Potty training tips

clairecymru

My son is almost three. I have the week off work this week and we have been trying potty training.

The last two days, he has had nothing on from the waist down and is sitting on the potty every 30 mins or so with some success. Only two pee pees on the floor.

He doesn't ask to go though or go on the potty on his own accord but happily sits on when I give the 30 min 'its potty time' warning.

should I now progress to pants and trousers and still take him every 30 mins or so, or see if he volunteers to go by himself?

minimuffin12

I trained my 3yo in April. He had pants on in the house and it took him a few days to realise he had to pull them down as he kept sitting on potty and weeing through them. When we went out we used pull ups but I kept taking him to nearest loo every hour or so. Keep going as you are, asking if he needs to go and encouraging him to sit on it and keep the potty near him. Good luck, it's hard work! Oh and can totally recommend buying a Potette for when out and about 🙂

MrsSave

I also trained my toddler last April. I think we spent 3 days at home before venturing out. The first trips we made we small where I made sure he went to the toilet last thing before leaving the house and then say we just popped to the supermarket the first thing we did when we arrived was go to the toilet, and again before leaving and as soon as we got back home. We've had a couple of accidents out but nothing major.

As the days went on the trips out got longer, but I always made sure he went to the toilet as soon as we arrived somewhere and at regular intervals (he goes much longer between toilet trips now). If we went further in the car we would stop at service stations/supermarkets to use the toilet there.

Basically our day is planned on where the toilets are (which is no bad thing now that I'm 6 months pregnant!!!).

I second the potette. I keep ours in the boot of the car. He's only used it a handful of times, but it's always there just in case.

The only time I used pull ups was when he had a nap, though he's dropped that now so doesn't use them. We haven't started night training yet and probably won't for a while.

LilElvis

The potette is useful as a toilet seat when out and about - much easier than having to hold a toddler to stop them falling in!

My daughter preferred using the toilet to her potty - probably because she saw the other children using them at nursery rather than pottys.

clairecymru

I am having success with no pants or trousers. Lots of trips to potty. But as soon as I put pants or trousers in him he pees in those instead of asking for potty. Maybe he isn't ready yet and I should go back to nappies?

onlyroz

Also try rewards for success, e.g. stickers for successful use of toilet or for going x hours without an accident.

A three-year-old really should be ready. Our nursery started training from two, with the incentive that they couldn't use the pool until they were dry.

MrsSave

clairecymru wrote: »

I am having success with no pants or trousers. Lots of trips to potty. But as soon as I put pants or trousers in him he pees in those instead of asking for potty. Maybe he isn't ready yet and I should go back to nappies?

2 days isn't very long to be training. I definitely wouldn't go back to nappies at this point. When he has pants on do you still take him to the toilet regularly? At this point don't wait for him to tell you he needs to go, you have to take him.

It probably took us 2 or 3 weeks to be confident with his wees (still had accidents, but usually when he was tired or too busy playing!). It took a lot longer for him to poo in the toilet.......it was always in his pants (which is definitely not the best when in the early stages of pregnancy with a week stomach and sickness/nausea!). It was probably another month to 6 weeks before we cracked that one!

big5

I started potty training my 3yo a few weeks ago. Still a few hurdles to overcome, but he's getting there. Anyway, I put him straight into pants so he'd get used to pulling them up and down from the start. After about a week I put him in pants and shorts/trousers. We used pull ups for going out for a couple of weeks, but discovered that if he used the potty right before going out he was staying dry so have stopped using them.

clairecymru

Yes, still taking him regularly when he is in pants. He must just go I between the potty intervals. Still not going to potty on his own accord, just when I tell him it's potty time. Should I leave it more than 30 mins between each one?

warehouse

The biggest tip is that every child is different. Already some comments on this thread are laughable, (but then I've been there and done it with our 3).

Massive amounts of patience, lots of spare clean clothes and wipes are the key. Don't believe the magical routines that people swear by, they're usually rubbish. When someone says they got their child from no potty training to perfect in a week they're lying. Do use common sense and tons of praise.

thriftylass

We tried to potty train our son from 2.5 years old, tried about 3 times over half a year. The longest we lasted was 10 days and he didn't get it. So we left him to it. Although we kept taking him with us to the toilet and kept asking if he wants to go. Then just after his sister was born (he was 3 and 2 months) he had a massive dirty nappy, I told him that's it. I'm not doing it anymore, he's too big and the nappies and changing table are his sisters now. Overnight he got it despite being totally reluctant before. I know the pervious poster doubt this but it can happen. He was just ready. Day and night dry apart form two accidents in the first two weeks.

Just told that story to highlight that there is no right way. Just try and see what works for you. Or leave him a little longer. Does he tell you he had a wee or a poo?

DD is 2.5 now and we'll be doing it the same way with her. She has come with us to the toilet all the time. We don't train her as such, just ask her to tell us if she want to try the toilet too or when she had a poo so we can change her. She now slowly asks more and more to go for a wee on the toilet (still in nappies) but we told her big girl pants need to wait till she does the same for poos.