes back 2 or 3 times before he either does a proper wee in the potty or an accident. From what I recall with older DS this initial stage takes 1-3 days then the second stage is 3-7 days. We’ll get there. At least he doesn’t want a nappy on and I suppose we have time......

I have found this in the nick of time!
Decided today was the day to start dd (2.5) on potty training, we've talked about being a big girl, she's sat on her potty and done a few one off wees, liked to sit on her toilet insert seat, climbing up on the step to get there, we've got the sticker reward chart, the princess polly books, I've read the Gina ford book etc etc etc.

Well it's half way through the day and I am ready to give up. She's gone through 5 pairs of knickers so far, no wees at all on the potty or the toilet, yet didn't want her nappy on for nap time... how many accidents in knickers is normal in the first few days? Shall I just abandon them?

Feel really disheartened as all my friends with kids of a similar age are telling me their kids were practically begging to sit on the potty/loo, and were dry in three days... (all the boys we know I might add!! Do they find it easier??)

Any tips for a stressed out single parent (probably finding it harder just being me as no-one else here to keep an hawk like eye on her every single second)? Shall I give up for today?

Anyone trying I would say to keep going, it takes a while for them to get it but both of mine seemed to get it after a couple of days. With the one I'm potty training now, he's 2.3 and I thought it would take a long time but actually 6/7 days in he's pretty good. He did hold on to his poos for the first couple of days but we just made a massive fuss when he finally went that he's happy now and applauds himself each time. I'm amazed really. I do anticipate him a bit - for me his cues are basically when he's getting really grumpy. I also now start day by taking him to bathroom for his morning wee, make him go before his nap and bath etc.

I started out trouser free but gave up on that quite quickly when it was cold and my mum (retired health visitor) pointed out it may be better to keep everything as normal as possible. I do remember doing bare bottom with daughter and the first 1 1/2 days she literally didn't make it to potty once. I was going to give up but my mum told me to keep going and it did just click that afternoon.

So babycorn don't give up is my answer!

@babycornplease I’m definitely no expert but so far the ‘Oh crap’ method is working well. Personally I’d ditch the knickers and see if she can do it half naked. Look for her signs, tell her to potty, if she starts having an accident put her on the potty.

I posted this morning about having accidents with leggings. Well short dresses with no knickers seems to be working well as she can pull her dress up easily enough. So sticking with that for now as it’s boiling hot anyways!

Good luck everyone and keep going.

Well she wanted to wear her big girl knickers when she woke up... but I think that's the problem, they almost act like the security of a nappy... will take them off and put a dress on her, mainly for the neighbours sake and to avoid a sunburned bum! Perhaps I need the 'oh crap' method rather than Gina ford...

My problem is she is very active, we've been out for our (socially distanced obviously) government approved walk or scoot every day and she gets frustrated being at home all day.

Also, now this is a really dumb question, she wants to be in the garden all the time, do I take a potty outside with us? Or bring her in every half an hour or hour? Sorry, I know I sound really clueless, I genuinely thought I knew what I was doing... 🤦‍♀️

Basically the oh crap is (my simple summary anyway ha)-

• block one- naked for a few days or just top (stay at home/ garden). Don’t leave the house and watch them like a hawk
• block two- With clothes on, so leggings or dresses- very short trips or maybe a walk
• block three.. Clothes on and out and about, self initiating etc.

The advice is not to wear any knickers for at least 3 weeks as they feel all snug like a nappy. Nappies for naps/ nighttime and tell them why.

I know what you mean! My DD is like Donny from the wild thornberrys, she is so hyper it’s unreal. I’ve basically been plastering her in factor 50. Got the paddling pool out, playhouse, loads of toys. Peppa pig, painting.

I would follow her lead on taking the potty outside. DD likes to keep it in the bathroom and then just runs in to use it now. I guess it just depends on how far away your toilet is and if you think she’ll be able to get there!

DD did take it outside a few times, she did her first poop in her playhouse. Went in and closed the door and everything! 🙈