No idea how to start

[Elderflowerraspberry]

My two and a half year old doesn’t seem remotely interested in potty training, but equally is showing signs of being ready. He often seems to want to take his nappy off and wee or poo somewhere he shouldn’t (the floor - thank goodness for wooden flooring ) so I suspect he can hold it to a point.

I am due a baby next month and part of me would love to crack it before then. However, the timing probably isn’t ideal in another way. But then I keep reading summer is the best time - arghh. Any suggestions or pointers? Leave it? Persevere with it?

You'll hear a lot of different approaches over this but if it were me, with a month to go, I'd give it a go - I do believe if you leave it too late you miss 'the window' and just store up problems down the line.
Just take the nappy away. In this weather you can just use pants, no trousers, that's the beauty of this weather! Don't be too quick to change accidents, let him feel he is wet and just use a calm 'oh dear never mind'
Lots of stickers, lots of rewards.

If he's ready he will crack it. He may regress a little for attention (mine did!!!) when the baby arrives but the basics will be there.

I work with many many three plus year olds who are still in nappies and while it isn't a criticism, they take longer to get it than the ones trained earlier, I think because they get used to the feeling of weeing in a nappy, the awareness is there, but nappies are just so dry these days they never have the discomfort of being wet so they carry on playing - why stop!

Thanks - i don’t think he’d be bothered at all by an accident, it’s just actually getting him to sit on the potty, which I know sounds a bit daft but he will sit on it for seconds and then dash off. Or put it on his head In your experience, does taking the nappy away help with that? He attends nursery for three days a week, do I just send him in pants? And what about night time?

I agree with Spaniel

Also, if you are guessing he is about to wee or poo get a story book or two and get him to sit on the potty while you read to him

That way he will be in the "right place" and listening to the story and it will happen naturally without stress

If you want to go down the sticker chart route then make a grid on a piece of paper for days of the week. Then get done stickers and wee = 1 sticker and poo = 2 stickers

At the end of the week or when the chart is full he gets a small surprise or treat or present or special something to eat or drink or special outing to somewhere like play park etc etc or anything you like given that you are 8 months pregnant.

I don't know what ever counts as something a little bit special to him and your family but not over the top as it will be repeated the next week etc

I don’t think he’d really grasp the concept of stickers as rewards - he would probably like some chocolate buttons or similar but the battle at the moment is that he hasn’t to date sat long enough on the potty to produce anything!

You can download and read the first three chapters of, ' oh crap, potty training!' Book free on Amazon (kindle edition). It Mount be enough to get you started. It basically says to have them naked for three days. The learning going from - I have peed to I am peeing to I am going to pee. Being naked let's then see it, removes and nappy like feeling and lets you watch for their pee signal. After that, it's a month of trousers but no pants to break the link of nappies catching pee. I'm starting next week with my 2 year old. Good luck!

Both of mine were trained by taking nappy away and leaving them naked from waist down, then watching like a hawk for 3 days. Its quite boring staying in and that close to them, bit it's done quickly.

Just explain calmly that from now on, wees and poos go in the potty, listen to your body, it will tell you, then go. I'll be here to help.

Poos took much much longer for both of mine, but they all get there in the end!

Ok if the sitting still is the problem make it an enjoyable option

If you don't have many books go to the library and get some "new" story books that you think he will enjoy listening to and use the potty as a time when he has your complete attention to read books to him. So put the potty near to a chair for you to sit on so you are comfortable

Use silly voices for the characters, if needed.

If you don't think stickers will work use chocolate buttons Wee = 1 poo = 2 or however many you want him to have

I realise it is bribing him but if it works then worth it in the end

Summer is a good time. As he's a boy I'd get his Dad to 'show' him. That helped with my son. We had a portable potty but he liked going to the 'big boy toilet' like his father (step up and smaller seat on top).
He was two and a half and it was done in less than a week and dry overnight about a week later. He had one terrible poo accident which was so traumatic for both of us never happened again! But they need to go as soon as they say they do so scoping out where toilets are when out will become second nature - as well as bringing a change of clothing!
I basically took nappy off and asked him regularly (though not constantly) if he needed to go. Lots of praise with successes, a little shrug and no fuss when he had an accident. The overnight thing just seemed to come naturally- after a few nights of dry nappies I just left them off.

Oh I’m all for bribery - I just am a bit worried reading these suggestions as they unfortunately just won’t work.

For stories he sits on me, there’s no way he’d sit on a potty while I read to him. He’s just never still!

Try a fidget toy while sitting on the potty if you don't think he'd sit for a story. Make it one he only gets to play with while he's on the potty. Once he gets up, remove it. Give it a name - Potty fidget or whatever!
Have a surprise box with several things inside, if he does a wee on the potty, you will have a delve in the 'magic box' and see what's in it!
Try and make sitting on the potty fun, something to look forward to, not something that interrupts his play and irritates him.
As for nursery, yep, give it a few days at home and if you feel he's getting it, send him to Nursery in pants and easy removable bottoms (joggers/shorts) with some spare clothes.
Huge fuss for successes, no fuss at all for accidents.
Night time dryness is a totally different skill and will come in its own time, sometimes it's at the same time, others it's much later, my DS wasn't dry at night until he was 5. And that's ok.
I've been in Early Years a long time, these are just a few things that work for us!

We’re just about to try to start with our two year old. She’s showing all the signs and so we’ve booked a week off work where one of us will always be watching her like a hawk!! Does anyone know if that works?!?!