Toilet Training update week one

Some of you may remember I attempted to toilet train Rowan last summer with little success.  I tried a few times after that and failed miserably.  Then due to him starting meithrin for a couple of hours a day and then baby Erin’s arrival it just did not seem the right time to attempt it again.
However about a fortnight ago I decided it really was time to crack the whole toilet training.  The older two were both trained by their 3rd birthdays so in the back of my mind I thought Rowan would be the same.  But a fortnight after his third birthday he was still in nappies and showing no sign of wanting to use the potty or toilet.  In fact he had started waking up wet again something he had not done in months.  I decided it was time to seize the moment and take advantage of the Summer holidays and get Rowan toilet trained once and for all!
So the first morning when Rowan woke up I explained he was going to start wearing big boy pants and using the potty and or toilet.  I got him to choose which pants he wanted to wear then after dressing him we went downstairs to get the potty out.  We got it out and decided to leave it in the sitting room where he could easily get to it and could watch tv if need be.  I decided it may be easier to have a distraction while he was using the potty.  I also got out the toilet seat and put it in the downstairs toilet just in case.
At first Rowan wasn’t at all keen or happy about sitting on the potty or toilet.  Within the first four hours it was Potty/toilet 0 floor 3!  Each time he had an accident I remained calm, cleaned him and the floor up and tried to get him to sit on the potty.  Every half hour I tried to get him to sit on the potty and after he had had something to drink as well.  By mid afternoon and with the help of his older brother Rowan finally sat on the potty and used it, so we all made a big fuss of him.  By the end of day one the score stood at potty/toilet 2 floor 6! but it was a good start.  I decided we would still put Rowan in nappies at bedtime as felt it was more important to have him toilet trained during the day and hopefully the nighttime training would follow.  
Day two.  Rowan woke up very reluctant to not have a nappy on but I insisted.  As the weather was good I allowed him to play in the garden with him brothers.  We started again with several accidents, one of which he was stood next to the potty but refused to sit on it!  At one stage he was pretty much running around the garden with next to nothing on, goodness knows what the neighbours thought! Rowan spent the day enjoying playing in the garden and was too distracted too use the potty or toilet.  We had several tantrums because he didn’t want to use the potty at all.  Keeping calm was the order of the day and persistence in putting him on the potty at regular intervals.  That was certainly the case when Trystan came running in to tell me their was poo on the back doorstep!  I went to look and asked who did it!  Rowan responded by saying “the cat did it!” I couldn’t help but laugh the little monkey.  So day two didn’t quite go to plan, potty/toilet 0 floor/garden lost count!
Day three.  Rowan was happier to wear pants this morning but wasn’t happy about the awful weather!  We decided we would spend the day watching a dvd and reading.  The fact we weren’t doing much so Rowan wasn’t distracted made a big difference.  He sat and used the potty without any fuss and even did a poo! hurrah.  The following day dad of three was supposed to be taking the older boys to visit his mum over night.  I had the option to send Rowan too but wasn’t sure because of the toilet training.  I had a discussion with my mother in law about his toilet training and decided I would send him too but he would wear a pull up in the car as its a two hour journey and would do the same coming home the next day.  My mother in law has a toilet seat at her house already and having had seven of her own children and Rowan being the 11 grandchild on her side means she’s pretty experienced in these matters and would help dad of three out as and when needed.  I sat Rowan down and asked him if he would like to go with his dad and his brothers.  But explained he would have to use grandma’s toilet while he was there.  Rowan seemed more than happy as it meant a trip to Grandmas.  So when dad of three got home that night I let him know Rowan would be going too the following evening.  By the end of day three the score stood at potty 7 floor 1.

Day four.  Rowan woke excited asking about Grandma’s house and was happy to put his pants on.  We went downstairs where he sat on the potty and used it without prompting.  Throughout the day he did really well using the potty but now wasn’t keen to use the toilet which I was fine with as long as he used the potty.  We had to pop into town for the boys to have haircuts and to the library.  I put Rowan on the potty before we left but put him in pull ups as the public toilets in town are not pushchair friendly so using them was going to prove difficult.  By the time we returned home an hour and a half later Rowan was still dry.  I quickly put him on the potty and back into pants.  Once dad of three returned from work I put Rowan on the toilet again and explained that I was going to put a pull up on him while he was in daddy’s car and then he could wear pants at Grandma’s house.  He seemed quite happy with this.  Once they arrived at Grandma’s house I had a call to say they had arrived and that Rowan had already used the toilet!

Day 5.  I had a phone call in the morning to say Rowan had been dry over night and had used the toilet as soon as his nappy had been taken off.  So I reminded dad of three to put him on the toilet at regular intervals and before and after they went out anywhere.  Rowan was put back in a pull up for the journey home again.  On their return dad of three explained he had had one accident while they were away so I made a big fuss over him for doing so well.  

Day 6.  Rowan woke up and took his own nappy off this morning and went to the toilet himself.  We spent a quiet day at home after the excitement of being at Grandma’s house.  Rowan seemed more confident about knowing when he needed to use the toilet.  He was now refusing to use the potty altogether.  We did have two accidents but on the whole he was doing really well.  Floor 2, toilet 6 

So at the end of the first week of toilet training I was feeling confident things were finally moving in the right direction and fingers crossed would continue to improve.  

2 thoughts on “Toilet Training update week one

  1. Elin says:

    Robyn is dry during the days and loves her potty= but I am so worried about the ‘out and about’ trips. We did use a product which looks slightly like a ladies sanitary product but when robyn had an accident it didnt help at all and she was soaked. Think I may just have to be brave!!!

  2. We can’t expect from children that they will be trained automatically after three years. We have to teach them and tell them that what to do/

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