Question about potty (training)

[mima08]

Hiya,

I am using the word "training" in the loosest sense, as we are really trying to be child led here. But recently, my LO has started to be very aware of bowl movements - pointing to his bottom half, clutching, and making (quite funny) noises to indicate when he is about to do a po. This is now quite reliable. Similarly with pees, although not all the time (I know about the peeing as we tried a day of no nappies around the house - my floors have never been cleaner). He also hates wearing nappies, and tries to pull them off.

So I thought it would be a good time to try the whole potty thing - but suggestions of sitting on the potty are generally met with blank refusal. Sometimes with howling (even though I don't try to force the issue at all...).

We have two potties - a plain one and a fancy car-shaped one, which was of lot of interest as a toy - not as a potty....

Any suggestions? He seems genuinely upset about going in his nappies (although 1min after the deed, he forgets about it...)

thanks for any recommendations!

mx

[srisky]

No personal experience with potty training but have you tried those seats that go directly on the loo so toddlers can sit on them? Perhaps if he's seen you (and/or his dad) using the loo before he may be happier trying it? Also avoids having teach to use the loo after overcoming the potty hurdle.

[Caroline_S]

Perhaps he's just not quite ready yet? We had the same problem re potty refusal despite showing all the other signs of being ready and willing to wear big boy pants. So after a couple of days of lots of persuasion, bribery and floor mopping we gave up and went back to nappies for a couple of months. Recently we have given toilet training another go and my son was very happy to sit on his potty from the word go with few accidents, which has been soooo much less stressful all round so I think he just wasn't quite there yet first time around. It sounds as though your little one is almost there but maybe wait a few weeks if he's really not keen to sit on his potty at the moment?

Oh and a couple of things that might help - watching some of his friends using a potty certainly worked for us, and also I bought a doll's potty and we played sitting some of his favourite toys on it. But I think the main thing was the time being right which obviously has to come from them. Frustrating when you're all geared up to do it!

[mima08]

Thanks for your the tips - i will go & get one of those seats that go on top of the big toilet, figure, I probably need them anyway....

And Caroline - that is reassuring to hear that you had similar experiences, I was wondering what I was doing wrong! I definitely want to make this as stress free as possible - he is still very young, no need to rush.

Interestingly enough, today he sat on the car potty by own choice (it stands around, just in case) - although with nappies on! Taking them off, he was a bit hesitant, then sat and and sat and..... nothing. LOL! I will start putting his doll on it again, it's a "drinking & peeing" doll, so maybe that gives him a hint :)

mx

[Babs]

I just started to training my little one (8month) right a way when he wake up put him in potty and the same time i sitting with him and talking to him (he has to know what he need to do there) :o) (sounds funny i know LOL) ...i think important think is when he see you doing the same think and another is dont leave him sitting there for ages 5min is max, trying to do few times per day ...its very long process but i am sure he will go there ...good luck and be patient! :o)

B x

[Vici]

Hi

I bought a book called Pirate Pete's Potty which my son really engaged with. He started saying things like he wanted to sit on the potty like pirate pete :) Before we went fully for potty training we left the potty around the house and he would sit in it fully clothed and also put his teddys on the potty. Then we started with just using it when he got up in the morning. Also, I used a potty and a toddler seat for the toilet so he could exercise a little choice. He likes to use both. Goodluck!

[mima08]

Hiya - thanks for the tips, funny enough, ever since writing on here, he is actually getting interested in sitting on the potty! after weeks of them just cluttering up the house...Of course, nothing goes in there yet, but it is progress!

Babs - in my searches I have come across this for young babies https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxveGZvcmRuYXBweWZyZWViYWJ5fGd4OjNiZDVjYTJjMDVlYjIwMWU&pli=1 (sorry I cannot figure out how to do a link???) - wish I had seen it at 8months!

mx