Ok, so we've started potty training.

Harvey is 4 months shy of turning 3 and has been sitting on the potty at nursery, though not doing any widdles on it, so we decided to give it a go. The potty has been kicking about the house for ages so he's used to it and knows it's for widdles and poopoos and we've been reading Pirate Pete's Potty for a while.

We started on Thursday and just had accidents, nothing in the potty. On Friday he did one widdle on the potty and everything else was on the floor. Same yesterday and today. When he has widdled in the potty I've been making a big fuss, phoning his daddy to tell him and rewarding him with a chocolate button.

He understands what the potty is for and he seems to be able to tell when he's about to go but he makes no effort to get to the potty in time. He says he wants to be like Pirate Pete and his wee friend who has recently been trained. He wants to wear big boy pants but doesn't want to use the potty. We tried him on the loo but that was worse and with a baby to look after as well, the potty is easier for me.

I don't know whether to bite the bullet and stick with it or whether to put him back in nappies for a couple of months and try again then.

What do you ladies think?

I didn't train Zane till late, he was 3 yrs 4 months and it was great because he was completely ready and from the start he was great on the potty. He's not had many accidents.
I did bribe Zane tho, I said if u wee on the potty u can have the new car lol n then if u keep on using the potty u can have a dinosaurs

I think now uve started it would be confusing to stop so I'd carry on. Instead of asking if he needs the potty tell him to go.

have you tried telling him to sit on the potty every hour or so?!
i started with every half hour and then when i figured out roughly how long she can hold her wee, depending o what she has had to drink, i changed to an hour an so on.
it seems to be working

try it and if after a week you see no improvment then maybe wait?
xxxxx

Do you have him naked from the waist down, all the time? Its how I trained my Lo, only had to do it for 2 weeks before she wore knickers the 3 weeks back in normal clothes. Never had a accident with a nakey bum

Yep, he just wears a tshirt around the house and if he hasn't done anything for an hour or so I try to get him to sit on the potty for a bit. I often have to bribe him with an episode of Fireman Sam to get him to sit on it though, he'd rather be up and about playing.

We did have a slight bit of progress this evening as twice in a row he widdled on the floor then sat on the potty and did another one (he seems to wee 2 or 3 times in 10 mins then it's a while before the next one)

We have had a similar scenario, been trying this week and nothing in the potty at all for three days. I have given up for now, as friends who have done it before me have said that if there is no interest after a couple of days it means they are not ready. Sounds as though your LO might be a bit more interested though so maybe worth giving it another few days and see how it goes.

With G nursery advised to give it a week but TBH the time it worked it was 90% there on day 2 (we had a couple of false starts with not many accidents but no potty use really because he hated it by about day 3)

If I ask G about the potty he says no & will not sit on it. In the end I just told him it was up to him and just every so often remind him where the potty is or move it & ask him to find it. Basically I try & remind him of the potty without nagging him about it. He is open to trying to wee before bed & before long journeys but even then I don't make him go on potty if he doesn't want to. I'm a but scared of him taking against the potty again tbh.

I had a similar experience to what joeyjo mentioned. We've tried a few times in the past but Euan just wasnt ready. The last we tried (before Christmas) I was constantly reminding him and he almost became scared of the potty/toilet so I stopped because he was quite happy to sit on the potty without pressure until then - so I nearly created a fear of something which wasn't there to begin with.

Move forward to last week (he's now 34mths) daddy off on holiday for Easter, started last weekend by having Euan stripped on his bottom half and by Wednesday he was wearing pants and just going onto the potty on his own without asking/telling us.

Basically he obviously felt ready to do it now, only wearing nappies for naps (when he has them) & bedtime. Couple of little accidents during the week but nothing major so I'm happy we didn't push too hard the last time.

Hope it all goes well for you

I'm a wait until they are more than ready person, its quicker and easier imo.
My eldest was potty trained at 2 years 8 months although ready way before, it took 2 days and that was it, after those two days i didnt have to keep asking if she needed a wee etc etc she knew she to go and would just go or if we were out would tell me she needed to go she never had an accident.
I am hoping my youngest will be the same i feel she is ready now but has been having really bad problems with constipation since christmas and now has to have movical everyday, i was advised not to start any toliet training until she was going regularly without any problems, the last thing we want is for her to hold her poo in etc etc i agree with the advise and would wait a month or so more anyway im not in any hurry.

so my advise is, if you dont feel your LO is ready leave it, imo it is easier to wait another month or however long and your child is more than ready and have an easier/quicker/stress free toilet training time. xxx

Sounds like he will get the hang of it soon Hun, Noah was a bit younger but he got t pretty quick! Just keep asking him if he needs a wee wee every 15 mins or so even if he doesn't sit on the potty every 15 mins it will keep it fresh in his mind. Also keep askin him where he should do wee wees and praise him when he says where.

It may confuse him more if you stop now that you have started more than if you carry on, especially if he is saying that he wants to be like he friends. Suddenly it will click out of the blue! Boys are much lazier potty trainers in my experience after helping SS and DS1 potty train at around 3 years old or just before