Going to start potty training today.. Can anyone answer my silly questions?

[starsareshining]

I have absolutely no idea of what I'm doing. We have pants and a potty... is that ok? He's keen to wear big boy pants so was planning on doing that and putting him onto the potty every half hour?

But.. should boys sit on the potty? When do you teach them to stand up at the toilet? What do you do if the potty is in the living room and they do a poo? Do you keep some toilet roll handy in the living room for bum wiping? What do you do with the poo and wee once it's in the potty? Just flush it down the toilet? What do you then clean the potty with? What do you do when out and about?

I've looked at portable potties but where do they use them? Do you just whip it out in the middle of the park for everyone to see their red faced straining?? Then what do you do with the contents of the potty? Do you end up with poo in your bag til you find a toilet? And how do you transport wet clothes after an accident? Just a plastic carrier bag within your normal bag?

Sorry for the masses of questions. I'm aware that they're all very silly but I'm fretting a little bit.

[InmyheadIminParis]

Sounds as though you're all set. I started with DS sitting down on the potty and taught him to 'tuck in' his willy so that he didn't spray the whole room floor. After a few months we started teachiing him to pee standing up - getting the aim right is a bit tricky for them at first.

We kept one potty upstairs and one downstairs - no downstairs loo, so yes, ours was in the living room too. We kept wet wipes handy as they seem to find loo roll / tissues a bit too rough at first. Then just whip it into the toilet as soon as possible and let them have the fun of flushing it away. Then clean the potty. Uggh. But don't worry, it's not for long. As soon as they start using the toilet things get much better - try one of those toddler toilet seats to make sitting on the toilet less daunting.

We stayed close to home for the first two days of training. When you do venture out, take a few spare pants and bottoms. We bought one of those fab "my carry potty"s from John Lewis. They snap shut, so that you can carry the contents to a suitable place to dispose of them - home if nec. And you don't have to fiddle around with travel potty liners (by which time DC has usually peed anyway ).

Good luck!

[starsareshining]

Thanks for your reply. Has calmed me down quite a bit. Had a look at that John Lewis potty too - looks good.

[GraceK]

I have absolutely no idea of what I'm doing.
Am going to answer in capitals - not shouting but to differentiate from your questions

We have pants and a potty... is that ok? He's keen to wear big boy pants so was planning on doing that and putting him onto the potty every half hour? KEEP ASKING HIM IF HE WANTS TO WEE. GIVE HIM PLENTY TO DRINK SO THAT HE DOESN'T THINK YOU'RE MAD TO KEEP ASKING HIM.

But.. should boys sit on the potty? YES, TIL THEY'RE ABOUT 3 OR 4, THEN I WOULD CONSIDER IT A 'BLUE' JOB TEACHING THEM TO HIT THE BOWL - YOU CAN PUT PING PONG BALLS IN THE LOO FOR THEM TO AIM AT. BUT TEACH THEM TO WEE FIRST WITHOUT HAVING TO CONCENTRATE ON AIMING (AFTER ALL SOME GROWN UP MEN AREN'T ALL THAT ACCURATE:) When do you teach them to stand up at the toilet?

What do you do if the potty is in the living room and they do a poo? Do you keep some toilet roll handy in the living room for bum wiping? YES - TO START WITH FOLLOW THEM ROUND WITH IT. HAVE SOME WET WIPES HANDY AS EASIER TO CLEAN POO-Y BUMS WITH. What do you do with the poo and wee once it's in the potty? Just flush it down the toilet? YUP. What do you then clean the potty with? WET WIPES. WE PUT DISPOSABLE NAPPY LINERS IN THE POTTY SO THE POO FELL OUT MORE EASILY, RATHER THAN HAVING TO SCRAPE IT OUT. What do you do when out and about?

I've looked at portable potties but where do they use them? THE POTETTE PLUS IS GREAT - A FOLDING POTTY & A LOO-SEAT INNER ALL IN ONE (AVAILABLE FROM MOTHERCARE & BOOTS).
Do you just whip it out in the middle of the park for everyone to see their red faced straining?? YUP - IF YOU'RE SOMEWHERE LIKE THE PARK THEN MOST PEOPLE WILL HAVE BEEN THERE / DONE THAT. WHEN HE'S BIGGER / STANDING TO WEE, THEN YOU CAN JUST FIND A BUSH. IF AT SAY A SHOPPING MALL, THEN JUST FIND A QUIET CORNER. IF THEY CAN WAIT, THEN DO BUT THEY CAN'T ALWAYS TO START WITH. Then what do you do with the contents of the potty? THE POTETTE HAS BAGS (WITH A PAD TO ABSORB THE WEE) - DO IT UP, THEN JUST DUMP IT IN A BIN WHEN YOU FIND ONE.
And how do you transport wet clothes after an accident? GET A SWIMMING BAG (M&S DO ONE FOR £5 IN THEIR HOLIDAY SECTION) WHICH IS WATERPROOF TO TAKE THE WET STUFF HOME IN. Just a plastic carrier bag within your normal bag? PROBABLY NOT - MOST OF THEM WILL HAVE AIR HOLES (TO PREVENT SUFFOCATION) SO YOU WILL GET A DAMP AND/OR SMELLY BAG.

TAKE OUT MANY PAIRS OF PANTS & TROUSERS TO START WITH. DON'T GO ANYWHERE FOR THE FIRST 3 DAYS OR SO TIL HE STARTS TO GET THE IDEA. GET SOME LONG T-SHIRTS TO MAINTAIN HIS DIGNITY EVEN IF YOU RUN OUT OF PANTS & TROUSERS.

DON'T PUT HIM BACK IN NAPPIES FOR CAR JOURNIES AS HE'LL GET CONFUSED AS TO WHEN HE CAN PEE IN HIS PANTS. PIDDLE PADS WILL KEEP YOUR CAR SEAT DRY & ARE CHEAP-ISH ON EBAY.

KEEP A RECORD OF HOW MANY 'HITS / NEARLY'S / MISSES' YOU HAVE SO YOU CAN SEE IF YOU'RE MAKING PROGRESS OVER THE FIRST FEW DAYS. YOU FEEL YOU'RE NOT BUT YOU PROBABLY ARE. IF YOU'RE NOT MAKING PROGRESS AFTER 4 DAYS OR HE'S GETTING UPSET, THEN GIVE UP FOR A FEW MONTHS.

REWARD HIM - OUR DAUGHTER DIDN'T 'GET' STAR CHARTS AT THE TIME SO WE DID CHOCOLATE BUTTONS - THE FACT SHE COULD HAVE THEM AT ANY TIME SO LONG AS SHE WEE'D IN THE POTTY REALLY FOCUSED HER (GREEDY) MIND.

GOOD LUCK!

[anonMum2]

I personally didn't like my son sitting on public toilets to wee so from day one(20 months old) he was taught to stand and pee in public toilets. I normally have to hold 'it' for him although when he turned 2 he insisted on holding it himself and usually he does get it spot on. The only thing that ever happens is his wee trickles down his pants occassionally when he doesn't do it right. At home he always insists on sitting down to wee, not quite sure why. I'm guessing that when he turns 3 or 4 he'll start standing all the time as he would start copying his friends.

Poo is actually not that bad. We've only ever had to whip out his potty for poo a handful of times in 6 months. Unless he's got a bad tummy, in which case he would say "Poo-poo NOW", we normally get to a toilet in time. When he does sit and poo in public(as discreetly as possible at park, cark parks, pavement behind bushes), we have learnt not to be too embarassed as better in the potty than down his pants, socks and shoes(yucks!). We then clean his potty with tissue and wipes and chuck poo in his nappy sack. Prefer that anytime to scraping poo off his bottom and nappy!