Potty training what are your top tips??

[flowerybeanbag]

We are going for it with DS1, 2.8, on Monday. We are going straight for pants, no pull-ups.

He's pretty good at going on the toilet already, does so first thing in the morning and at bathtime in the evening. He knows what's going to happen, is keen to wear his pants with fire engines and police cars on , and knows he needs to tell Mummy or Daddy or our nanny if he needs a wee. He's also usually got a dry nappy in the mornings but we're not worrying about nights yet and will put him in a nappy to go to bed - is that right?

What are your top tips for doing this as easily and quickly as possible?

have a few days in the house with no pants on and free access to the potty and keep pestering him about needing to go.

If only the ole fish was around for a potty training bootcamp!

yes you're right you have to go by the child. Like walking they'll do it when they're ready and as long as you are all aware of the signs and he's happy GREAT. Going out I always took pull ups and may also say to the c "we may need to be away for a long time do you think it's a good idea to wear a pull up" so he's not embarrassed by an accident i know it's easier for boys of course. Good luck

thanks! He still has an hour and a half or so nap in the afternoon, do you reckon put him back in a nappy for that?

Another thing don't be in a rush, or get cross with him children pick up on this very easily.

def put him in a nappy for naps for a while until your sure they're consistently dry when you wake him!

the thing that worked best for dc3 (who was rubbish at it!) was having toilet sweeties! smarties worked really well for him! probably not the best parenting but he got 1 sweet for doing a wee in the toilet and 2 for a poo!!

((prepares to be flamed for bribing her son to go on the toilet))

We have Bob the Builder stickers for bribery. He gets one each time he does a wee on the toilet and knows it's two for a poo - he's done that once.

Flowery; If he's usually dry after his nap then don't bother maybe he can go to the loo before it, if he's been drinking more than usual.

Thanks

The only trouble with his nap is that I'm not always able to go up and get him immediately he wakes up, as I have a 12 week old DS as well. I don't leave DS1 long obviously, and if he cries I go and get him immediately, but if I'm feeding DS2 and DS1 wakes up and starts talking to his toys or singing or whatever, I leave him a few minutes.

Maybe I'll go with the nappy at nap time for a couple of days and see how he gets on. I know he is able to hold it for quite a while as he has before.

I would say take off the night nappy and the nap one too. Having one on sometimes and off sometimes is confusing for a child. They are trying to learn a new habit and this can only be done if it's practiced all the time. Chopping and changing just prolongs the agony learning process.

I did this with my 5 DCs, took off the nappies and never looked back. I left a potty beside the bed for when they woke after a nap (none of them were really regular nappers by 2.5 though), and for first thing in the morning or if they needed to go in the night. I put large, thick, folded towels in their beds. I also switched them to pjs that they could easily pull down themselves. And bribery; you can get a lot accomplished by little bribes.

I used a book called Toilet Training in Less Than A Day, by Azrin and Fox; the title grabbed me initially and I found the method worked very nicely.