This question will probably have a really obvious answer, but exactly how do you start toilet training?

I have a 2 yo son, who has been showing signs that he is ready. He tells me as soon as he has filled his pants, and holds himself when he is peeing.

i brought him a potty today, and he has been carrying it around all afternoon, and sitting his teddy in it. I was just wondering eaxtly how do i start. so i just look for the signs that he is about to do something and plonk him on?

befor i got the potty i tried doing this with him, and putting him right on the toilet, but he got to freaked out and wouldn't finish the poo until i put his nappy back on.

any tips?



Me (23)
DH/DD (22)
DS (2)
Due 20/12/04

We're not quite at that stage yet, but I was just reading about it last night in Green's "Toddler Taming". He says :

1. the child has to learn first to sit on the toilet (or potty) before being able to go on it.
2. Must know the difference between the feeling of wet and dry before he can be bladder trained
3. Must be able to produce some dry nappies at night before you can expect a dry bed.

With regards to #2, Green suggests that teh majority of chn will bladder train themselves simply through copying mum and dad. If your bub doesn't seem to get the difference between wet and dry, you can try getting rid of nappies and use thin towelling pants - the child will soon notice their bum is cold and wet!

Bowel Training:

Green suggests 3 methods:
1. The grunt and catch method - self explanatory ...

2. The broody hen method - when the child does a dirty nappy he is immediately taken to the potty instead of being changed. poo is put in the potty and the child sits above it like a brooding hen. This is a form of conditioning, getting the child to associate bowel mvmts with the toilet/potty. Green suggests this is a somewhat bizzare method, but some parents swear by it.

3. The sit and wait method - Green maintains this is the best way. Use gentleness and guile to achieve a regular sitting habit. Once this is established you give a discrete emotional nudge of encouragement. Don't force, just encourage and eventually it will happen. When the big day arrives set off fireworks and make a big deal over the success!

This is Greens advice paraphrased and in a nutshell ... as I said, we're not at that stage, so can't give any first hand advice, but hope this helps



Cheers
Sarah

DS - Max 29/03/03

If your house is warm enough, you can just let him spend the day with his pants and nappy off. When you take his nappy off tell him what you're doing and that he'll have to sit on his potty to wee (and poo, if you're lucky). That's what I did, and my ds got the idea pretty much straight away. The hard part comes after when they seem to have learnt what to do, but give up doing it because they can't be bothered!!!

(You can try taking the nappy off, and leaving the pants on ... but I think maybe this confuses them? I put ds in jocks on the first day when we started, and we went through 8 pairs in 2 hours!! I think he thought they should work like nappies, but when they didn't he tried to stop himself, and of course, he still needed to empty his bladder. The next morning I left the jocks off, and ds started using the potty straight away.)

I have had 2 very different experiences of TT. The only thing I can say is that with my first it was quite stressful, for her and me, I tried to do all the positive reinforcement as much as possible but after the fifth change of clothes I would start to get short tempered, which she of course picked up on and would get a bit upset. With my second we went straight from nappies to Pull-Ups. We did the whole speel about them being big kid pants and how the lovely pictures would disappear if they did a wee and they had to let mummy know when it was coming.... Well it worked really well. Of course there were still plenty of times that he didin't make it to the potty, but at least the whole experience was really stress free for both of us.

Good luck with TT. It's great when they are independent.

Hi all,

I was going to put this up, you beat me! My DD is 26 mths and showing the signs! (she even put dolly on (or In) the loo for a wee today!

I have TT books for her to read and flannel knickers ready too! I also bought a potty trainer elmo which I will give her for my bday (next week)... (She likes prezies and wouldnt understand just mummy getting them! ) I also told her we can buy Hi5 undies when she does a wee in the toilet! These are all the tips i have picked up but if anyone has anymore...I am all ears!

Not pushing yet as its too cold but I am sitting her whenever she asks...no luck yet though! I have been told, once you truly start, you need to get rid of the nappy and go to big kid undies...no going back as it just confuses them (this from 2 friends who TT'd in less than a week)

Good luck
Kaylene



DD ~ Chelcie Taneisha 15.05.02
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/c/chelcietaneisha/

DS~ Sascha Mitchell 22.4.04
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/s/saschamitchell/