Toddler holding on.

[footprintsintheslow]

I'm pretty sure 2.5 year old is ready but she holds on to her wee and bowel movements.

She tells me she needs a nappy on when it's time.
She communicates easily and she will hold on for hours instead of releasing on the potty.
She will sit on the potty and toilet happily but nothing happens.

She had three great days of perfect potty use. Then lots of accidents. We put potty away after a week and it's been gone for weeks.

She doesn't want to wear a nappy and she takes them off.

Any tips for children who hold on?

I've googled it obviously but it just says it's a common problem that can cause UTI's. But no real advice that I can see.

I nannied for a child who did exactly this. We used a reward chart. I filled a basket with toys, books, sticker books etc from the £1 shop. For every successful potty she got a sticker on her reward chart after 3 stickers she picked a prize and once the chart was full a bigger prize or a trip to somewhere she really loved. She had the understanding and control just needed the motivation to go on the potty.

Thanks for the reply, I'll try anything.

I feel exhausted by it all and I wasn't expecting this as my eldest just had it all sorted in a few days.

Today we've had three accidents and one successful potty so that is some progress at least.

New to Mumsnet and in a similar situation so hoping for some tips / advice .
Daughter is 2 and 3 months. Recently started saying she doesn’t like having her nappy changed and buoyed by friends saying how ‘ straight forward’ it is , I’ve started training . Went in at deep end - nappies gone ( unless nighttime) and straight on with the pants. Lots of accidents yesterday but seemed to like her new Peppa underwear but now today Is ‘holding on’ . Is it worth persevering or is she just not ready?

@Overthinkingteacher I've been told it's better to not have pants at all at this early point as it is a similar secure feeling to having a nappy.

Yesterday my daughter had a wet nappy in the morning from the nighttime. Then she literally held on (even through nap time) until 3:30pm.

I gave her an ice lolly and sat her on her potty and she happily wee'd within a few minutes. It was the same the day before. Ice lolly= wee on potty. 🤷‍♀️

Thanks for this- I think it’s me who’s built this up to be such a big deal! Think I need to take a step back and just go with the flow 🙈👍🏼

I've also found that not reminding her works well. By leaving her to it she seems to go herself. When I remind her she says no and sometimes even throws the potty!

They hate being reminded esp to start with!

@Rubyroost I think that's the best kept secret of potty training! Kids hate being reminded.

Get the oh crap! book and do it properly

I hate the o crap book, didn't work for us at all. I'm now a firm believer in waiting til they are ready. When I first started out he was weeing 20 times a day so we held off. He's finally trained.. Bladder and bowel. He's coming up to 2 years and 9 months and he now wees on average amount 8 times a day.

My friend raves about that book but seeing as I've already potty trained one child using the 'make it up as you go along method' of the old days pre internet I thought I'd go for it.

As it turns out we've cracked it. She just didn't want to be reminded of it at all ever. I ignore the potty and she sorts herself out completely.

I will say though we are only successful when no pants are involved. Trousers, fine, pyjamas, fine, dress, fine. Any pants... disaster.