The day has come, he will be 3 in October and as we are at home for the final two weeks of the holiday thought now was as good a time as any.

This is my 3rd training session, but as the last was 7 years ago can't remember a thing but none the less I thought it would be nice to report the ups and downs of the Meisters training.

Day One

When I changed him this morning I said we were going to start potty training and put him in pants. We found the potty which has been part of the furniture for a while now, and enlisted Thomas, Bertie Bus and James to help. Freddie sat on the potty as Thomas, BB and James told him how they don't wear a nappy any more and pee and poo in the potty. Freddie was very impressed with this.

He then proceeded to pee in the potty - without removing his pants. Never mind, my fault should have explained. Put clean pants on and off we go, the same thing happens an hour later. Ditch the pants.


At 1pm he poo'd in the potty...HURAHH!

At 1.30pm he peed on the kitchen floor

At 2.30pm he pee'd in the upstairs toilet

At 3pm he pee'd on the rug.

At 4pm he poo'd in the middle room.

At 4.10pm I bathed him and put him in a nappy ready for bed.

So results on first day:

Potty/Toilet = 4
Floor = 3

Not bad for Day One.

Sound good to me :thumbsup:

I was having a conversation about potty training with an internet friend of mine. She had just spent a week in their apartment in Spain with her d-i-l and almost 3 year old (and a younger one) who are staying on there for 3 weeks. She was saying that the d-i-l had made no attempt at potty training at all. I would have thought that being in Spain with the child 24/7 (and all tiled floors, easy to mop) would have been the ideal time to do it.

Why are children in nappies so long these days. Is it because they are so convenient. No washing and, let's face it, once the child is potty trained you have the scenario of being in the middle of shopping (or somewhere else equally inconvenient) and junior suddenly needs the loo desperately. We've all been there haven't we?

I remember my grandson having a complete aversion to his potty, even though (or maybe because) it was one of those Teddy Bear chair type things. He seemed to go from nappies to using the big toilet at about 2½.

Keep at it Cat - sounds like a good result for a first go :)

This thread is utterly hilarious! :laugh:

I wan't to hear a detailed breakdown of Freddie's abultions every day until he gets fully potty/toilet trained (at which point the ablution stories just get boring).

But....Jaysus! Are kids really in nappies until age 3 these days? :ohmy: I'm sure my goddaughter was crapping in the toilet before then.

In my experience girls tend to be potty/toilet trained earlier than boys Karen, I know my daughter was using the potty around her 2nd birthday but both my boys were about 2 and half before they were 'dry'. Obviously each child is different, they all learn different skills at different times and some are lazier than others when it comes to using the potty/toilet.

I think in the "old days" ... say 40-30 years ago, children were "potty trained" at an early age, but not really if you see what I mean! What I mean is that kids were dumped on a potty for hours on end until they did something. That's not what potty training is about these days. It's about the child knowing when they want to do their business and asking rather than doing it to order. I know the reason for this was probably due to terries nappies and households not always having the luxury of washing machines, etc.

My son was amazingly easy to potty train and we managed it in about 10 days (with the odd accident after that period, but not many) cos he was ready for it, he was two years and two months and I was very proud of him and me! Especially as I'd told everyone at work I was taking two weeks off over Easter and would be potty training him ... I was desparate not to have to go back and admit defeat!!!! pride, huh!

I agree with you Dol about potty training years ago.

Some people say their kids were potty trained at one:shock: but I think it's more of a case, like you say, of being sat on the potty for all hours and just happening to catch it.
And the washing of all the terries must have been an incentive to get them onto the potty.

Both of my boys were round about 3 when they were out of nappies.
But they both "got it" in a couple of days, with hardly any wet patches anywhere.
We still have little accidents every now and then but when we can drive 8 hours down to Devon for a holiday, and them not get wet, I don't think we're doing to bad.

I well remember that red ring round my son's bum from being forced to sit for too long on the potty. I was only 17 when I had him and was determined to be the perfect mother, this resulted in a constipated child with a phobia about the potty.

It is true that we worked harder on getting them trained because of the lack of washing machine and tumble drier. The most nappies I had was two dozen and if they had a really bad day and the weather had been bad I was frantically drying nappies on the fireguard.

I was far more relaxed with my second child and it was much easier.

God, I'm glad I didn't have kids.


Eeeww :sick:

Day Two.

Not a good start, was out till about 12 noon then came back to find Mr Cat had dressed him complete with nappy, he wouldn't let me take it off untill he next needed changing - around 1.30pm. We were up stairs together and he did 2 pee's in the pot, then p!sed all over my freshly cleaned bed - NEVER MIND FREDDIE, IT DOSN'T MATTER. Later we went for a walk and put a nappy back on him, which was removed when returned.

Floor/ bedding = 3
Potty/toilet = 4

But nappies were worn for the majority of the day.

NOTE: Both my other boys were just 3 when I trained then, in a couple of days and I am starting to think I have started this too soon, yes nappies are much more convenient than the toweling ones and I don't see the point in distressing him if he's not ready, as long as he is ready by January when he starts nursery I really don't see the hurry and I am not going to push it.

Day Three.

Whipped nappy off at 9am when awoke...pee'd in pot.

11am went swimming..sat in buggy with PANTS on as pushed over the park to swim pool...swam like a fish ...and buggied back with no nappy. STAR

Peed on floor once s far.

Todays results have been good.


Floor/bedding/buggy = 1
Toilet ect = 5

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, go the Fredmeister:thumbsup:

It sounds like he is doing very well, Cat :thumbsup:

Well done to Freddy, Cat!! He is getting there! He be wearing his Calvin Kleins 24/7 any day now! :laugh:

I am glad that we have the toilet-training out of the way. Both my girls were out of nappies both day & night at just over two. The only problem I have now is that I am constantly running to the toilet everytime she wants to go!! Although sometime she doesn't tell me and you go into the toilet and there it is, a Richard the Third waving at me from the potty!! :unsure:

Day Four

A day of two halves. In the morning we went to the gym and Freddie went into the creche where he proceeded to pee and ****** all over the place with aplomb. I arrived back and the rooms stank, he had refused point blank to even acknowledge the potty. Never mind.

Not to be put off we then went shopping - I have decided to resort to bribery. I bought him a Thomas the Tank Engine book and Percy engine to add to his collection because "Freddie is doing so well with his potty training" and a collection of Thomas the Tank pants. We stopped at a toilet every 15 mintues - no accidents.

Once home had one accident on the rug but was then ok, especially when I said he could have some smarties if he pee'd in the potty. He did this later without any prompting from me, proudly sploshing the pee filled potty down the hall as he came to show me. No more accidents for the rest of the day.

Today as soon as he woke up he demanded that his nappy was taken off - I have promised to buy him Harrold Helicopter if his training goes well today. Not sure that Mirriam Stoppard would approve but tough.

Cat, this potty training lark may save you a bundle in nappies but it is going to cost you a fortune in toys, plus you'll have to move house to store them all!!

Freddy done well yesterday though! :thumbsup:

what a star Cat - how did today go?

& Miriam Stoppard be damned. I am not at all sure she 100% practiced what she preached!

what a star Cat - how did today go?

& Miriam Stoppard be damned. I am not at all sure she 100% practiced what she preached!

Jaycee it went crap..I will post fully tomorrow. Miriam hasn't got a clue anyway..

So I take it no helicopter then.

So I take it no helicopter then.

No Maz, no helicopter.

Day Five

After a promising start where he awoke and whipped his nappy off eager to start his trianing and gain his prize of Harrold the Helicopter it all went down hill. I had to go into work so he came with me and was booked into the Centre - they were very supportive and I left them with a wardrobe of pants and clothes in case there was an accident. AN ACCIDENT! HA HA HA HA HA
He pooped the house down - two in his pants (poor Thomas), and one double wammy of both poo and wee. He did sit on the potty a couple of times and went but they said it was more stubornness than anything else - little git. I gave Nikki (the poor girl who was unfortunate enough to be his carer for the day a lift home by way of apologies - we are related by marriage by the by, which I thinked helped things).

Once at home there were no more accidents and he had the intelligence not to mention Harrold, we did get him a packet of smarties by way of encouragement though. Harrold is sat in the cupboard waiting to be earned.

I am now at home for 2 days so we will give it a big push.

Fingers crossed. :pooh:

Oh well Cat, it can't get any worse :D

I found with my boys when I was potty training them that if they were really busy playing with friends or in a crèche that they didn't want to break off to use the potty/toilet but if they were at home just playing alone that they were quite happy to break off what they were doing. Sounds like Freddie is the same.

Fingers crossed for your two days at home, hopefully he will crack it :thumbsup:

God, I'm glad I didn't have kids.


Eeeww :sick:

And Me!!!!!!

Mind you, I was watching GMTV or some other daytime show this week, where they reported that in the US you can hire someone to do all the "mundane" tasks of mother/fatherhood, such as potty training to teaching your kids to ride a bike - which begs the question WHY have the people who use these services have children in the first place!!!

OMG, they will be bringing back wet nurses soon, Slebs who dont want saggy tits will hire them, while boasting that "breast is best".......all a bit "hand that rocks the cradle" if you ask me!!!!!

Day Six

Even though the day is not done I think we have a break through and feel confident to report.

Not one single mistake today, every time in the potty - he was even fully dressed and asked me to pull his pants down (no one say a word). But I wasn't that excited as we have been at home all day and done nothing more than chill out and watch the tv so the potty was never far away.

The promise of Harrold the Helicopter still loomed and I started to suggest that after tea he would land in the garden. I got freddie ready for bed (including a nappy) and gave him his much wanted Harrold.

THEN..."Mum I want to wee, take my nappy off"

Jurassic Park - Jackpot!

THEN..."Mum I want to wee, take my nappy off"

Jurassic Park - Jackpot!

Yay - well done Freddie & mum :thumbsup:

Yay - well done Freddie & mum :thumbsup:

We still havn't had a Doris Dump today though........so not totally relaxed.

Cat, can you get him some of those night-time pull up nappy stylee pants for bedtime? I used these when my two were potty training, used them the first night and never ever had a wet nappy/bed ever again as they both used to wake up pull down the nappy pants and go in the potty I'd left in the room. It might just work for you too :)

Sounds as if he's doing really well, bless him :thumbsup:

Good idea Voicey, for some reason hadn't thought of that at night - shall be popping down to the chemists today - thanks.

I would just like to give credit were credit is due here and I think Harrold deserves a special mention, he is on Freddies pillow as we speak along with Thomas, James, Percy and Bertie.

http://www.toytrainstop.com/B00000JHXT.gif

I am bidding for engines gallore on ebay.

Thankyou the very Reverend Awdry :thumbsup:

Aww, I could just hug wee Freddy! I have loved this run down of his daily dumps and wees! Ooh, I bet he is delighted with his helicopter.

Re night-time Cat, I just went straight for the kill and abandoned nappies at the same time. I would tke her to the toilet before she went down, and then lift her a couple of times during the night. Mr B would take her to the toilet at 6am when he got up. A bit of a hassle, I know but we only done this a few times. I bought a cheap shower curtain and used that as a waterproof mattress. So there was a protective matteress, fitted sheet, shower curtain, fitted sheet, so if there was an accident during the night, it was just a case of whipping off the first fitted sheet and putting her back to bed.

Just think of the money you will save on nappies, it'll mean you'll have more spending money for Dublin!

Nappies and the bloomin wet wipes!

I shall see how today and tomorrow goes - at home again today then he is at the Centre tomorrow. The only problem with night time is that he sleeps with us most of time will have to ponder this one.

It's quite exciting though isn't it!

Nappies and the bloomin wet wipes!

I shall see how today and tomorrow goes - at home again today then he is at the Centre tomorrow. The only problem with night time is that he sleeps with us most of time will have to ponder this one.

It's quite exciting though isn't it!

Oh bless you Cat, our little one still sleeps with us sometimes! I am so glad I am not alone! :thumbsup:

To be honest he sleeps with us most of the time - they all have, thats why we bought a Supery Doopery Ding Dong sized bed.

Sam (11) dosn't at night and more - hasn't for a good few years, just comes in when he wakes in the morning, Ross comes in a couple of times a week if he wakes up in the middle of the night, but Freddie is in there most of the time - I love going to sleep holding his hand. It's something we both agree on and have no problem with - do you know the human being is the only animal that puts its children down to sleep away from them.

Each to their own.

Although my daughter was dry day and night around the same time, both my boys although dry during the day still wore nappys at night for quite a long time afterwards.

It didn't bother me in the least as I just put one disposible nappy on just as they were going to bed and removed when they woke. It was only ever wet, so the way I saw it was that they would become dry (at night) when they were good and ready and that they did in their own good time.

I bought a potty the other day cos Cockney thought it would be a good idea for Gigi to get used to having it around and not wear it on her head as a hat.

I put it on the carpet and she wore it on her head as a hat :laugh:

Girls are usually a lot earlier than boys floops, my childminders daughter who is only 4 months older than Freddie has been trained for well over a year. Boys are quite happy to carry on ****ting their pants as long as they don't have to clean up after themselves......and so it goes on.

After the deed is done potties make great bowls for nibbles at parties - believe me.

If you want a tip I would say bribery, Gigi will probably be fine but new chappy will need a prize.

Day Seven.

Not bad, not bad really. We had two mishaps - one poo and one wee (the poo was the first in two days so I had been on guard and happened to get the wiff before any real damage was done). All of the other times he would come and ask for the potty in time and has even started to take his pants and shorts down - not very successfully mind, but he is trying.

So on the whole progress is still being made.

Today will be a real test he is booked into the Centre again - I just hope they see an improvement from tuesday, fingers crossed.

COME ON FREDDIE MATE YOU CAN DO IT (in the right place).

Day Eight

Very good. He has spent the day at the Centre so was very distracted and absorbed and only had 2 pee accidents, used the toilet or the potty the rest of the time. They did warn me he hadn't poo'd.

Guess what!!! He has just done a double wammy in his potty, can still smell it as I type...yes he poo'd unprompted, not only that he pulled his own pj bottoms down...YES YES YES YES!

"We love you Freddie, though you've got red hair, we love you Freddie..."

He's watching Mr Ben at the moment - remember that?

We love Freddie with red hair :wink2:

And well done to him, all those thomas engines are thoroughly deserved.
Well done Cat :thumbsup:

Oh and Mr Ben, brilliant.
And have you heard Rhubarb and Custard is coming to the Jetix channel soon :thumbsup:

"We love you Freddie, though you've got red hair, we love you Freddie..."

I loved the old Freddie. Who's this ging-er who sh!its in your bed? Bring back the old Freddie!

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH HIM???????????????

I'm back, btw.

Hey, welcome back Patsy.
Hope you had a fabby holiday :thumbsup:

Hi A, thanks it was dabidozi (that's the Catalan spelling). Sorry about the ging-er reference, btw. No offence. Just a bit of a shock. :huh:

Hi A, thanks it was dabidozi (that's the Catalan spelling). Sorry about the ging-er reference, btw. No offence. Just a bit of a shock. :huh:

I thought dabidozi was what the Krankies said :w00t:

None taken, it was Cat who started the ginger comments. :boxing:

Indeed, El Krankios are huge in Spain, most parts of which would pronounce the 'z' as 'th' and I think this is where the translation falls down. There is actually no Catalan version and it seems to be dying out there. In Madrid, though, it's mega.

We love Freddie with red hair :wink2:

And well done to him, all those thomas engines are thoroughly deserved.
Well done Cat :thumbsup:

Oh and Mr Ben, brilliant.
And have you heard Rhubarb and Custard is coming to the Jetix channel soon :thumbsup:


I will be giving Rhubarb and Custard a wide berth Andrea, it used to make me feel nauseous.

Freddie hasn't got red hair, its a football song that just burst out from within me. But you know I love red hair - I've spent the last 25 years dying my mousey brown hair red.

I love Rhubarb and Custard. Not like, love.

As for the red hair reference to the Meister, can you warn me next time. Put 10 years on me it did!

Day Nine

As a reward Clarabel arrived this morning to add to Freddies Thomas collection.

No accidents what so ever today and he can pull his pants (and shorts) down on his own now to sit on the potty. Bit of a problem putting the boys back in the barracks on the way up though. Never mind.

Didn't go for a poo though so not completely there yet.

I put a nappy on when he's fallen asleep and will start with pull ups and night training in a few days.

Well done Freddie.

Day Ten

Not a good day really, not good at all. Peed in PJ's as soon as nappy was taken off, then again in shorts later. After that was ok and went in the pot. But Mr Cat took him over the park and he had a collision with a small girl on the climbing frames and she whacked his bottom. He burst into tears at the humiliation and Mr Cat had to carry him back, during which he peed all over Mr Cat.

After that things settled down again and he used the potty everytime even for a :pooh: .

Not brilliant but still on course.

Latest bribe is Toad.

Sounds like he's well on course Cat. He's got the basics now and, barring a few hiccups, it's uphill (or is it downhill?) from here. Well done both of you. :thumbsup:

Day Eleven.

Very good, I think he has got the jist now, even went for a poo in the potty unaided in a different room twice - he even takes it to the toilet and flushes it down himself saying "bye bye lovely poo, miss you".

So I think we can conclude here, I would like to thank you all of you here for you support and encouraging words, my agent, my stylist, my publisher and most of all Freddie for giving me this opportunity.


The End.

PS Anyone want any Thomas the Tank Engines - I've got friggin loads!

There will probably be an odd accident along the way but it looks like he has got it :D

Well done to you both :thumbsup:

Well done Freddie and well done Cat :thumbsup:

And as for still having little accidents, don't grown up men have them too :w00t:

I just thought I would give an update.

Freddie has been fantastic, I thought it was going to be an ongoing struggle at first, continual almost deliberate accidents, but for the past 3 days he hasn't had one single accident at nursery or here - his pull ups are dry in the mornings, he takes them off himself to do a wee first thing.

He is now the proud owner of:

Thomas, Bertie Bus, Harold (who could forget Harold), Mavis, Diesel, Toad, Lorry, Troublesome Trucks 1 & 2, Percy and Clarabel. And the special My First Thomas train track arrived today. Potty currency.

I still have a stash of trucks that I will save and give him for his birthday.

Well done the Funky Fredster!

Have you checked inside the piano? :pooh:

Have you checked inside the piano? :pooh:

no.. :shutup:

All his favourite "posting" places?

Lol Patsy:laugh:


Well done Freddie, and I'm sure he's not posting anywhere.

Have you checked the video slot:unsure: ?

Well done to Freddie :thumbsup:

I am very proud to say that I had a small yet significant involvement in the training of the Meister this weekend.

It was decided, during Saturday evening, that Freddie had done so well that he deserved a reward. It was apparent from the constant referral to his well thumbed "Thomas and Friends" leaflet that Bill and Ben were current favourites.

It was also decided that Freddie would be led to believe that I was the provider of these much-coveted prizes, as long as he pointed Twinkle in the appropriate direction.

He did so, beautifully and was justly rewarded.

However.................. this afternoon, when I arrived back home, the story was a very different one. Cat, it's over to you.

Whilst playing on my freshly laundered bed he peed on it - freshly laundered because he had peed on it the day before :ranting:

Later when remorsefull he came up to me and said "sorry for wee weeing on your bed and thankyou for shouting at me"

BLESS!!

I take it you have reinstated the trucks then.

Hope no-one minds if I comandeer this thread for my own ends?

I've been potty training Gigi for the past few days and she's getting the hang of it really well. It's about 50/50 between the potty and the floor, but today we started a chart where she gets a gold sticker to stick on the chart every time she uses the potty properly, and so far we've had 2 gold stars and no accidents.

Hooray for my little girl :wub:

Good girl Gigi.

I friggin hated potty training (the kids not myself obviously). I could cope with everything except the phase of pooing in the pants, that really used to turn my stomach. One of mine when through a real long phase of this and used to hide behind the settee whilst he was doing it, hopping from one foot to another.

I have no doubt once they start going out getting pi$$ed it will be like toilet training all over again, getting them to tell the difference between the toilet and the wardrobes....:blink:

Well done Gigi. Can't say I would find a gold star much of an incentive, though. :bored:

Can't you offer her something a bit more interesting, like a chocolate button, or perhaps money?

...or as a real treat, you could let her watch ITV :ohmy:

She's actually very excited about the gold stars. She get to stick them on the chart herself and everything.

Pats - nah, I wouldn't ever use food as a reward. I know too many ****ed up people with eating problems cos their parents did exactly the same thing. Food should be about eating, not about behaviour.

Fee - ITV? My little angel? Perish the thought. It's the BBC or nothing for her.

Fee - ITV? My little angel? Perish the thought. It's the BBC or nothing for her.
But Jeremy Kyle offers such good advice on all sorts of subjects....and has such classy guests too.

Fee - ITV? My little angel? Perish the thought. It's the BBC or nothing for her.

Tinky-winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Paxman I suppose :ninja:

Oooh, I have a problem for Jeremy Kyle.

Eddie is afraid of giraffes. Whenever he's watching his Baby Einstain DVD on world animals he cries whenever a giraffe comes on.

What can I do?

Swap it for the Baby Einstein version :bye:

Oh shut up Fiona :mad2:

Can I just say - 3 gold stars so far today and no accidents.

:wub:

You can and you may.

Well done, Gigi. :applause:

Well done Freddie and Gigi

Little Sam will happily sit on a potty and I spend a day potty training him a couple of weeks ago, it went really well that day (well he peed on the floor a lot, but was happy to sit on the potty and pretend to pee in it, I call that progress) but during the night he developed an ear infection and was really ill for a few days so i haven't tried since. I read somewhere that it's good to leave a little while in between attempts :) My parents are coming to look after him for a few days in September while I go away so I think that's probably the best time to try it :laugh:

Just the one day before you pass it on to your mum then? :laugh:

Floops, I am nothing if not predictable :) oh and lazy... and good at delegating :D Anyway she has a good track record - with me, the less said about my brother the better, I still have nightmares about his potty training and I was only around four at the time :x

Anyway how's Gigi doing?

She's as fine as a two year old can be.

Currently earting a green ice pop whilst wearing an attractive sand moustache and beard. Dressed in a pink gingham frock which she has accessorised nicely with a yellow and peach velour hat. :wacko:

I'm not enjoying potty training at all!

It's basically a sh*t-fest! :mad2:

you should try my patented gold star system, works like a dream :cool:

He'd just sh*t on the chart....he's shat on everything else! :angry:

Who is being potty trained, Grouch?

Me :bag:

...

Well maybe he's just not ready yet :cool: