Hello!

I am going to start training DS, 2 years 2 months, right after the Christmas/new year period. We have bought a potty from Ikea and was wondering the best way to go about starting. He’s already happy to sit on it, but I’m not sure he understands it’s purpose. Should I just stay home for a few days and go nappy free, invest in training pants or pull ups or train at home and use a nappy when we go out? Thinking of buying bright bots or bamboo pants, but don’t really want to spend much money.


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  • I think the pullups are a great idea.


  • I didn’t bother. I used pull ups and they worked a treat. Kids are ready to go to the loo when they are ready, and despite a coupla accidents we did ok…. I will add my son was a bed wetter until he was 13yo THAT was a challenge LOL


  • For us they were a lifesaver definitely worth the (exorbitant) price =)


  • I wouldn’t buy training pants – too confusing for them if they are wearing a “nappy” type thing. Just stick with undies and put up with the accidents. If it doesn’t work after a bit stop for a while and try again later. When they are ready it isn’t that hard.


  • Just let him see you go to the toilet and put him on next to you after meals. Leave the nappy on as he will tell you he is ready when he fights with the nappy or takes off himself when wet – good luck


  • I stayed home a few days, being bare was the easiest, and then jocks! day care helped us as all the other kids were training. it was a novelty. ive brought huggies pullups for trips out.


  • I think they are a waste of money, use undies or a nappy.


  • We have 2 girls and are currently toilet training no.2. We have found them both different. We found nappy pants / pull ups didn’t work. Both treated them like nappies. We bought a 3 pack of training paints (terry toweling ones) from Big W. We used those mostly for the extra absorbency we need in certain situations eg car travel early on in toilet training. Mostly we use normal undies. We do day and night training at the same time. We use a waterproof sheet (we call them u sheets – like a large quilted pad with wings to tuck in)


  • sit your child on the potty when you go or at a regular time they would normally go in their nappy and explain when they do something what it was and reward them even if it is just a high five for being a big kid. I think you should use a pull up nappy as it makes them feel bigger and they are able to remove and put back on as they use the potty. I like huggies nappy pants (keep an eye out for specials) I pick them up cheap all the time. I just think the quality is better especially if a child goes in the nappy pant


  • My son never tried training pants only pull ups, easy and practical.


  • Wearing undies or no nappy is a good way to go about it while at home. Expect them to be wet a lot but this allows the child to feel the wetness as nappies keep them dry. I would use pull-ups while out and still ask the child if he/she needs to use the toilet. I used a sticker chart to toilet train my children they got to put a new sticker on the chart every time they used the potty and this worked well.


  • Once you’ve got him using the potty/toilet the next hurdle is leaving the house :-). I had one of those turtle potties with a lid and kept that in the car in case we had an urgent no2 and nowhere to stop. I always had a small roll of masking tape so I could seal up the potty safely until we got home. i think this calmed me more than the kids as I didn’t fancy cleaning up a soiled car seat :-) good luck!


  • I never used training pants with my son.
    Make sure your child is ready, or you are wasting your time.
    I started by putting him on the potty while I was going to the toilet and talking about what I was doing.
    Then lots of reading stories on the potty.
    Remember to make a big deal about any success.
    Good luck!


  • I have been using cloth training pants which still allows ds to feel wet. However he is similar to your son, very excited to sit on the potty and watch us on the toilet, but doesn’t really ‘get it’ yet.


  • I used terry toweling pants. Stay at home and give it a go. They need to feel wetness to get it. Never bothered with training nappies. With toilet training you will be doing washing. There are accidents. Just accept it and you will be fine


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