But don’t be put off if, when you do start, all doesn’t
go to plan. “Parents expect results very quickly. When
there are stops and starts, people think, ‘I’m doing it
wrong.’” That isn’t so, says Yvonne. Some children
respond quickly, others take longer. Don’t be scared
to call it quits. “Just start again every couple of weeks,
until it works,” says Yvonne.
Jane Rees went through a long trial and error
period of over a year before she could finally call her
oldest son dry. Looking back, Jane says she felt pressure
to begin training when others did, and it was probably
too early. It wasn’t until her son, Thomas, was three
and asked to wear underwear to school that she was
brave enough to ditch the diapers full-time.
Brittany Cazel Brett also took a leap of faith when
her son asked to don his big boy pants, also aged three,
through the night, despite months of accidents since his
potty appeared in the house. “I could have said, ‘No,
honey, we’ll wear a diaper tonight,’ but I thought the
worst that would happen was I’d have to get up at 3am
to change some sheets.” That never happened, says
Brittany, who had previously ignored suggestions by a
pre-school to train her son at 18 months. That night,
and every night after, he stayed dry. How did she
know he was ready? “I’d say my number one sign
was dry diapers after naps and in the morning.”
Both mums say that, in hindsight, they’d
worry less about potty training. After all,
they say, it’s rare that a child gets through
pre-school without becoming trained.
Sometimes other trained kids are
the best motivators. Tell the school
about your situation and look
for support, they say, and keep
relaxed. Before you know it,
you’ll be home dry.
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