How did I do it?

My first son was dry both day and night by twenty months, but his younger brother took a month or two longer.

I am convinced that being with them all day is what made it possible. I'm not surprised that nowadays, when most mothers are back working full time long before that, parents rarely even consider toilet training until much later.

Yes, it's interesting, isn't it, that our children explain that their children have to be ready to potty train, and this seems to be later and later, with many little ones starting nursery at 3 in nappies. I don't know if they are right or wrong, but I do know that my four were all dry, day and night by 2. I have been known to mutter that I must have given birth to four geniuses, but if that's so, they must gave peaked early, because they've shown no signs of that since. Sago, you are a hero!

Mine were both dry/clean in the daytime shortly after 2 - it took just a week both times - but we were living in a warm climate, which did make it easier - no multi-layers of clothing to undo.

I’m sure having to wash and dry terry nappies was a factor in earlier training - especially in the past - no automatic washing machines let alone tumble driers - I can’t be the only one who remembers a clothes horse with steaming nappies in front of the fire in winter!

My elder Gdcs were well over 2 1/2 before training was even started, and dd has a friend whose little boy (no SN) was over 3 - his mother apparently kept saying he wasn’t ready,

My three were all out of nappies daytime just over the year and would not be walking around in nappies they wanted the pretty pants and superman underpants they wanted to be big girls and boys …..night time was longer obviously My word no hanging around when you ve got terry towels to soak each night
I think it’s a really big shame when you see children of three plus with nappies on (often smelling of urine or poo)
My grandkids were all out early too I think the ‘let them do it when they want to’ idea came up after my teens and twenties grandkids were born

I’m sure, as OldnProud, said,,that being at home with them must make a big difference. So many more mothers aren’t nowadays. Nursery staff just won’t have the time, and I doubt they’d want to be mopping up masses of the inevitable ‘accidents’.

My daughter went to stay with gran aged one. When she came home she was dry and able to walk.

DD was daytime dry at 1 and in the night by 2. I didn't particularly do any training, her nappies dry so I just left them off.

DGS took a year to train between 2 and 3. Glad it wasn't me doing it!

I had gone back to work p/t in April when my second child was 15 months old. He went to a childminder who was happy to potty train him during the summer. Achieved within a week in June. I was delighted. However, it took years to get him dry at night.

Both my two were dry day and night a few weeks after 2. I was discussing this with a friend recently. Parents now don’t seem in a hurry to get their toddlers dry or, as has been said, it was easier when we were with them all day. Terry nappies we’re a pain too…for us and the children…and nappies now are far more comfortable for both so no hurry to change the situation perhaps.

Witzend

I’m sure, as OldnProud, said,,that being at home with them must make a big difference. So many more mothers aren’t nowadays. Nursery staff just won’t have the time, and I doubt they’d want to be mopping up masses of the inevitable ‘accidents’.

I've childminded three children at a time during the potty training period and it pretty much takes over, we seemed to spend most of the day in the bathroom!
Compare this to the government's latest plan to increase the ratios for early years to 1:5 and just picture a day looking after five two year olds... ??

My children were the same - dry day and night by two and a half .My GC were all very late, working parents just don't seem to have the motivation or energy to focus on training. Both my daughters children were in nappies far too long ( IMO!)
However that got there in the end!!!!

I look after 2 granddaughters a couple of days a week ,who were 2 this week and the discussion has come up with their mums who both want to wait until the summer to potty train them. I can’t say I am looking forward to it though!

I remember putting our 17 month old younger daughter in a nappy at bedtime and after about 4 nights waking up with a bone dry nappy thinking ‘well that’s it then!’. She was already dry by her own instigation during the day probably copying her older sister. Her tiny peach bottom looked so small in pyjamas without a bulky terry nappy! No training on my part just expressed delight and told her what a clever girl she was. She was just ready I suppose!

Due to a pending house move, DIL left my GD until she was almost 3.
After the house move, started toilet training done within a few days including dry at night.
New thinking I'm told don't stress about it when they hit the 2nd year, leave a bit long and it's done quickly with no stress and time hovering near a loo.

One grandson at 2 dry within a week daytime and has never had a single accident !
Another whose parents did the “he’s not ready “thing…..past 3 and hopeless !
Can’t remember my own but probably 18 months or so.

I think the terry nappy washing certainly got me onto potty training asap. All 3 dry during the day in their 2's can't remember exactly, a few issues with DS at night but I don't suppose he would thank me for saying so.

I was living abroad when I started training dd1 at just gone 2 - having read that they don’t usually have the physiological control until then.

However a (non Brit) neighbour had been telling me since she was 12 months (she had one the same age) that I ‘must!’ take the nappies off. Might add that she and her compatriots thought Brits were utterly clueless about everything!

However, from all I ever saw, her own dd was reliably dry and clean no sooner than mine, who took just a week, and I dare say say she had an awful lot more puddles/messes to clean up.

On a related topic, a childless colleague at the small library where I used to work, used to get very irate when mothers of small children (we had an excellent children’s section) would ask to use our loo.
‘They should take them before they come!’

I did try to tell her that very small children often don’t have enough control wait any length of time, or to go in advance when they don’t yet need to.
I don’t think I ever convinced her, though. ?

My boys were easily trained and out of their terry nappies by just gone 2yo, with night time being a bit later.

I thought my girls would be going to school in their disposable nappies, they took so long to get the idea. They were both three-ish before they were reliable and it took a number of attempts. So much for girls being easier to train than boys. I do think the terry v disp was the difference.

With some of my own GC I’ve seen the little ones giving clear signals that they know what’s happening or is about to happen such as a poo but they’ve been told to just use their nappy. That seem wrong to me, to ignore a child when they’re obviously aware. They’ve all been about three and even then it’s taken ages and they’ve not been reliable so I don’t believe the claim that later = easier.

All of their nurseries have had toilet training programmes and indeed some of my GC have been out of nappies at nursery but not at home! Still, not my circus, not my monkeys, I’m just glad I’m not washing nappies or paying out for disposables.

I honestly can't remember. I think they did it themselves, like most things. I vaguely remember just leaving nappies off once I noticed they were more often dry than wet. They were neither overly late nor early, and I don't remember any bed wetting incidents later on. What was the phrase - benign neglect?

We used a mixture of disposable and Terry nappies and the German muslin ones.

I do remember that one was later getting control of his number twos and the other had more trouble regulating number ones.

Never heard of waiting for toddlers to decide themselves and it doesn’t sound good. DD was keen to use the potty, so no trouble. Son a bit longer and I remember spotting and tossing a piece of poo behind the sofa when the priest turned away?.
Heartily dislike disposables except for travelling etc., disgusting things as well as expensive.

hollysteers

Never heard of waiting for toddlers to decide themselves and it doesn’t sound good. DD was keen to use the potty, so no trouble. Son a bit longer and I remember spotting and tossing a piece of poo behind the sofa when the priest turned away?.
Heartily dislike disposables except for travelling etc., disgusting things as well as expensive.

I'm curious - why do you find disposable nappies nore disgusting than tradiional terry ones?

Ignore the typos

kircubbin2000

My daughter went to stay with gran aged one. When she came home she was dry and able to walk.

I have no idea if you are being sarcastic but this has really made me laugh

My Mother in law was forever telling me how much earlier hers were than mine. I tried to take no notice

Well, apparently, my mother never had to deal with a dirty nappy after my brother and I were 6 months old!

All I can say is that we clearly had more predictable bowel movements than at my own children! Or she strapped us to a potty for most of the day. Or both.

Whatever, I don't think a modern nursery or childminder would be able to replicate it!