Page 2 | Gave up potty training but now DD weeing on floor!

Maternityleavelady · 2022-12-31T12:44:59+00:00

Did 4 days of potty training with DD but got hardly any wees in potty (0 on day 1, 2 on day 2, 1 on day 3 and 1 on day 4) and many were on the floor, so figured she wasn’t ready and put her back into nappies today. But now she is pulling down her nappy and trousers and weeing on the floor! Have we confused her? Should we continue trying to train her and get her to wee on the potty?! She goes back to nursery on Tuesday (so 3 days left now)

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Original poster

Maternityleavelady · 01/01/2023 09:57

gamerchick · 01/01/2023 07:53

Shes nearly 3. She might not be ready until she is 3. It's nothing to stress out over though

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Am not stressed about it - just trying to determine whether it’s better to continue for a few more days or give up and try again in a month or so. She does seem to be getting the idea now on day 6 so we will keep going for now and discuss more with nursery when she returns on Tuesday. They recommended we try over Christmas and said they would be happy to support when she goes back.

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Original poster

Maternityleavelady · 01/01/2023 10:01

WhatNoRaisins · 01/01/2023 07:57

Is she waiting until she's not being watched? I think some kids just take a bit longer to train than a few days and then have that annoying phase of going on the floor when no one's looking before things start to click with the potty.

The first few days I think she did prefer going when not being watched (would go around the corner of sofa etc and go on the floor, so we now have put each potty in the corners she tends to go in. But now she seems happy to go in full view, she just gets on the potty and wees.

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Original poster

Maternityleavelady · 01/01/2023 10:07

LemonDrizzles · 01/01/2023 08:16

Three are 3 stages. Telling you after. Telling you during. And telling you before.

If you think she's ready, then after she's done a wee or a poo, most times she's acknowledging it happened in some way. You want this to be verbal. That is, she is telling you she is ready. I imagine it would happen a few times. Find out what words she is using to communicate it. Check in with nursery ( that is, ask does she mention anything when having her nappy changed) let them tell you what words they think she is using.

In addition to potty books for parents, there are also books for children. We used pirate (pete?)

The tricky thing is her verbal skills aren’t great so I have to watch her actions more than her words.

she often says “poo poo” after she has done a poo but never says “wee” or “pee” so we are trying to teach her that.

we have a few potty books for kids with flaps etc, and she has been enjoying reading those for a year now but it obviously hasn’t fully clicked. We are trying to find some TV episodes about potty training - Peppa Pig, Bluey etc to try to reinforce it that way.

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PritiPatelsMaker · 01/01/2023 10:14

Good to s e that you're using Makaton. If her speech & language is a bit behind, has she been referred to SLT yet?

Talking Point have a useful SLT progress checker here.

jannier · 01/01/2023 10:42

Keepitrealnomists · 31/12/2022 23:05

She doenst sound ready, having a poo on the kitchen floor is disgusting and I would have not put up with that. She would have been sent to time out, toys taken away, ect.

Are you for real? One minute your saying she's not ready the next your saying she has enough control and awareness to deliberate hold it until she's ready to pooh on the floor?

LemonDrizzles · 01/01/2023 11:57

Maternityleavelady · 01/01/2023 10:07

The tricky thing is her verbal skills aren’t great so I have to watch her actions more than her words.

she often says “poo poo” after she has done a poo but never says “wee” or “pee” so we are trying to teach her that.

we have a few potty books for kids with flaps etc, and she has been enjoying reading those for a year now but it obviously hasn’t fully clicked. We are trying to find some TV episodes about potty training - Peppa Pig, Bluey etc to try to reinforce it that way.

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I'm in the same boat. My little one was ready about a year ago! But she couldn't clearly communicate. I'm more worried she'll get back to nursery and get frustrated that people aren't understanding what she wants to do. She also switches words. We have flash cards and just reading loads. But we'll probably start at the end of spring/start of summer.

LemonDrizzles · 01/01/2023 11:59

Maternityleavelady · 31/12/2022 22:53

Oh and the method we have been doing is Gina Ford Potty Training in One Week - but we are sort of repeating days rather than progressing through the 7 day programme.

Every time we are about to give up she does something slightly encouraging like today we came home and she immediately asked for the potty and then sat on it for 10 mins (but didn’t actually do anything on there!)

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RE just sitting on the potty, that is a reward in itself. Just sitting and waiting. SOmetimes something happens and sometimes it doesn't. Either way, it's a "good job you were on the potty, maybe next time" with a smile and cheer.

And if something does something, a mild cheer, not too overwhelming just building. And keep keep going.

All the best

Original poster

Maternityleavelady · 01/01/2023 12:18

PritiPatelsMaker · 01/01/2023 10:14

Good to s e that you're using Makaton. If her speech & language is a bit behind, has she been referred to SLT yet?

Talking Point have a useful SLT progress checker here.

Yes she has been referred to SLT and done a “Little Talkers” course and we are awaiting further advice on next steps - she has come a long way since she was referred but is still below average.

Thanks for the progress checker - I will have a look at that!

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Original poster

Maternityleavelady · 01/01/2023 12:19

LemonDrizzles · 01/01/2023 11:57

I'm in the same boat. My little one was ready about a year ago! But she couldn't clearly communicate. I'm more worried she'll get back to nursery and get frustrated that people aren't understanding what she wants to do. She also switches words. We have flash cards and just reading loads. But we'll probably start at the end of spring/start of summer.

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Yes it’s tricky when they don’t have the communication skills but appear ready in so many other ways! I hope it goes well for you when you start!

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ThisGirlNever · 01/01/2023 12:23

I'm not sure this is the first day to do things, but we told my son he could have a piece of Lindt chocolate ball if he did a wee in the potty. He clocked in in about 5 minutes and was sat there, abusing the system, squeezing out tiny wees to get chocolate.

We had to dial back the rewards pretty quickly.

Original poster

Maternityleavelady · 01/01/2023 12:25

LemonDrizzles · 01/01/2023 11:59

RE just sitting on the potty, that is a reward in itself. Just sitting and waiting. SOmetimes something happens and sometimes it doesn't. Either way, it's a "good job you were on the potty, maybe next time" with a smile and cheer.

And if something does something, a mild cheer, not too overwhelming just building. And keep keep going.

All the best

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We have been rewarding her with a dinosaur magnet on her chart when she sits on the potty, which has helped to motivate her.
And when she wees on it we give her a treat (a little chocolate chip now that she is doing it a lot!) - we have now banked 5 wees on the potty this morning alone and no accidents whatsoever so it does seem to have clicked on day 6!

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Sugarfree23 · 01/01/2023 12:28

Op I'd keep going.
And would also take the poo in the floor as a sign she knew she needed and didn't want to poo her nappy (nappies are quite disgusting when you think about it).

Chocolate button for every wee in the potty.

PritiPatelsMaker · 01/01/2023 12:37

Chocolate button for every wee in the potty

That's quite ironic given your username @Sugarfree23

Sugarfree23 · 01/01/2023 12:38

The 23 bit has only just started!!! 😆

LemonDrizzles · 01/01/2023 12:46

An alternative to chocolate buttons is stickers.

We did neither with DC1, just said "well done" or "okay let's try again later"

Beginningless · 01/01/2023 12:48

Sounds like it’s going well. You’ve had a few questionable replies here. Potty training is emotional in ways you didn’t anticipate, I think, and it comes out in these threads. Trying to be chill whilst teaching a skill that has the potential to destroy a lot of your house, constant hypervigilance, over investment in results/training technique. Made me a bit crazy. But my best piece of advice is trying to remain patient and not react too strongly either way. Yes praise but not ott, one of mine got quite despondent about accidents after a while and stopped trying so hard. I’ve found a more neutral attitude has taken the pressure off but every now and again I just struggle to maintain that when she’s mostly reliable then suddenly shits in her pants when close to a potty…

minisoksmakehardwork · 01/01/2023 12:51

Keep going! Potty training can be a long process - my eldest ddwas dry very quickly but poo was another matter. My eldest ds didn't get dry until just before school.

Pull ups definitely helped from a convenience pov. Especially once they knew how to pull their clothes up and down. Much less mess! I always thought I'd never use them but they were easier when out and about.

Proper knickers and nothing else on the bottom half at home - less clothes to faff with. Also, easier on the washing!

Praise and reward for getting it right. Calm and breezy when there are accidents.

As your dd is limited verbally, I'd also recommend picture cards - one for a wee and one for a poo - Eric the continence site uses a yellow drop and the poo emoji type images.

Show her the relevant card for the toilet she has just done - even if it's in a pull up or nappy as she will begin to associate the feeling with the image. Keep them visible and near an easily accessible potty (we had them upstairs and down) so she can point to the picture as she learns which one she has done (encourage by pointing yourself) and can learn to tell you which one she needs.

And nursery have to follow the same method you use at home for consistency.

PritiPatelsMaker · 01/01/2023 12:52

Good Luck @Sugarfree23. I've already failed that one

Sugarfree23 · 01/01/2023 12:53

@Beginningless yes potty training is very stressful.
I took the advice of a nanny friend and potty trained DC1 in summer outside- who cares about wee on the grass.
DC2 I couldn't get a decent weekend so kept them in the area of house with hard floors and removed the rugs

PritiPatelsMaker · 01/01/2023 12:59

I took the advice of a nanny friend and potty trained DC1 in summer outside- who cares about wee on the grass.

That's what I've always done too

Original poster

Maternityleavelady · 01/01/2023 19:52

minisoksmakehardwork · 01/01/2023 12:51

Keep going! Potty training can be a long process - my eldest ddwas dry very quickly but poo was another matter. My eldest ds didn't get dry until just before school.

Pull ups definitely helped from a convenience pov. Especially once they knew how to pull their clothes up and down. Much less mess! I always thought I'd never use them but they were easier when out and about.

Proper knickers and nothing else on the bottom half at home - less clothes to faff with. Also, easier on the washing!

Praise and reward for getting it right. Calm and breezy when there are accidents.

As your dd is limited verbally, I'd also recommend picture cards - one for a wee and one for a poo - Eric the continence site uses a yellow drop and the poo emoji type images.

Show her the relevant card for the toilet she has just done - even if it's in a pull up or nappy as she will begin to associate the feeling with the image. Keep them visible and near an easily accessible potty (we had them upstairs and down) so she can point to the picture as she learns which one she has done (encourage by pointing yourself) and can learn to tell you which one she needs.

And nursery have to follow the same method you use at home for consistency.

These picture cards sound great, thank you! Couldn’t find them on the ERIC website but maybe I can just print my own

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