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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.

Original poster

How do you know when they are ready?

79 replies

Summermeadowflowers · 13/10/2023 19:25

DS is 2 years and 10 months. Most of his friends are toilet trained and I have to admit I’m feeling pressured.

But he just doesn’t seem remotely interested. He won’t tell you if he needs to see or poo and while he’ll sit on the potty for ages he never does anything on it. Tried putting him in pants and that didn’t work!

I am a bit worried because it feels like without his cooperation well never get anywhere and he isn’t famed for being cooperative!

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comfyshoes2022 · 15/10/2023 01:59

anothernameanotherproblem · 13/10/2023 21:45

Going against the grain here - I'm sure he's ready. It's something you need to teach him. You wouldn't expect to be able to hand him a bike and say ok cycle. Or a book and expect him to read? So sitting him on a potty is the same. You have to teach him. There are various books for both you and picture books for him. We have Pirate Pete's Potty. Assuming he is chatting enough to have a conversation with (I know my 2.5yr old would be but appreciate they're all different) just explain to him nappies are for babies so no more nappies, pees and poos in the potty. And mean it. Nappies are gone and no putting one on to go to the park/shops/whatever. Have him naked (or half naked, bit cold for naked now) and the first pee might be on the floor but just grab him and stick him on the potty. Praise etc. Until you tell him to identify that feeling of peeing and what action to take he's not going to know.

I potty trained my two at 23m and 21m. Surprisingly the younger one was a million times easier. First two days there was a fair bit of clean up but by the evening of the second day it somehow clicked and he's never looked back. Took a wee bit longer with my daughter but again we're talking a week or so not months.

I agree with all of this. We did the Oh Crap method, and it worked beautifully for us.

Caspianberg · 15/10/2023 05:56

Also, are you already sitting him on the toilet to get him used to it, even if not training?

We had toilet seat from about 14-15 months, and firstly I would put him on toilet after he had a bath in evening (so every other evening). Then after a few months I added every morning after I took night nappy off. He would then wee some mornings on toilet or after bath from about 18 months. He wasn’t toilet trained, but it meant when I started at 2 he had no fear of the toilet as was used to sitting and trying, and already knew the concept of attempting to wee.
Once ‘ trained’ he was then dry day and night but it still involved adults taking him often and reminding the first 6 months or so. Then gradually he would then tell us more and more often himself when he needed to go.

So a bit like your drawing example, you wouldn’t just give them paper and crayon at 4 and expect them to draw a person. You give children paper and Crayons for about 2-3 years worth of scribbling and mark making before they have practiced holding crayon and drawing accurate lines.

Original poster
Summermeadowflowers · 15/10/2023 08:36

Thanks. He definitely isn’t scared of the toilet, he seems to enjoy sitting on it and on the potty. But he never seems to actually do anything!

I think I will talk to nursery about it with a view to training on or just before he turns 3.

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Original poster
Summermeadowflowers · 15/10/2023 19:10

I tried tonight but nothing in nearly two hours. No idea whether he’ll eventually do something or not.

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