Ready to start? And how?

[coveredinsnot]

Hi all,

Some advice needed, please! My ds is a few days off 22 months old, and he's definitely aware of weeing and pooing. Not 100% sure if he knows he needs a poo before he has one, but knows afterwards and will ask me to change his nappy. He definitely knows how to control his bladder, as he will specifically wee and watch himself weeing and point at it and say 'wee wee' (although he'll never say beforehand that he needs a wee). We've only just started keeping his nappy off at home since yesterday, but he's refusing to sit on the potty at all (but loves putting it on his head like a hat...!). If I ask him if he needs a wee he'll just say 'no', and if I ask him if he wants to sit on his potty he'll say 'no' as well. We're not making a fuss, but are praising him loads if he does sit on it.

I'm wondering - is he ready? Should we wait a bit longer? We've only got this week off work then I'm back to the usual 3 days a week at work until Easter when I'll take a break. Should I wait till then? Or just give it a go now and see what happens?

Also, his potty is quite small and hard and I'm wondering what potties people have had success with and whether anyone can recommend one to us? Or whether you've had success with the seats you put on the loo?

Also - how do you potty train? Just do what we're doing? Keep asking, rewarding, getting him to sit on the potty? Do people use chocolate as a reward, or just praise, or other things? And what do you do when you go out???

This book is really good. Its not a how to, but will help you find your own way. It worked for me as both of mine were potty trained at just over 2.

Personally, I would leave it until he is happier sitting on the potty. Leave the potty out and see what happens.

Thanks!

We've had the potty for ages, and it's always out, but he doesn't ever seem to like sitting on it, and I'm wondering if it's because it's uncomfortable.

There are some expensive potties out there, but I'm just not sure whether an expensive, padded one is going to make a difference, or whether he's just not ready.

Ours have always used Wilko's finest. Some children though seem to take a dislike to pottys and go straight to the toilet. Have you tried him on there?

I got a potty for my DS and he only ever used it as a stacking and sorting toy. I wasn't going to start PT until that was over. but then got him a toilet seat and that was totally different. He was very happy to sit on the toilet seat (for often up to half an hour!) when someone read him stories or did wooden puzzles with him. He knew all his fruits and animals (wild and domestic) before he could talk! He was much younger (15 months) when he started always pooing in the toilet, and that's why it took him half an hour. He'd know it was coming but it would take a while to control it. At 22 months he was much more business-like.

Do not be put off by the "no." It is largely a symptom of his age and stage of development. He's just learning how to assert his own will (identification of "self") and is still quite pliable. Don't phrase it as a question, phrase it as something exciting to do, throw in "like mum" or "like dad" (take advantage of the mimicking stage) and he'll be a lot more positive.

If you can get a step-stool and let him stand up to wee in front of the toilet "like dad", you may find he takes to it very well as it's a bit of fun. You can even throw in targets (a handful of cereal, though DS was always motivated by a square of toilet paper!).

Even at 14 months DS didn't fit on any potties, which was one of the reasons we went for the toilet seat insert. He still has to be positioned well on the toilet seat, but can now point his willy down himself (only sits to poo). We did find the Fisher-Price Froggy Friend potty to work well and that's what we use at night. He doesn't have to aim with that, but refuses to even consider pooing in it. He doesn't really have memory of pooing in nappies (other than his friends "poo on themself" at nursery) and it is well entrenched on his mind that the toilet is the only place for poo.