Are we mad for considering PT?

[mumofoliver]

My DS has just turned 3 and isn't really showing any signs of wanting to be potty trained. All his friends are and this doesn't bother him, he has done occasional wees and poos on the potty but we haven't forced him to try and just suggest it and if he seems keen then we put him on. He sometimes also tells us when he is doing a wee or a poo but he doesn't like having his nappy changed (interferes with his playing!) so sometimes he wouldn't say anything.

Saying all that, we are gearing up to train him over this weekend. Partly because he can be lazy and we haven't really pushed him, partly because he can't go up to the next class at nursery until he is PT and all his friends have moved up (which sometimes bothers him) and partly because we have just been moved to fortnightly rubbish collections and with DD (10 months) in nappies too, I can't bear the thought/stench of a wheely bin full of nappies in summer!

But I am worried that he hasn't decided he is ready and so it may be exceedingly hard work. I did take him to buy pants this week and he was excited and does make the occasional comment about if he wears pants he will be a good boy. Please can you let me have your thoughts and any tips?

Could you put it to ds that it will be much quicker to use the potty than have his nappy changed, so he can get back to his play sooner? Especially if the potty is close by? Appeal to his sense of vanity wearing smart pants and being like his friends? Could you pop dd on a potty at the same time now and again so that he doesn't feel singled out?

My feeling is you will never know until you try, and with a child who doesn't appear bothered or a bit lazy you need to be pro-active and do the whole cold-turkey training programme. I bet once he realises there is nothing to catch his accidents, he will use the potty instead. While wearing nappies the attitude becomes complacent, because the nappy will catch it, so why should he bother?

Hi, my I've been doing pt for 5 days now with my DS who is 2.10yrs. He had shown no real interest in beginning potty training, but had shown all other signs of being ready to train.
So like you I thought what the hell lets just try it.
He has responded really well. On the first day he got a malteser for every success and on the second day we moved to a sticker chart with five stars for a malteser. Because he started squeezing out a drop every 5 mins to get a choc!
He has found the whole process quite tiring and a little stressfull. So I would advise you to have at least 4 very quiet days.
So go for it! I'll be checking in here to see how you get on.

Forgot to say, the Gina Ford Potty Training in a week is a really good practical read. Though don't expect it to be done in a week!

I got up Monday morning 2 weeks ago and decided 'today's the day!'
I'd already bought DS (2.7) some Pixar Cars pants and stickers, so I got them out, made a huge deal of how cool they were, and told him he could stick a sticker on the piece of paper on the wall by his potty every time he had a wee on the potty.
By 10.30 he'd been through 4 pairs of pants, I was ready to give up, but I didnt, even when he cried to have a nappy back on. I just distracted him with things, it was a loooong, difficult day!
Then again on the tuesday I put him back in pants, he only had one accident, but it did take me asking him constantly if he needed a wee!
He was rubbish when it came to poos and would do it in his nappy as soon as he woke up, before he put pants on!

We stayed in the house for 3 days and then went to town on the 4th day with 4 changes of clothes in a bag! But, we didn't need them, he didnt wee til we got home.

Now he's fully trained, wees and poos, and we've only had the odd accident over the last week.
He's going to bed in a nappy on a night but having a nap during the day in pants.

He wasn't showing any signs of being ready but I know he's quite lazy and if I waited for him we'd never do it!
I just stuck to my guns, didnt give in, lots and lots of over the top praise, distraction and patience!
I was dreading it but now I wonder whether he would have done it sooner if I'd tried.

He cuddled me today after he'd had a wee and said 'Mummy, you're so very proud of me!'
I really am!

Give it a go, you won't know unless you try!

HTH

Thank you all so much for your messages - I think I was just after reassurance that it would be OK (eventually - I am not expecting him to be trained straight away obviously!). And Easter is such a good weekend as then DH can share the pain that we will inevitably go through

Fingers crossed for you!

The other thing we did, on the saturday before I asked DS if he wanted to wear 'big pants' and he said no so I suggested wearing them over his nappy, he agreed so he spent the day having pants over his nappy and then again on the sunday. Then on the Monday morning I said 'do you want to put your pants on?' he said yes, thinking I meant over his nappy, but I just whipped them on! By the time he'd realised he didnt have a nappy on I'd already got toys out to distract him!

And don't put off going out either, DS was better when we were out as he really didnt want to wet himself in the middle of town!

Let us know how you get on.

I thought I would post 10 days later to let people know how we got on. The answer is . . . . . . brilliantly! He was dry by day 4 and the only accidents since have been at nursery (either sleep time or a long way away from a potty or a loo).

he really took to it, much more than I thought - even the night before, eh refused to sit on the potty and I thought we were going to have a really tough weekend.

So, just in case anyone else is looking for inspiration, I'd say go for it!!!!