Getting to the potty

[OhPuddleducks]

We're about a week and a half into potty training with DD (2.6) and it's mostly going really well. She's gone from shrieking "what is it?" At a poo to being able to say "I think I'm doing a poo" and performing in the potty some of the time. Wees are a bit more tricky but I know she has good muscle control as she stopped one mid flow when she wasn't on the potty and then started again when we put her on the potty. Today she shouted "I think I'm doing a wee" when she was. It was two seconds after I'd reminded her to go to the potty if she needed a wee and as I ran from the other room (where 7mo DS had been getting himself in a pickle with something) I said "great! Go to the potty!" ... However she just stood there weeing.

My question is this: am I expecting too much for her to go to the potty on her own steam or is she being lazy (she has massive form for laziness)? And how do I encourage her to get herself there on her own?

[Rockchick1984]

If she's not aware that she needs a wee / poo before she starts doing it, then she's not ready to potty train yet.

[snowgirl1]

I know lots of people don't like the idea of using chocolate as an incentive (I didn't...having tried a few other things, I caved and tried it and it worked!), but have you considered using a chocolate button as an incentive? I put a chocolate button next to the potty and said 'you can have that when you go for a wee in the potty'. Worked like a dream. When the packet of chocolate buttons ran out, we just showed her the empty packet and said there were no more, so it didn't seem to set up an expectation to have a chocolate button for every wee/poo forevermore.

[OhPuddleducks]

I am wondering whether she's ready. Seems to be getting the poos in progressively more regularly but she only tells me that she's going to do a wee a second before it starts.... The exceptions being if I'm breastfeeding her brother or changing his nappy, when she can happily tell me ages in advance and then insist she sit on the loo "with mummy holding on". We just can't decide if she's pulling a fast one or genuinely isn't ready. We're having a day off today and she does seem a lot more settled. I was so chuffed with her progress though. If we stop for a bit will it be back to square one?

Funny you should mention buttons, snowgirl: she gets one for getting a poo or wee on target. We were giving her one even if we put her on the potty mid-flow and some went I. But I've now changed it so she's only rewarded for getting the whole lot in. I've been wondering how we'd get out of it eventually so will be stealing your empty bag trick!