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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.

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Original poster

When to start?

9 replies

skinsl · 11/11/2009 13:14

DS just turned 2, not even going to bother trying until I think he is ready. Will I know when he is ready, or am I just putting it off?? I was thinking when he is about 5?!!!
Seriously, I was thinking more like 2 1/2 or 3.

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bogie · 11/11/2009 13:20

Ds was trained at 20 months I was out of nappies at 18 months.
DD is 15 months now and every couple of weeks I try her for a few hours with out a nappie atm she has no intrest in the potty so I will wait longer but I think the sooner the better as nappies are not cheap and its alot easier to nip them to the loo than find a baby change ect!
start by taking them everytime they wake up from a nap or in the morning and giving him a sticker of chocolate button when he wees on the potty, it should progress well from there.

Good luck

Original poster

skinsl · 11/11/2009 13:24

blimey thats early, well done!

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mummyfuss · 11/11/2009 14:28

I haven't potty trained any of my 3 children. My eldest dd decided a week or so after her 3rd birthday (just as I was going out shopping "no nappy, big girl nic nic's" - oh flip!) and only ever had 2 accidents. My youngest dd copied her big sister when she was just over 2, and my youngest son has just this past week (3yrs 1month) that he wears underpants now - and has also been dry at night for the past 3 nights. Honestly, don't stress it. A bit of encouragement is great, but I don't get the big deal or rush for potty training. JMO.

ramade · 12/11/2009 17:42

I agree, there is so much pressure put on parents when it comes to potty training. We had loads of pressure, irritating little comments and 'advice' about when and how to potty train. I feel for any mums who are trying to potty train under the watchful gaze of 'helpful' grandparents!

Our daughter started at 2years 7months. We started taking her to the toilet with us. She showed most of the signs that she was ready so we decided that when the last nappy in the pack was used, that would be it. No more nappies!

The first 2/3 days were very difficult (especially with 2 month baby to carry around!!) but once you accept that there are going to be accidents and relax about them, its a lot less stressful. We used chocolate stars as a reward and by the end of the week she had the hang of it. by week 3 she was asking to use it! after a while she started to forget to ask for a chocolate star and we phased them out.

It has been 3 months now and shes great at it!

ches · 13/11/2009 01:34

IMO the earlier you "start" the better. By start, I mean regular toilet breaks at times that will establish good habits. Before/after bed/naps, before/after going out, etc. Leave 'em in nappies in between and take them to the toilet if they ask. If you wait until 2.5 or 3, you're in the middle of a very self-assertive, independent stage. It's not conducive to putting them on the toilet when you want then to go.

brightongirldownunder · 13/11/2009 01:53

I agree Mummyfuss.
DD trained herself at 2.4 months. She wasn't ready before then. I tried everything and then gave up. So I just left the potty around wherever she was and kept her nappy off. She got fed up with having accidents. If something ended up in the potty I would congratulate her and give her a treat. Then we'd take the potty to the bathroom and wave goodbye to its contents. I always asked if she wanted to go to the toilet too, which has helped as she now prefers it to the potty - great when you're out and about.
Leave the door open when you are having a wee, so that Ds can see what you're doing. Maybe go out with him and buy a potty/toilet seat that he can choose. If it becomes something he dreads he won't do it, so I think the relaxed approach is far less stressful for you both.

Oh and DD decorated her potty with stickers to personalise it..

LadyLotty · 29/11/2009 21:03

I agree with ches - the earlier the better. my little boy started 'telling' us whenever he wanted to go to the toilet when he was a little over 3 months old. By 4 months he poo'd only when we changed nappies so there was never any mess stuck to his bottom. By 5 months he started trying to hold his pees and 'told' us whenever he wanted to go, and only did it once the nappy was opened up and a tissue placed on him. I don't know how he has learnt this, but apparently babies in the 3rd world countries are all potty trained very early, so perhaps all babies are capable of it way earlier than we think?

GrumpyYoungFogey · 29/11/2009 22:23

You should definitely be trying now.

To be honest, we were pretty lazy in our potty training (or so I thought). Introduced sitting on potty in morning and at bath-time (just to get them used to sitting there) from about 20/21 months. At the same time trying to see the signs of a poo and time toilet trips (without much success).

From about 22 months tried a day without nappies, persisting if there was one or more successful trips. If no success, try again a few weeks later.

Daughters were out of nappies at 23 and 26 months which I don't think is especially early. We certainly could have pushed it more.

I don't really understand this "wait until they are ready" concept. How do you know unless you try?

Original poster

skinsl · 30/11/2009 09:56

will go and buy the potty i think.
he's shown no interest, doesn't tell me when he's done anything, although i have been asking for months.
think i will try him and see what happens and take it from there.
added pressure now as nursery kinda want them trained before they go up into the next class.. arrgghh

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