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Potty training

Potty training 2.3 year old ... should I give up and start again in 2 months?

7 replies

Chica06 · 14/02/2013 08:51

Hi all

My DD is nearly 2.3. We thought she was showing all the signs of readiness and did a couple weeks of sitting on the potty after lunch/ dinner etc. We started potty training last Sunday. Stayed indoors for two days. Putting her on potty every 30 minutes. There have been a few weeks in the potty but only one poo since then. Quite a few wees in her pants. The last couple of days I have taken her to various activities and taken potty with her. Some weeks in potty but also a few accidents. She sits on the potty after lunch for at least 20 minutes (reading books, watching peppa pig on I-phone) because I know this is when she generally poos. She waits until I put her nappy on and put her down for a nap before she does a poo!

She has not once gone to the potty herself and tried to go ... she only goes when we take her although she is happy to sit on potty and even sometimes the toilet.

I am just wondering whether I started too early and should stop, and let a couple of months go by before starting again. Some friends have suggested it is best to wait until at least 2.5.

Should also say she is waking up a bit at night and am trying to do 'rapid retreat' with her to get her to stay in bed so I am also a bit knackered (then, aren't we all!).

Advice most welcome.

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RugBugs · 14/02/2013 09:01

I don't really have any advice but our DD is the same age and sounds at a similar stage. She loves to sit on her potty and read but will hold anything in and ask for a nappy.
She's got the control and her nappy stays dry at night but she just isn't willing at the moment!
DC2 is due in August so that is my ideal deadline for her to be nappy free.

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Chica06 · 14/02/2013 13:35

Rug bugs , I reckon you have loads of time. I think I am going to put it on hold for a few months. Have been told that when they are ready, it takes a few days, but if they aren't, it can take a while. Good luck!

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SamSmalaidh · 14/02/2013 13:42

I would forget the taking her every 30 minutes - that is just catching wee by luck rather than training. Stay in for a couple of days, leave her naked from the waist down and give her loads to drink (and have the potty nearby) - as soon as she starts to wee get her on the potty. Hopefully she will quickly make the connection between the full bladder feeling and needing to use the potty. If she hasn't started to tell you she is about to wee or taking herself within a couple of days then give up and try again later.

Poos can be a bit harder to crack. If she gets a poo in the potty give her chocolate and stickers - tell her that if the poo goes in the potty she'll get the treat. But also don't worry too much about the nap time poo - once you have cracked weeing in the potty you can get rid of the nappy at nap time and then she will have to use the potty.

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Chica06 · 14/02/2013 14:16

Thanks SamSmalaidh! What do you think is the best age to start?

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SamSmalaidh · 14/02/2013 14:25

Anytime between about 18 months and 3.

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MummyPigsFatTummy · 14/02/2013 15:11

I am no expert but I left it until DD was over 2.5. We had made vague inroads earlier and had bought her the Princess Polly book, which she loved, but didn't seem to regard as having any relevance to her life.

I was lucky because it was summer so I picked a warm day, put her in pants and told her to let me know if she needed a wee. We had a few accidents at home and then went out to the local playground (pretty empty) with her potty and loads of spare leggings and pants. I whipped the potty out every time she got wet and sat her on it to finish. The first day I don't think she made it to the potty once without wetting her pants first, but every time she got some wee in the potty, I made a huge deal of it and explained that next time she should tell me when she wanted to go.

By the end of the day I was pretty much fed up of the whole business and thinking I would give up and try again in a few months and then the next day she went almost the whole day without an accident. It was like she had processed what she needed to do overnight. We only had the odd accident after that.

What I am trying to say, I think, is what you are already thinking - if you leave it later they are more likely to be ready for it. If they don't pick it up after a few days, leave it a few weeks or a couple of months and try again.

And I would say, aim for wees first and relax about poos. For a number of months, DD would ask for a nappy to do a poo and then we would take it off afterwards. Once day, she just decided to use the potty and has done so ever since.

Same with night-time. One night she told me she wouldn't wear a nappy in bed and we have had only one accident since (she sleeps on a waterproof mattress cover though and, as she generally spends part of the night with us, so do we - I'm still taking no chances).

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Chica06 · 14/02/2013 20:17

Thanks MummyPigs ... what you say makes complete sense. Makes sense to wait until it gets warmer in particular!