Potty training a 2 year that isn't bothered when wet

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HereintheloveofChristIstand · 07/03/2025 14:39

He is 2. So young still and clearly not ready. Back off and leave it for a few months.

JustPoet · 07/03/2025 15:12

As above ☝🏻

MajorCarolDanvers · 07/03/2025 15:18

He’s not ready.

justanothercrapbedtime · 07/03/2025 15:22

2 is very young (especially for a boy I've found) to be potty training

Who is this being driven by you or him? Doesn't sound likes it's him so wait 12 months

Original poster

AlistairJ · 07/03/2025 15:35

I do understand what everyone is saying. The only reason we tried again is because he won't wear a nappy and he was sitting on his potty a lot by himself so we took that as a sign to try again. I'll give it a go trying to get him back in a nappy.

OP posts:

scrivette · 07/03/2025 15:36

Can you use pull ups - then he can sit on the potty if he wants to? Then lots of praise reward if he does go - but be led by him and don't start to properly train until later.

UpUpUpU · 07/03/2025 15:38

He isn’t ready. Can you try pull ups instead of nappies as a middle ground?

SatinHeart · 07/03/2025 15:49

How long have you been trying for this time round OP? My youngest had 10 full days of accidents without a single wee or poo in the potty before it suddenly clicked. So try and give it a good 2-3 weeks if you can before going back to nappies as he might be closer than you think.

BeFlakyStork · 07/03/2025 15:50

I potty trained my son when he was just turned two. We stayed at home for 3 days and put him in underwear, rather than completely bare. When he did a wee or poo, we put him straight on the potty, even if he was finished, so he made the association between them. He was pretty much trained by the end of the 3 days, bar the occasional accident / regression!

Whycanineverthinkofone · 07/03/2025 15:54

AlistairJ · 07/03/2025 10:37

Hi all we've started potty training our 2 year old boy it is are 2nd attempt but he just isn't bothered about being wet. He never cried about a wet or dirty nappy even as a newborn and I was just hoping someone might have some tips or tricks. We have gone completely nappy free so he can feel the accidents and I let him know if he's done a wee or a poo but he just doesn't seem to be bothered.

You have it backwards. It should be him letting you know when he’s done a wee or poo.

if he isn’t, it’s too early.

for most children they are reliable around 3x. From my own observations if you try to train earlier it takes longer. Generally they all end up reliably dry about the same age, 3-3.5, it doesn’t matter when you start.

Original poster

AlistairJ · 07/03/2025 22:17

SatinHeart · 07/03/2025 15:49

How long have you been trying for this time round OP? My youngest had 10 full days of accidents without a single wee or poo in the potty before it suddenly clicked. So try and give it a good 2-3 weeks if you can before going back to nappies as he might be closer than you think.

It's only day 4 thank you for saying this a lot of mums I've spoken to tell me it happens around day 3 I did think that was a bit quick we will give it a few more weeks.

OP posts:

Original poster

AlistairJ · 07/03/2025 22:21

Whycanineverthinkofone · 07/03/2025 15:54

You have it backwards. It should be him letting you know when he’s done a wee or poo.

if he isn’t, it’s too early.

for most children they are reliable around 3x. From my own observations if you try to train earlier it takes longer. Generally they all end up reliably dry about the same age, 3-3.5, it doesn’t matter when you start.

Show quote history

The issue is my son has never noticed when he was wet even as a newborn he has never cried about a wet or dirty nappy he knows when other people have but he just doesn't notice for himself. Also the major issue is he'll be going to preschool end of the year so we are starting early because I can't find a nursery that will accept him without being toilet trained

OP posts:

Original poster

AlistairJ · 07/03/2025 22:23

scrivette · 07/03/2025 15:36

Can you use pull ups - then he can sit on the potty if he wants to? Then lots of praise reward if he does go - but be led by him and don't start to properly train until later.

He's already in them and he has very sensitive skin so he's in Huggies pull ups they only do up to a size six and he's almost grown out of that one.

OP posts:

Bells3032 · 07/03/2025 22:35

We had this. she loved sitting on the potty but honest was quite happy weeing herself or doing a poop on the floor. We stopped and we realised the sitting on the potty was a game and she just didn't understand what to actually do on it. how do you describe peeing and pooping to someone that's never really thought about it before? In between times we'd ask if she wanted to sit on the toilet before bed or bath and sometimes she'd say yes and others no. One day she said yes and did a wee and we gave her tonnes of praise. the next day she asked before her bath so we did and another wee. more praise and after a few days we decided to do the training that weekend and it was still hard. still quite a few accidents for a good month or so afterwards and then it clicked. We still have the odd accident here and there usually when she's distracted and just doesn't get there on time but she's also learnt to tell us now (We trained in november) but we are talking one every few weeks now. fingers crossed less and less each time.

Whycanineverthinkofone · 08/03/2025 16:42

AlistairJ · 07/03/2025 22:21

The issue is my son has never noticed when he was wet even as a newborn he has never cried about a wet or dirty nappy he knows when other people have but he just doesn't notice for himself. Also the major issue is he'll be going to preschool end of the year so we are starting early because I can't find a nursery that will accept him without being toilet trained

Show quote history

It’s quite normal for babies not to know if they’re wet. Or at least not to have the skills to communicate that they’re wet.

remember modern day disposable nappies are so effective he may not even feel wet as the nappy absorbs it all.

neither of mine seemed to know or be bothered. I noticed that nappies were often dry for long periods, indicating a level of control at coming up to 3. By then their language skills were good enough where I could say a wee on the toilet got a chocolate button, and they caught on almost straight away. Took a day or two to completely go from nappies to pants.

by the end of the year there will be a huge difference in development. Try again in September and it’ll be much easier.