Toddler Toilet Training help! (merged)

Dormouse

Glad to hear of your success, moggins

I've been following this thread for a while, in preparation for my little guy's potty training, and now it looks like it's happening :eek: For about a week now, he's been peeing in his potty (or even the big loo) pretty much every time I ask him to, and he gets a sticker every time he produces something. He's only 23 months, so I'm actually quite surprised he's doing so well -- didn't expect him to. I'm now thinking about putting him into proper pants and seeing how that goes, but I'm really scared!

I've been following the Gina Ford potty training book (controversial author, I know, and this is the first time I've used any of her books) and she says that once you put them into pants, you should never put them into pull-ups (apart from sleeptimes), as it would confuse them and the training would take ages. I'm soooo scared of doing that... Taking him out into town in pants... :eek:

So just wanted to see if anyone else has used the Gina Ford potty training routine? Or what does everyone else think, shall I just put him into pants?

Savvy_Sue

moggins wrote:

We've had a small breakthrough. She refused point blank to sit on the toilet with her pull up on and we threw away about 7 pairs of knickers then I back tracked a little. Told her she did not have to sit on the toilet but we would be very happy if she would ask for a pullup when she needed a poo instead of going in her knickers. Since then she has asked for a pull up every time and started walking like John Wayne as soon as she has gone. We've not had one dirty pair of knickers since.

Now we have to move her to going on the toilet. But I'm a lot more hopeful about the prospect especially now we know that she's recognising when she needs to go

Oh well done! I presume you have tried a variety of special toilet seats and a stepstool to keep her feet on the floor? This led to my biggest struggle: youngest could only 'go' at home, where we had a stepladder type seat. The times I squatted in a public loo, hanging onto him so he wouldn't fall down the hole, letting him rest his filthy shoes on my trousers so he wasn't 'dangling' - and he never went, not once!

Savvy_Sue

Dormouse wrote:

Glad to hear of your success, moggins

I've been following this thread for a while, in preparation for my little guy's potty training, and now it looks like it's happening :eek: For about a week now, he's been peeing in his potty (or even the big loo) pretty much every time I ask him to, and he gets a sticker every time he produces something. He's only 23 months, so I'm actually quite surprised he's doing so well -- didn't expect him to. I'm now thinking about putting him into proper pants and seeing how that goes, but I'm really scared!

I've been following the Gina Ford potty training book (controversial author, I know, and this is the first time I've used any of her books) and she says that once you put them into pants, you should never put them into pull-ups (apart from sleeptimes), as it would confuse them and the training would take ages. I'm soooo scared of doing that... Taking him out into town in pants... :eek:

So just wanted to see if anyone else has used the Gina Ford potty training routine? Or what does everyone else think, shall I just put him into pants?

I think Gina Ford is after my time. But being an old and cynical hand, I'd say I'd never trust an author who says you should never do this, or never do that, or never do the other.

Whatever you do, when he's first in pants, take out several sets of dry clothes wherever you go. Later you can cut it down to one set - I was still taking out a full set of clothes for each boy when they were 10 or more, but that was mainly accidents at the other end, AKA travel sickness!

But why not see how he gets on with pullups around town and see if he can keep them dry?

Ivenofinmoney

zain wrote:

This was my original thread and i can announce that yesterday ( when he was 3 years and 1 day old) he did his first poo in the potty!!!!!! ( & a big one is was too!)
Wow, another major milestone met.
Thanks for everyones advice. But the thing that worked was leaving it and waiting until he could make the decision. If he feels in control of it, it will happen. For several months he would happily go to the toilet and wee but always insist on a nappy for poo.
Next battle is night time dryness! But no rush there.

Zain - Congratulations on the new arrival - and the baby :rotfl:

We had similar problems with our now 2yr 8 month old daughter who we started to get out of nappies when we discovered we were expecting twins.

As the EDD approached we eventually decided to leave the potty in her bedroom one day she snuck off and about 10 mins later shouted down the stairs "I've done a Pooh !!" since then we've had hardly any accidents and the arrival of twins has been nothing but extra insentive for her to show her new sisters what a big girl she is, and how she is grown up enough to help look after them.

Whilst the Night time battle may seem worth delaying, you might want to consider the fact that you are about to send the next few months being up in the middle of the night anyway, we took the plunge of the back of the big sister ego thing, and alternated one doing feeds and the other took the eldest to the toilet, in the last few weeks we have got the twins sleeping through the night and the eldest having maybee one accident a month :T

Now we have nearly 18 months before we can start the potty training all over again, at which time I expect we will take full advantage of the twins factor and play one off against the other

Savvy_Sue

I have given some more thought to Moggins and her DD and wonder if you have noticed what posture she adopts before the John Wayne waddle. Is she standing up or squatting? Only if she's squatting this may give you some clue as the best way of getting it out of the pullups and into a potty or loo.

I remember reading, many years ago and probably in the Reader's Digest, that our bodies are not designed to sit on the loo for No. 2. "In the wild", as it were, we used to squat, and still do if we have to. Sitting on the toilet actually causes all sorts of problems, probably piles and all sorts of other nasties. I'm dredging this up from memory, you understand, so don't quote me on this but it all made sense at the time.

The recommendation - in the absence of a 'hole in the ground' style toilet - was to climb up onto the toilet seat and squat there. Grab handles are useful, and either lifting the seat or removing your shoes also recommended. And if you don't feel agile enough to do that, then a stepstool to rest your feet on is the next best thing, although IIRC it's a poor substitute.

I think what I'm working up to, is would she squat with her feet on the toilet seat? she might need holding for security, but at that age it's probably not too hard ... wouldn't fancy my chances at my age, but I did both find and make use of a hole in the ground toilet in a French cafe earlier this year!

moggins

She appears to be doing it standing up Sue! How do I get round that one?

We do have a special seat for her but not a step stool, might give that a go, thanks

Jay-Jay_4

WELL!

It's been a long time since I visited this thread so i'll briefly recap:

My daughter (6 next month) has never been dry at night and wet her knickers (just a few drops, never running down her legs) several times every day.

I tried ignoring the accidents, shouting at her, star charts, going to the doctors 3 times for urine tests, getting the health visitor involved, the school nurse, her teacher, friends and family and giving prizes for dry knicks. I tried EVERYTHING!!!!

She wore nappies at night up until last month and she would put it on and wee in it straight away (but then lie about it) :mad:

Anyway, we had a consultant appointment last month, he was a very laid back young chap (who sounded like Ringo Star) and he said to her that he thought it was about time she was out of nappies and asked her to get up for a wee at night.
.
.
.
.
she's done it!!!!

She hasn't worn a nappy since! We started off by me waking her up at my bedtime and carrying her to the loo but his week she has started geting up herself for a wee!!!! She has NEVER woken up for a wee before!

So there's hope for anyone with a young 'un being a nightmare in the weeing dept.... it can take a LOT of time but there's hope

moggins

Great news Jay-Jay,

it's so nice knowing I'm not alone and have the support of you lot It's given me a lot more patience with the whole ordeal.

Jay-Jay_4

moggins wrote:

Great news Jay-Jay,

it's so nice knowing I'm not alone and have the support of you lot It's given me a lot more patience with the whole ordeal.

Don't ya just feel like smacking your head against a brick wall though sometimes?

The thing is that no matter WHAT you do, they don't do it until they're ready. Meanwhile, other Mums have their 18 month olds going to the loo on their own and wiping their own bums :mad: :rolleyes:


I'm not out of the woods yet, my daughter gets up on her own about 3 nights a week, the rest of the time I have to lift her :rolleyes:

I wouldn't mind but she's the tallest (but youngest) in her class, in the top set for reading, has an amazing vocabulary and writes like a 10 year old.....she just can't/wont control her bladder! It's no indication of intelligence, size or maturity....it's just another thing sent to try us :rolleyes:

Savvy_Sue

moggins wrote:

She appears to be doing it standing up Sue! How do I get round that one?

:rotfl: I was afraid you might say that! No idea - but I bet she sort of bends a little and sticks her bum out? somehow I think it's a question of how she feels comfortable / secure - I can't imagine what it must feel like to be sat on a potty but if she feels squashed then it might 'cramp her style'! Need to find a way she can 'point and shoot' ...

moggins wrote:

We do have a special seat for her but not a step stool, might give that a go, thanks

Also worth asking her if the seat is comfortable and looking to see if it 'looks' right. The seat my son liked so much I had to hide it was like a stepladder, there were two steps in front of the loo and the seat on top. It meant he could have his knees quite high. Might need some experimentation.

I've looked for something similar on the Mothercare and ToysRUs sites but can't see anything like it!

I can't tell you how glad I am those days are over! Now, can anyone tell me how I stop my youngest (13) farting in the car and the lounge and stinking us all out? He does it quite deliberately!