Potty training: Did you child REALLY have that many accidents once you knew they were ready to start training?

Question

A lot of parents giving advice about potty training make it sound like once you start, you are going to have to chase your toddler around the house cleaning up pee and p**p for months on end until they get the hang of it, and THEN training them at night brings even more potty woes. What's the deal? Does your child really have that many accidents while training? If they p**p themselves one day, are they going to always do it the next day and the next day? I just was wondering if I could get a read-out from parents who have potty-trained their children on how many accidents their kids had, and any tips for accident-proofing your furniture (?) and bed (?) would be useful. I don't want a successfully potty-trained child and an apartment that reeks of urine....

Answer 1

I think if your having to clean up pee and poo all day, every day then your child isn't ready.

People's opinions vary greatly on this subject though.  I have no problem waiting until my child is plenty old enough to potty train.  Some people are ready to start the second their child turns 18 months!

I have been potty training my (just turned) 3 year old daughter for 2 weeks now.  We talked about it for several days, and when Monday arrived she put on panties.  She wears diapers to sleep still...  But only panties during the day, even when we are out and about.

The 1st day of potty training, she pee'd all over herself probably 10 times!  After nap time, she woke up and it just clicked!  She didn't have any more accidents that day.  And no accidents after that for 4 days!  After the initial day of potty training, I think she's had 4 accidents total.  It's going great!

As for the furniture, I folded up a waterproof crib pad, and made her sit on that if she chose to sit on the couch.  I rolled up my large living room rug for a few days.  (We have wood floors downstairs)  I use a mini waterproof pad for her car seat.

Plan to play outside a lot the 1st few days of potty training.  That way when your child has accidents, it doesn't ruin the furniture!

I also potty trained my son at 3 years, 1 month.  He did even better than my daughter has done!!!!

~Good Luck~

Answer 2

Actually, no. Once he was ready, he was pretty much good to go, and had very few accidents. He was about two and a half. I had tried once just after he was two, because he was showing some interest, but after a few days of struggling, I knew he wasn't ready - so we waited for him to really show he was mature enough and ready.

Those having kids with tons of problems with accidents really start too early for their kids' development.

Answer 3

My son had one accident the day that we started doing it, then was fine after that.  Was completely potty-trained within 5 days.

My daughter has been potty training for 3 days now.  Although she doesn't have it down pat, she has only had 3 accidents.  You just have to stay on top of things.  Take them potty every 45 minutes to an hour until they learn to go by themselves.

Answer 4

nope he was potty trained in 1 day! he dont liek beign dirty either so he learned real fast not to go in his pants.

Answer 5

I introduced my daughter to the potty shortly after she turned two, she still wore a diaper, but whenever I went to the bathroom I'd sit her on her potty, she would "go" every time.

when she was 2.5 we started putting underwear on at home, and some days we had 1 accident, some days we had 5 accidents, that lasted a week or two. she still asked for a diaper for bowel movements, and I didn't mind. She is almost 3 now, and potty trained completely in the day, she has about 1 accident a month. She naps in her underwear. I still put diapers on her for bed. She is only 2, I don't mind putting bedtime diapers on her.

It does take a lot of energy the first week, putting the kid on the potty all day, cleaning clothes... but it is SOOOO worth it!