Potty training tips

MrsSave

warehouse wrote: »

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.

I don't think anyone on this thread has said that they'd gone from potty training to perfect within a week. The OP asked for tips, and that is what has been given by several different posters who have gone through it. If those tips doesn't work for the OP then at least they've tried.

Of course every child is different, and I think the main gist of what has been written by several different posters is that trying for a couple of days isn't long, all children take time and all have accidents even after they've 'cracked it'.

Patience and praise is of course essential. I assumed that went without saying. I personally don't think any posts here where people have tried to help the OP could be classed as 'laughable'.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I found it very easy with Offspring #2. She wasn't ready at 2 or even 2 1/2, but just as she got to 2 3/4, her pullups were reliably dry after 2/3 hours and I told her that it would be really great if she used the potty for starting playschool. One accident whilst refusing to use it because she wanted to stay and watch more Pooh Bear, and she was fine after that.

Within about 8 weeks, her nighttime pullups were dry as well, and she only wet the bed twice more, both times when she was ill.


I think that it's a lot easier on everybody if you can wait for them to develop physically enough to be aware of the urge and control it; isn't there something about little boys usually taking a bit longer to develop this?

(Obviously, that was in complete contrast to both grandmothers, one of whom declared one of hers was fully potty trained at 5 months and the other said I should just start hitting her whenever she didn't use the potty. Both comments were thanked and then promptly discarded as utter nonsense).

Kynthia

Only 2 days in and you have only had 2 wees on the floor and lots of wee in the potty? Sounds like you are doing well. A bad start is no wees in the potty the first couple of days. It's up to you whether you continue but i think that's a promising start. If you do continue then I'm told consistency is the key. So no mixed messages, no nappies when out, just lots of praise with success and reassurance with accidents for now. Stickers for every wee and poo in the potty, a treat for a dry day maybe, and then over time wean them off these 'rewards'.

It seems like you get the two camps when discussing potty training. The ones who'd done it by their 2nd birthday or just after and the ones who told me that it was a nightmare until they were ready when they suddenly just got it (often 2.5 to just over 3). It just shows you there isn't one right answer and children differ. It will be done eventually and be just another thing you look back on.

teddysmum

Potty training seems much harder in these days of comfortable nappies. My sons, now in their thirties were clean and dry by 18 months and that was considered late, as children had an incentive to be rid of bulky uncomfortable terries.


A real boost (and I notice the same with my toddler grandchildren) was pants with their favourite characters on them. They wouldn't want to wee on Thomas, Bob or the Paw Patrol gang.

sulphate

teddysmum wrote: »

Potty training seems much harder in these days of comfortable nappies. My sons, now in their thirties were clean and dry by 18 months and that was considered late, as children had an incentive to be rid of bulky uncomfortable terries.


A real boost (and I notice the same with my toddler grandchildren) was pants with their favourite characters on them. They wouldn't want to wee on Thomas, Bob or the Paw Patrol gang.

I don't think is a generational thing or even a nappy thing - I'm 29 and I wasn't out of nappies until I was over 3. It wasn't considered hideously late then.

Potty training isn't a competition, in most cases it can't be done until the child is ready, that means when they have enough language to communicate they need to go but also some degree (albeit small) of bladder control.

clairecymru

I am feeling a little disheartened today. Son did not want to go near the potty. May have over did it the beginning of the week. Lots of accidents today. Do I have a break, go back to nappies and try again in a few weeks or so, or persist and expect a lot more accidents? Not going to be so easy when I go back to work next week and won't have the dedicated time to spend with him all day.

clairecymru

Even tried him on the 'big boy toilet' with the aid of a step and toilet seat insert but he is scared of that and will not go near it.

onlyroz

Have you tried rewarding his attempts? E.g. with stickers or similar?

clairecymru

Yes, he loves stickers and I give him one for each time he goes on the potty. He normally asks for more than one sticker and I tell him that they are only for pee pees and poo poos which then usually turns into a stream of tears.

Kynthia

There's no one right answer. My opinion is that if he had a few good days then he's capable and consistency is key so continue. We tried for 3 days last month and had no wees in the potty so I'll try again in a couple of weeks and see.