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

Potty training

To continue or give up?

11 replies

LooneyLovefood · 26/11/2020 09:18

DS is 28 months and has been consistently pooing on the potty on a fairly regular schedule for the last 6 months or so. He'll always tell us he needs a poo and we've only had a handful of poo accidents in the last 6 months. However, weeing is a different matter.

We tried potty training in May time out of curiosity as DS showed a few signs but he was nowhere near ready. We tried again in August and he was better but definitely still not ready.

DS then had to isolate for two weeks near the start of November due to being in close contact with COVID at nursery. We thought it was an ideal time to really crack on with potty training and he did so well to begin with! No accidents at all on the first day where we used a timer and lots of rewards, 2nd/3rd/4th days we had a couple of accidents but nothing too bad - again we used some rewards until he started to lose interest in them and was happy going to the potty without a treat. For the next week he did really well, he had the odd accident but they were generally just on his way to the potty after he'd said he needed a wee but didn't quite make it.

However, after his isolation was up, DS's usual routine of going to his GPs two days a week started up again. He had a few more accidents than he'd had at home but we expected it with the change of scenery and different people around him. We did make sure GPs followed the same routine as we did with regards to wees. The few days after being at GPs, DS went back to being pretty good with just the odd accident again at home.

This week he went back to nursery for his one day a week and had 10 wee accidents across the day but also 2 poos in the potty. Since then it's as if he's forgotten everything about where to have a wee and is having lots of accidents at home and at GPs again. He'll occasionally say he needs a wee and goes to the potty himself where sometimes he'll sit down to wee and others he'll do it standing up. But I'd say there have been more accidents than successes for the last couple days and after 2 brilliant weeks I'm feeling so frustrated.

The other issue is whenever DS is put in his car seat to travel the 10 minute drive to GPs or nursery, he has a wee more often than not despite us making him have a wee on the potty before he gets in the car.

I really don't know whether to throw in the towel now after 3 weeks and just go back to pull ups or persevere. We're obviously not really going anywhere at the minute with lockdown so I don't mind being tied to the house to crack on with it all but it's getting so frustrating. Any ideas?

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LooneyLovefood · 07/12/2020 08:56

Thanks everyone. I did decide to leave it for a few weeks/months and I've got my happy little boy back. I'm not stressed, he's not stressed and the house is a happier place. He's been in nappy pants since before he was 1 and he's used to whipping them up and down for poos. Since we gave up postponed the pants, he's asked for a wee a couple times and taken his nappy down to do it. He's definitely got some cogs whirring away in the background with it all. Going to try again in January/February I think.

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ClaireP20 · 07/12/2020 00:28

@lofthouse

Leave it. My biggest regret is training DD too early it took months of misery and accidents and left her with poo withholding. We left DS until he was 3 and a half and it was done in a week.

This is so true, i regret trying so hard with my oldest. With my next boy, he was turned 3 and half and just got it straight away.
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ClaireP20 · 07/12/2020 00:26

I think i'd go back to pullups for a few months, I mean it's such a strange world and full of change for him, no need to add any more pressure (for either of you). He's still a baby really and it's hard when the adults get frustrated, they really pick up on that. Leave it for now and try again in 3 months or so x

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Fatas · 07/12/2020 00:20

Yes with the pull ups. I found thst when I left it little one wanted to use the potty sometimes for atrentiin.

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Fatas · 07/12/2020 00:19

@LoonyLovefood we had a few stops and starts from 2.5 we also trained in pull ups. At 2 years and 9 months he was fully trained and also dry at night

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LooneyLovefood · 27/11/2020 07:40

@lofthouse

Leave it. My biggest regret is training DD too early it took months of misery and accidents and left her with poo withholding. We left DS until he was 3 and a half and it was done in a week.

Thank you. I think you're probably right. DS just an accident now and I could hear the frustration in DH's voice when he realised. It's not really worth the stress when we can try again in a couple weeks/months.

I think we'll stick with his pull ups and if he shows signs he needs a wee maybe some gentle reminders that the potty is there but not push it too much.
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lofthouse · 27/11/2020 07:28

Leave it. My biggest regret is training DD too early it took months of misery and accidents and left her with poo withholding. We left DS until he was 3 and a half and it was done in a week.

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LooneyLovefood · 26/11/2020 21:59

@PlugUgly1980

Leave it at couple of months and try again. Really not worth it, and he's still quite young. When they're ready they'll get it straight away and you'll wonder why you even bothered trying sooner. I can count on one hand the number of accidents mine both had, and all were at nursery where they were busy playing and left it too late, but mine were both 3 before we tried.

Thank you.
I think it probably is best to wait but in some respects he's doing so well and he's so proud of himself when he gets it right so I don't want to give up. But also, I don't want DS taking on any of the frustration I feel when he has an accident and it putting him off the whole thing. I think I'll give it tomorrow and see how he does then make a decision for Saturday onwards.
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PlugUgly1980 · 26/11/2020 21:16

Leave it at couple of months and try again. Really not worth it, and he's still quite young. When they're ready they'll get it straight away and you'll wonder why you even bothered trying sooner. I can count on one hand the number of accidents mine both had, and all were at nursery where they were busy playing and left it too late, but mine were both 3 before we tried.

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LooneyLovefood · 26/11/2020 21:11

@Doublebubblebubble

I feel for you OP!

Have you tried the cheerios game with him at all?

Put a couple of cheerios in his potty and make him aim? Making it fun might make it easier for him and more likely to use it.

I hope this helps.

Never heard of this but it sounds awesome. However, DS's favourite breakfast is Cheerios so he'd just try and eat them! Shall try and think of an alternative...but saying that, there isn't really anything he won't want to eat.

Another up and down day today - started the day with an accident, one successful standing up wee, followed by an accident, then another standing wee all in really quick succession (less than an hour which is unusual for him!). Then he wet himself in the car on the way to GPs but then only had one accident whilst there for 7 hours with a few wees in the potty and then no accident on the way home. 1 successful wee and 1 accident this evening.

I just don't know how long to preserve for.
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Doublebubblebubble · 26/11/2020 20:56

I feel for you OP!

Have you tried the cheerios game with him at all?

Put a couple of cheerios in his potty and make him aim? Making it fun might make it easier for him and more likely to use it.

I hope this helps.

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