any tips for potty training - what do I need?

[newlark]

dd is 2.5 and am thinking about going for it next week if the weather is ok (so we can go in the garden).

I have a potty and ten pairs of "big girl pants". What else do I need? Any tips? How many spare sets of clothes etc will I need to send to nursery (she'll be there on Thurs and Fri) and I plan to start on Monday.

A bit nervous about doing this but have to tackle it sometime

Lots of trousers that she can easily pull down, or skirts that she can easily lift up! And spare socks - never realised that socks often get wet as well, sometimes shoes too.

Some kind of incentive - stickers to work towards a reward or similar.

Good luck!

Febreze or similar if you have carpets - you can't spend ALL day in the garden, and Sod's Law dictates even if you try she WILL have an accident the only time she crosses a stretch of carpet.

Possibly a toddler loo insert in case she turns out to be one who refuses a potty in favour of the big toilet.

Picante has a good point re shoes - washable shoes of some description, Doodle-type things or Crocs. DD had an accident at school the other day because PE (on the outdoor climbing frame) was just TOO exciting, and her plimsolls had to go in the wash.

I sent two sets of spare clothes to nursery when DD was training. The first day she came home in nursery clothes, having wet her original set of clothes and both spares. After that she needed a single spare set on no more than three occasions.

I'd recommend doing without trousers/skirt if you can, even pulling loose trousers down or a skirt up (actually to this day DD pulls skirts DOWN to go to the loo) can be a challenge too far for a potty training toddler.

And definitely stickers! Good luck.

good point on the shoes and socks - doubt it will be warm enough to be running around barefoot. will skip the trousers for the first day or so. She likes stickers so will stock up on some nice glittery ones...

i started dd last week and we had 3 days bare bottomed, then progressed to just pants, now she is dressed but has had 2 accidents today so plenty of spare pants/clothes needed.

I got a Potette Plus potty last week and started potty training on Tuesday and its really great. Cost £12 at Boots (did not shop around) which I though was a lot but a friend recommended it so I just went for it and I'm glad.

Its a potty without a bottom and it comes with bags so you put the bag over the potty and then you can just chuck the bag away and have no yucky potty to wash. This was great because we went out as usual and took it along. She used it in a park when there was a queue for the toilet (so we just went around the back of the building) and in the car park. Its great because you don't have to worry about looking for a loo anywhere and / or if the public loo is dirty I prefer using it. You can also fold it out and put it on the toilet which is what I do at home.

You need the patience of a saint...gawd I hate potty training at the moment. I swear DS2 (nearly 2yo) will get it before DS1 (nearly 4yo) does! Grrrrrr

Potette is handy - friend told me a nappy sack with a big sanitary towel in the bottom makes a very effective and cheaper replacement liner, but we never used ours enough to need to try that one!

If no Potette, or caught without it, the angle at which you hold out a little girl to pee behind a bush is vital - thighs must be angled downwards, or wet socks will result!

Other members of the family may require spare clothes as well as relevant child - DD peed on DH's lap just before he went out to work!

THe patience of a Saint

Oops, X posts with Washersaurus

I hate PT as well

However dd2 is on day 4 now with 1 accident so far so maybe my luck is changing...

right - have ordered cheap crocs and a potette online - have some maternity pads left over from ds2 which I can use with nappy sacks as liners so that is a useful tip - thanks! All ready for Monday I think...