If you gave up on potty training, how long before you threw the towel in?

[HeavenlyWineandRoses]

Potty training is not gong well. We started a week ago with my DS aged 2.5. It started really well but the novelty appears to have worn off and the past two days have been dreadful including two poo accidents.

Nursery feel he's ready and doing well but I am losing my resolve and tiring of all the laundry.

[Hhnsam]

With my eldest who's now four it was a nightmare, she would sit on the potty for hours and then when I turned my back she would poo on the floor, so I decided on a toilet seat for her instead and I think she loved feeling grown up and would actually use it, there were a few accidents at first but it seemed she learnt it fully within a month, but for whatever reason she wouldn't use the potty!

[Shelleylouise]

Hi, my boys are older now, but i had this with my first son when he was 2.5. He was fine with wees but used to have accidents with poos. Some people advised me to stop and leave it as he was not ready, but i felt that having started if it would be foolish to go back to nappies. I was wrong! Had no end of problems resulting in him being defiant about doing no2 s on potty or toilet and holding himself resulting in constipation problems. It took a very long time to sort out, was completely frustrating and exhausting! With my other two children i was much more relaxed and it was easy. Just waited until they were completely ready regardless of pressure from other people. Your son is only 2.5, my advice would be to put him back in nappies or pull ups and try in a couple of months and tell his nursery that you dont think hes ready yet. You're his mummy, you call the shots. Hope this helps.

[Hhnsam]

Yes my daughter was 3 when she mastered it but I was threatened that nurserys won't take a child at 3 that's in nappys so I worried lol.. She refused to poo in potty but loved how important she felt using toilet with princess seat and remember children are shy aswell, a lot hide don't they even when they are poo-ing in their nappy, my daughter would hide in my porch until she had filled her nappy!

[HeavenlyWineandRoses]

Thanks for the advice and sorry it's taken me so long to check back in - have been up to my neck in laundry!

Friday ended up going well and yesterday was great including one poo in the potty but disregarding a poo in his pants when we were in town browsing for books . He has been dead keen to get into his big boy pants in the morning and more enthusiastic generally about the potty but has also been waking up crying in the night so I'm worried he's getting distressed although he seems happy during the day and generally unperturbed by the accidents.

Think I will continue for a few more days and see how we do. I'll be back to update.

[MarianMaudsley]

we didn't need to throw in the towel, but dd1 was 2.11 before we could even contemplate starting, as she wasn't the slightest bit interested before then.

we were done and dusted in days when we did start.

[HeavenlyWineandRoses]

By way of update, we stuck with it and I'm so glad we did. We have had three consecutive dry days now. He is so proud of himself and me of him. I know there will be accidents and it's still early days but I'm amazed at the progress and so pleased we carried on. It's hard work when you have a bad day at the beginning but a really great feeling when you finally turn the corner.

[GogoGobo]

Thanks so much for posting the update! I am in a similar position at the moment to your original Op - you have given me hope!