Potty training

I'm about to start soon as shes been showing signs that shes ready ( im totally not ready ). We've introduced the potty yesterday so fingers crossed 🤞 it's amazing that your little on has already been using it though 😊

@Naomi I can’t wait for the nappy stage to be over lol. Good luck to you and ur lil one

I don't know where to start! I've never potty trained before and all the advice just seems to be 'just do it' lol

How do you introduce it, please? You just give her to play with it or practice sitting on it? 🤔

We tried this week as she’s been showing all the signs for a month or so. She was happy to sit on the loo and the potty but not a single wee/poo in either over 2 days. So we are going to try again in a few months.

We have a potty in the play room and my daughter sits on it (with nappy on) regularly. She’s also very interested when I go to the toilet. She’s only once told me she needs a poo before she’s done it though. I’m holding out until she tells me regularly ahead of time. I’m hoping it doesn’t happen too soon to be honest, I can imagine it being hard work

Could anyone give me some idea on what the signs are? My LO is 20 months old and I don't think he is anywhere near close! He is aware of having done a number 2 and one time he said 'uh oh' just before he did one 🤣 but other than that nothing.

I've been wondering if we should start soon as he does sometimes ask to go on the potty and does a pee in it, and hides to do a poop. But what's been holding me back is that he might be showing psychological signs of readiness but biologically, their bladder capacity is still quite small and the control of both urinary muscles and anal muscles is not quite there yet at a level which would allow them to fully control their functions, and so the amount of accidents would be higher than if we wait another few months and the frequency of accidents might upset or frustrate him in turn setting him back. I'm aware lots of cultures do it much earlier as well and do it successfully but I think it's important to give their body time to be developed enough to learn

@Katya if you lil one understands you then and understands wee and poo then just start with introducing the potty. Just telling them what it’s for. Let them sit on it with their nappy on. I started by putting them on before they go in the bath and then keep going from there. There’s no rush they are still very young. My boy didn’t start until after he was 2

@Rosy practice sitting on it first. I always put her on it before she was going in bath. Keeping her bottom half free no underwear until they grasp it properly. Might have to keep asking and just putting them on every 10 mins. Always expect accidents it’s very time consuming at the beginning stages

@Gina usually they want to pull their nappy off. Saying wee and poo and they are able to tell you they’ve done something in the nappy. Don’t rush it though. It’s still early for them and boys are usually later than girls. My boy is 2 1/2 and his only been doing it a few months but it happened so quickly

@Gabriele I understand the biological part but kids mentally are very absorbent and pick things up very quickly. You could always try and if the accidents are upsetting and overwhelming then you could stop and try again when you feel it is time. All 3 of my children have never been bothered by accidents as I always encourage them and tell them accidents happen and it’s ok. Even though science may say their muscles are not strong enough once you start doing it and they learn mentally on what they need to do it’s fine. It’s more about the child’s readiness than anything. All 3 of my children started at different ages

@Bella thank you, that's reassuring! She's good at telling us she's done a poo after the event so maybe we're slowly getting there!

We have had a potty for months, she’s done lots of wee’s and poos from following her ques and not having any pressure more just to normalise having a potty and what it’s used for, ramped the training up recently though and she’s has been saying she needs it and has gone to the potty her self twice. Best is to just be nappy and pant less all day and accept there will be accidents ask them to try use the potty and see if they will sit on it with a book for a minute. It gets harder when they want a wee out and about and don’t want to just do it in their nappy 😂

Mine is showing signs. I’ve just bought a potty that looks like a toilet and just offering her to go. I’m going to buy her a few potty related books. I would encourage her to use the potty but sometimes she fusses and cries so I don’t and just say “that’s okay, we’ll try again later”.