Toilet training a 3 year old

My daughters have both changed their babies on changing stations downstairs, but they use baby wipes, hand washing and/or alcohol gel afterwards. Modern bathrooms don't have very much room for baby mats on the floor, especially when you have twins.

My 3 year old grandsons egged each other on to toilet train, and one highlight was when one of them produced a 'sausage' much to their amusement. After that it became a spectator sport whenever another sausage was produced. Boys!!

Interesting reading! GS (3 in March) is doing well with toilet training (apart from the holding on to the poo). He still has a nappy for late-morning nap and times it so that he 'goes' as soon as he wakes and before reappearing downstairs. Lots of positive reinforcement and no nagging but still chooses not to perform. Little sister (18 months) following him around and showing interest - predict that she'll be all sorted out by her 2nd birthday in July - otherwise it's 'in the garden without the nappies' method again!

My youngest GS held on to his no2s for several weeks after he was dry day and night, but it just suddenly clicked apparently with no encouragement or bribery.

Slipped backwards again today, dry when we left nursery, wet when we got back here, then wet again 15 minutes later. I`m going to get some star stickers at the weekend, he likes getting stickers for doing things, so it`s worth a try.

Ah bless him. I remember my GS last year having an accident, bursting into tears and saying "I'm never going to be a big boy".

Ah, bless!

Oh Jess - how frustrating for the wee soul! Hope all is well now with your big boy.

It certainly is YUK, but was a baby changing room available? What can mums do when there's nowhere to change a baby. A loo floor is totally unhygienic.

My little GD is almost 3 and at home she sometimes uses her potty and sometimes not. Luckily her mum is very laid back about it even though the eldest child was trained very early. GD's little sister is only 7 months old so perhaps subconsciously or otherwise she prefers to remain a 'baby' for a while. At our house I give her a choice of potty or nappy and so far she's always chosen nappy. She's got to the stage of asking for a nappy change if she feels uncomfortable although something she's too busy playing to bother. Thankfully todays nappies allow this - terries certainly didn't!

I wonder if it is the hardest thing we ever have to learn...
Yes big boy 4 last week and has it sussed now thanks.

I have just come back from having a coffee with a friend in a coffee shop with a mother and baby room clearly signed. A young woman changed her baby with a very smelly nappy right beside me,bottom(the baby's not the mum's) facing me. I am neither old-fashioned or squeamish but I really think it was unnecesary. Some, not all, of these young mums appear not to see or consider anyone else when it comes to their off-spring.

[yuk], not an appropriate place a coffee shop. Even baby poo does contain gadzillions of bacteria.

I know this is a 'dormant' thread, but have to tell someone ....today I cracked potty training today with my youngest GD. She's been (mostly) dry for a while but today she asked for and used the potty for the other one!

Still a way to go but

Congratulations Aka! Long may it last.

Milestones of any sort are to be celebrated Aka. Well done that granddaughter!

Don't suppose he will be doing it when he is 20! So be patient and all will come right in the end.

DGS is three and a half and only just potty trained. He has had severe constipation problems for about two years. Even movicol couldn't get him moving regularly. The problem was not dietary and there is a family history of an illness that causes constipation in children. He was being treated at the local hospital and the specialist there recommended that no attempt to potty train should be made until the constipation problem had been resolved. Last year he gradually began to operate normally even without laxatives and then, almost of his own volition, was potty trained in a fortnight.

I would say relax and let him be.

Well done, Aka!

(BTW folks, the OP is over a year old. Perhaps number could give us an update)

I mentioned to DD1 that Ds' s younger one will be having potty training soon and she suggested making a lucky dip bag. She did this with her DS and he was very responsive and was trained quickly. In it she put various things such as stickers, sweeties etc and he had a lucky dip whenever he was successful.

GS1 seemed to take forever to potty train. DD would set a side a day to concentrate on it and by the end of the day he'd be perfect - then next day he'd be fed up and stop bothering. This went on until he was about three and a half and then one morning he got up and said "I'm not wearing nappies anymore" and he didn't! I remember one accident but that was about all. We are now wondering if his brother will be the same.

A friend's little grand daughter noticed bird poo on her mum's car, and asked what it was. When she heard, she said "Naughty birdies! Do it in a pottie, get a sweetie."

I agree with what some others have said about boys being a bit trickier than girls. My DGS did take a little longer than his sisters but only a few months or so. We never did the "potty". It didn't work with his sisters and he didn't like it either. I bought a little step from IKEA and he liked perching on the toilet himself like a big boy. I did sit on the toilet floor a bit chatting to him and even singing. Running the tap really helps (I think it's enough to make anyone want to go) . He now only wants to "go" standing up (like daddy??????) he is still very small (just gone 4) so we are permanently mopping up the dribbles.

I think I posted once before that my DDs were trained with jelly tots - worked like a charm and they grew out of the need for the reward very quickly. When it came to the youngest, her sisters created a more sophisticated system for her: one for a wee, and two for a poo. She soon worked out that doing a small blob and then coming back to do more later resulted in a more impressive total of jelly tots - cheeky monkey!

I do think a bit of reward is needed - after all, who wants to stop playing and trek off to the loo? I find it inconvenient sometimes myself!

DS was easier than DDs. In fact DD with the good idea about the lucky dip bag was the most difficult, although I think I started with her a bit too soon (because it was summer). Summer is the best time, fewer clothes. I don't know if pullups are a good idea, they would feel too much like a nappy.

Brilliant, Mishap - a budding entrepreneur!

Mind you my DGS has a hand washing fascination and simply loves those hygienic hand gels that you get in those tiny bottles. A reward in itself .