How do you potty train?

[little chickee]

Lots of potty training posts at the moment. I've replied to a few but have questions of my own.

What i'd like to know is how do you potty train? I know we ask parents to train at home and we carry on but what are your methods?

Do you constantly ask a child if they need to go or wait for them to tell you?
Do you take them to the toilet every 1/2 hour, hour, after meals and drinks,?
if a child says they don't need to go do you try and make them go anyway?

I'm not sure why i'm finding it so difficult - i've been minding fo 4 years and have 3 boys of my own but i would like to know if theres a best way to approach this.

How long would you carry on for if a child is constantly (5-6 times a day) having accidents and is not "going" on the toilet.

[sarah707]

If a child is constantly having accidents and not going to the toilet then he is not ready to be potty trained and needs to wait a while!!

Hth

[blue bear]

I start on Monday, take them every 20/30 mins, reduce it down on tuesday and if they are not asking by Wednesday back to nappies. Once up and running I expect them to be mostly reliable after a week.
Potty trained two children last week using this method, am no longer asking them this week.

[miffy]

How long would you carry on for if a child is constantly (5-6 times a day) having accidents and is not "going" on the toilet.

It doesn't sound as though the child is ready to potty train.

So either back to nappies or at least a pull up when at my house.

Miffy xx

[buzzy bee]

I don't have much experience but I agree with Sarah...

I did have a mindee who I used to ask if he wanted to go and he'd say no but then have an accident, so in the end I used to TELL him to go rather than ask!!

But I do think that if you're having to constantly ask then they're not ready - they should be telling you when they want to go.

[JCrakers]

I start at the beginning of the week (it's easier with full time children) I do use pull ups for the first 2 days. Some people don't agree with these but I feel as a childminder they are a good transition from nappy to pants without my floor getting covered in wee.
I take the child to the potty every half an hour. 'let's sit on the potty'
In order to potty train them they must be willing to sit on it.im not gonna force them
Lots of praise when a wee is done and a sticker.
If we go out I use a pull up and take the potty with.
Continue with this for the week and its usually done and dusted.potty training children who are only here for 1,2,3 days is so much harder as parents done seem to continue my routine
If it goes on for more than a week/10 days then we stop and try again in a couple of months so there's no pressure

[mama2three]

It depends how often I have the child. If they are part time Im more likely to follow how the parents are approaching potty training and try and fit in with what the child is already doing at home. If full time I tend to take more of a lead.
I always suggest parents tackle it over a holiday period of a week or so , once they are established Im happy to continue.