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Potty training

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

3 y/o won't stop wetting herself

42 replies

st201 · 31/07/2023 15:46

My DD is coming up to 3 1/2 y/o, we've been potty training since Jan/Feb whilst she was in the 2-3 y/o room in her nursery, where she was completely dry and beginning to crack #2s. When she moved down to the preschool room (ages 3+) she regressed and started wetting herself. Nursery said that this was normal, due to the change in caregivers, and the change in classrooms, and that in a few weeks she would pick right back up, however, this was April. We are now almost in August, and her wetting has gotten worse, not better. Every week for 3 months, we would start off with 6-10 changes, by Friday it would drop to 1-2, with none on the weekends. Now, we are on 6-10 changes every single weekday, and 1-3 on weekends.
I don't find nursery that helpful as they have no answers or suggestions. I feel like every method we try works at home, but then I get handed bags and bags of wet laundry every weekday. I've thought about taking time off work to try to crack it, but then that's not going to solve the nursery issue, as I know she'll go back and start wetting again.
Nursery has now suggested I speak to the Dr, so I have a telephone appointment, but sadly not for 3 weeks. I don't feel like this is a medical issue though, as she was almost fully trained in the other room.
She fully understands the concept of using the toilet, and she still does all her #2s on the toilet, but I'm at a complete loss for how to get her dry.
We've tried reward charts, etc. but they don't seem to work.
Any advice or support would be appreciated.

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Bemyclementine · 31/07/2023 15:48

Surely she just needs prompting more? Ihad this with ds2. Pre school would ask him if he needed to go. He'd say no. Then wet himself. It took AGES before they agreed to just tell him to go.

00100001 · 31/07/2023 15:49

Well, maybe she just wasn't actually fully trained and isn't ready.

I'd stop tbh, Put her in pull ups for a few weeks and start again in about 2-3+ weeks.

Or go back to basics and start again with new bottom, potty with her etc.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 31/07/2023 16:23

Rule out a UTI. Personally I'd push for a sooner appt in case it is one.

Pull ups and start over. Don't ask , she just needs to be taken or told to go to the toilet every hour , before you go out.

FearlessMumma · 31/07/2023 17:03

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st201 · 31/07/2023 18:03

She actually won’t go in pull ups or nappies, as she says she’s a grown up now.

I will try going back to basics and see if it makes a difference.

The concept of potty training is there, but the issue seems to lie primarily when she’s in nursery.

OP posts:
st201 · 31/07/2023 18:05

I think I can get that checked without an appointment, but I will definitely get it looked at to rule out.

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st201 · 31/07/2023 18:08

I do think that may be part of the issue. I think they wait for her to ask, or just ask if she needs to go.

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FearlessMumma · 31/07/2023 18:10

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st201 · 31/07/2023 18:13

Thank you. I’ll have a chat with them tomorrow and make sure we are reinforcing at home.

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LilyLemonade · 31/07/2023 18:17

Maybe she doesn’t like the toilets at the nursery?

Market1 · 31/07/2023 18:18

st201 · 31/07/2023 18:03

She actually won’t go in pull ups or nappies, as she says she’s a grown up now.

I will try going back to basics and see if it makes a difference.

The concept of potty training is there, but the issue seems to lie primarily when she’s in nursery.

she "won't go in pull ups" 😂She is 3! She goes in if you put her in.

Pull ups and taking to the toilet regularly, and GP appointment

FirstDayOfHoliyays · 31/07/2023 18:19

She'll go in a nappy if you put her in one. Because she's 3 ffs 🤣.

FearlessMumma · 31/07/2023 18:19

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beamss · 31/07/2023 18:19

Pull ups are nappies and basically saying you've given up.

I would do a form of weekend boot camp. No trousers or knickers for three straight days and really make sure she gets it.

Read Oh Crap!

Bibbitybobbitty · 31/07/2023 18:21

Doesn't sound as if she was fully TT as not yet able to take herself to the toilet, lots of children regress for a period but this is too many accidents to just ignore.
Get checked to rule out a UTI. Then
I'd take a step back & put her in pull ups for a couple of weeks - when she doesn't like it you tell her that being in big girl pants means all wees need to go in potty/toilet so until she can manage that she needs to wear pull ups, you'll probably find this focuses her because she won't like it! Back to square 1 taking her to use toilet regularly etc., she's d9ne it already so likely a few days will reset things.
're Nursery ask them to start telling her she needs to go & try, perhaps not every 30mins but definitely if they know she's had a big drink then an hour later, before lunch, before going outside to play etc. Children will often say they don't need because they simply don't want to move away from.playing but adults can tell them we need to stop & do this then we come back to play.

YallaYallaaa · 31/07/2023 18:22

We had this (related to a new baby, I think).

A star chart with a promise of new pants with Elsa on them for a week with no accidents cracked things.

Jellycats4life · 31/07/2023 18:23

The problem is obviously nursery.

Are three year olds expected to take themselves off to the bathroom fully independently? That could be one issue. Maybe there’s also a reason why she is reluctant to use the bathroom at nursery. Maybe it’s dirty or smelly or children misbehave in there. There could be all manner of issues tbh.

st201 · 31/07/2023 18:24

She takes them off. She’d rather be running around naked from the bottom down, than wear them in the day. She’s 3, if she doesn’t want to wear something, it comes off.

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st201 · 31/07/2023 18:27

It’s not that they take themselves independently, but they do seem to be expected to ask the staff if they want to go.
The toilets do seem very clean, but obviously we can’t monitor what happens in the day, etc.
They are different toilets to the ones used in the younger ages rooms, so I wonder if it’s that.

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Danikm151 · 31/07/2023 18:28

Nursery need to be saying time for the toilet. There’s so much going on she probably has fomo!

another suggestion- pants under a pullup that way she’ll feel wet and you’ll save on washing. We were about to do this when my son cracked it

Mammajay · 31/07/2023 18:32

With our 3yr old she often says she doesn't want to go then we say just try your best e.g before we go to the park and she will after a bit of nagging and mostly will wee. Perhaps ask the nursery to persuade her to try every two hours preferably when something happens like outdoor play

st201 · 31/07/2023 18:36

I’ll read that.

I agree, I think pull ups feel like giving up.

I’ll go back to basics with her over the weekend.

OP posts:
Market1 · 31/07/2023 23:20

st201 · 31/07/2023 18:24

She takes them off. She’d rather be running around naked from the bottom down, than wear them in the day. She’s 3, if she doesn’t want to wear something, it comes off.

Teach her to do as she is told

Bemyclementine · 01/08/2023 04:47

Shes moved to a new room/area with possibly new friends and new things to do/play with.

I found at home, I would say "try for a wee before we go out/have lunch/whatever" so ds was being prompted several times throughout the day. Often he was adamant he didn't need to go right there and then, but always could go.

Somewhereovertherainbowweighapie · 01/08/2023 04:54

If she is fine at home and it’s just that she is distracted at nursery and simply needs reminding it’s very simple to solve.

Only send one change of clothes. It’s easier for staff to send all the wet clothes home and not set a routine for toileting. If they have to deal with finding spare clothes and washing them your daughter will get more assistance.

When I worked in a nursery all the kids of that age regardless of how they were going with toilet training were sent to the toilet at certain times as part of the routine. If the staff are just being lazy let them do the extra laundry.

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