Potty training and childminding!

**Gherkin** · 28-04-2008, 05:34 PM

I am trying to potty train my 2 year old girl but am finding it very difficult to do when minding. I also find that two of the older children I mind are reacting at opposite ends of the specturum - 1 (aged 7) wants to watch her and watch all her nappy changes and wants to see everything she has done in them or potty and the other (aged 11) runs infear of his life because as far as he is concerned it is indecent for her to not be covered up - mentioned it to his mum but she just said that is what he is like.

I just want dd out of nappies as she has always suffered from nappy rash - 1 poo can be done and she can be changed immediatly but still it will set her bottom off and then it takes days to heal. All the poo has to do is touch her bum for a second and that is it.

Any suggestions for ways I can manage it would be greatfuilly received.

**Twinkles** · 28-04-2008, 05:45 PM

I wouldn't worry about the mindees reactions, both are perfectly normal.

Now that the nice weather is here ( on it's way...maybe ) you can just stay in the garden as much as possible and let her run around with no nappy. Have a potty to hand and encourage her to use it.

I stayed in for a week with mine to get them potty trained and it worked. I know you'll have to go out to do school runs but just remove the nappy as soon as you get home.
Good luck

**Cazz** · 28-04-2008, 05:45 PM

Claire, I'm not really going to be much help as I have started childminding yet but I have been wondering about this (amongst hundreds of other things!). When my dd is ready to be potty trained (only 4 months so not just yet thank goodness!) I would probably tie it in with a week off from minding and hope that she gets the hang of it quickly!

How does everybody else do with mindees when they start potty training? Do you recommend that parents have time off and initially start and then continue what they have started? The reason I ask is I remember what it is like for the first few days and how can you look after other mindees if you are trotting off to the loo every 10 minutes and changing underwear all the time?

Carole x

**sarah707** · 28-04-2008, 06:14 PM

I can totally understand why you want to start her if her bum gets so sore, but if her nerve endings aren't ready to tell her when she needs to go, then it won't work yet ... I hope she gets the hang of it soon though! Poor little soul!

As far as the mindees reactions, I would just have a quiet word with both of them and ask them to be as supportive as possible, but you don't want to be crowded... tbh, the older one is going to have to cope with seeing her running about in the garden in the summer, so he'd best just get used to it!

Cazz - I have it in my policy that while I will support parents, I will neither start the process nor change wet trousers every 2 minutes! If they are having lots of accidents then I am sorry but I will put a nappy back on. This is my home, not a mobile toilet.

Good luck Claire

**emler** · 28-04-2008, 06:30 PM

I have a 2 year old mindee and her mum just told me that she will take a week off in May to stay at home with her and start potty training. I think this is the sensible way to do things. I'm happy to continue what parents have started but like Sarah, I will not start the process.

Emler x

**littletreasures** · 28-04-2008, 06:34 PM

Mum and I decided that we thought mindee was ready to be potty trained. He was 2 on Friday. Mum started it over the 2 weeks holiday. I had him back last week. I kept it quiet for that week. I didn't go to toddler group. He arrives in a nappy (put on just before they came out), I put him on the potty before I do the school run, but keep the nappy on til I get home. I then take the nappy off and leave him playing in his pants and tshirt.

I have made a potty training chart and everytime he does anything in the potty, even a dribble, he gets a tick. We then tip it down the toilet and wash hands.

I do have accidents, but try not to make a big thing of it. Just change his pants and carry on. I am so pleased with him and praise him big time each time he goes on the potty and even more if he tells me he needs to go on it.

Good luck

littletreasures

**Spangles** · 28-04-2008, 06:48 PM

Wow, he's doing really well considering he's only just turned 2! A potty genius! (Meant in the nicest way!

)

**Gherkin** · 28-04-2008, 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by littletreasures

I do have accidents
littletreasures

You know they sell things at the supermarket for that

Sorry jesting aside. Thank you for your thoughts.

Had her with nothing on her bottom this evening and she did a wee in the pot but then picked the pot up and ran off - some days she is juist too damned quick.

**littletreasures** · 28-04-2008, 07:35 PM

lol

Mum and I reckon he will be dry during the night before his big sister. We had trouble before the holidays with her wetting her knickers at school. Funnily enough, since J has started going on the potty she has stopped wetting. It might have something to do with the fact Mum said wouldn't it be funny if J was dry before you (She's 5 1/2 and lazy. She just didn't want to go to the loo and stop playing with her friends).

littletreasures

**sarah32** · 28-04-2008, 07:43 PM

I mind a 2 1/2 and only had her for a couple of months and mum says to be the other day should we think about potty training, said she needed to start it first and then I would continue.

**jo f** · 28-04-2008, 07:47 PM

my dd is 2 in 2 wks and my mindee is 2 1/2, I,m going to be doing this together!!! FUN FUN FUN!!!!

**Gherkin** · 28-04-2008, 07:53 PM

One of my mindees is 2 1/2 but she seems to live in fear of the potty. Aka her mum she gets scaraed witless if she wets herself which must be just awful and its going to make the whoi;le training for her so much harder.