Cold turkey approach, how long to success?

[mumbot]

Hi, we've started potty training with DC (2.4) and had lots of accidents on day one, some potty wees on day 2 and more on day 3. There are still lots accidents but more recognition of needing a wee and some success in getting to potty on time with each day.

If you took the cold turkey approach (getting rid of nappies completely apart from at night), how long did it take for your DC to master it?

xxxx

Just what I was going to ask, except my DS is nearly a year older. We're on day 3 too.

Not sure we're making as much progress as you. Most accidents on day 1, but as many today as yesterday, and he's never said he needs to go - has to be persuaded (very hard) to sit on the potty (is refusing loo). Sticker charts completely don't work for him - he likes them as a reward but they totally don't work as an incentive. If he really doesn't want to do something, he'd much rather forego the sticker.

Sorry, I'm in danger of hijacking. Feeling a bit wound up, but really only meant to say 'Me too!' Good luck for tomorrow.

Hi there, thanks so much for your post, great to hear someone going through the same experience. It's very 'eau de wee' here!

I bought some little presents and wrapped them up, that seems to be helping a little for rewards but it's very stressful. Feel like I need a massive glass of wine but I'm pregnant with DC2 so can't, now where's that choccy?

sounds silly but i decided that since we were doing the cold turkey approach then really i should make it an intensive crash course to get in the swing of things!

i only ever give ds water, so i gave him squash on day 2 of potty training because it didnt seem to be going well. he decided he lvoed squash and drank cup after cup after cup. everytime he did a wee in the potty he got a sticker and a chocolate button, and at first i just was persuading him to sit on there, but because he had drunk so much there was a high chance he would do a wee whilst he was on the potty.

at the end of that day there were over 20 stickers on the chart and he was well chuffed. next day no squash but we stayed at home and he was fine no accidents at all. that was in august, and we've probably had about 5 accidents since then in total!

he was 1 month away from 3 when we did it though so maybe age makes a difference? i dont know, am definitely planning to do the next one earlier though

DD (2.9) went from all accidents on Day 1 to 50:50 by Day 3 & 4. Definitely cracked it on Day 5 - 1 accident plus she would go to the potty herself without prompting, pull her pants down and when finished, jump up & shout "I've done it!" to much applause and the obligatory chocolate buttons. We've had no accidents since - so, ime I would give it at least a week.

How's it going, Mumbot?

I think we've made progress today, although I think that's because we found a better bribe, rather than because he's really getting the idea.

He was much easier to persuade on to the potty/loo today, but still wasn't volunteering to go, and needed reminding of the bribe before he would.

But only one small accident and 4 in the right place after only a few minutes of sitting. So I think we'll call that progress, although it still feels like a long way to go. I feel as if we're always nagging him to sit on the potty and I've always hated it when I heard other parents doing that. Ah well.

First day at nursery without nappies tomorrow - will wait results with interest.

Hi selby thanks so much for your story, feels like there's hope after all!

Hi lovage first day at nursery without nappies for us too, this morning he said he needed a wee on his potty

Then when we put him on it, he said 'I can't do it' then peed all over the floor!! Not as many accidents yesterday (day 4) although a messy no.2 in pants

It's getting marginally better but I'm hoping that when he sees the other children sitting on the potty he will want to do it too.

I also feel like I'm nagging him, it must be so much pressure and I've said 'do you need a wee wee?' so much over the past 4 days that I'm fearful I'm going to say it to someone at work!!

Let me know how you're getting on, good luck!

Five days, I think. I didn't do rewards, because I'd heard it could add another layer of stress if you see what I mean. I also found that I had to stop asking DD whether she wanted to go.

I bet seeing the other children will help!

A bit discouraged here.

First day at nursery was pretty rubbish - 4 accidents, including a poo-ey one and only 2 in the loo. Today (at home with me) he seems to have discovered an iron bladder - only peed twice in 11 hours, once on potty, one in trousers 10 minutes after he'd been sitting on the potty for ages. I think he doesn't know how to let go, IYSWIM.

He's also noticeably eating and drinking less, which I'm sure is connected, and is quite worrying - not because I think he'll waste away (he'll eat when he's hungry enough) but because that suggests he's stressed about it.

It's so hard not to get into a battle of wills about getting him to sit on the potty.

The one encouraging thing I'm taking from today is that he can go 5 hours without a pee (wish I could!), so I think I can nag him a lot less frequently. Wish I didn't end up nagging at all, but I run out of patience and ideas for ways to make it fun. Doesn't help that DS2 is waking a lot at night so I'm knackered.

Ah well, I daresay he'll be toilet trained by the time he's 18. Only 15 more years to go.

Hi, first day at nursery very much the same as you, all accidents, second day the same but with more recognition that he needed a wee. Third day and a few wees on the potty at nursery but lots of accidents too.

Getting there slowly, he's also waking at nights (2am last night) so I'm sure that has something to do with it too.

Nursery recommended sticking with it, can take a few weeks to sink in.

Think we may have some progress here, due to inflating the bribes. He now gets a matchbox type car each time he does one more pee in the potty than last time (currently on 4 pees = 1 car) I don't approve of bribing children! But it seems to be working and nothing else was. No idea whether he'll always expect cars for pees, but am hoping that by the time he gets to 12 pees = 1 car, he'll be in the habit anyway and forget about the cars. If not, we're going to have an insane number of cars for the baby to choke on.

He's still having quite a lot of accidents, but today he actually volunteered that he needed to go, for the first time ever, which was extremely encouraging.

Sounds a similar story here too Lovage - we are on day ten of training with my DS (2.5) and I had to resort to bribes (trying to call them rewards as sounds better in my head!) He is fine and accident free if I'm with him but at pre-school last Friday he didn't go once in his potty (held it in for half the day and then had two accidents) My concern is that I'm constantly asking if he needs a wee or cajoling him into sitting on the potty to the extent that he isn't grasping the concept of going himself. Wondering whether to stop suggesting he go and see what happens...?

Hi, I am taking comfort from the varied results here with potty training. My DD is 2.8mths and was doing fine with pull ups at nursery and going on the potty so they told me to go for it she is ready. Fab I thought, 7days later I have a grumpy little DD refusing completely to sit on potty no amount of stickers seems to help now. She did brilliantly on the first morning, 4 hours, 4 pottys with wee in, then it went down hill.... we are luckly if we get one on the potty normally she giggle dances I ask if she wants to go NO... then has accident 2 mins later then same at home and at nursery. Am at a loss on what to do as do not want to stress her out but she is very stubbon and has been on all her things (i.e never took a bottle as a baby and it went from there....) Any ideas???