So your little one has reached the ripe old age of 2 and potty training is now the next huge step for you and your child to take!
The best piece of advice I can give anyone who is thinking about potty training or has started is make sure you are both ready. If you think your child is ready but you are not, then don’t start! You have to make sure you can give your child your full attention.
I would also suggest if you start and are having more accidents than wees on the potty then stop. If your child isn’t ready then persevering isn’t always the best thing to do – it can cause stress for both you and your child. When I first started with my little boy he wasn’t ready, I could put him on the potty ask him to wee, he would get off and then wee on the floor 10 seconds later! I tried like this for a few days and it didn’t get any better, so although he was showing all the signs that he was ready, when we tried he wasn’t. We stopped and tried again in about six weeks with the second time being more successful.
So what are the signs that your little one is ready to potty train?
Having a dry nappy for long periods at a time (about two hours)
They can pull their own pants up and down
They are happy to sit on the potty or toilet for short periods at a time
Give verbal signs that they are or have had bowel movements (whether that is squatting, grunting or telling you)
Is in a general co-operative stage, not a resistant one
Understands and has words for urine and stool
So if you think you and your little one is ready, where do you go from here? Well, I bought and read all of the books that were available at the time and nothing is going to prepare you fully.
Here are my top tips to potty training:
1. Make sure all parents/ carers for your child are a united front — all use the same words and do the same things so your little one isn’t getting confusing messages.
2. Make sure there have recently been or you have no significant events coming up (starting a new nursery, holiday, moving house, new sibling arriving etc).
3. Your first week has to be a quiet one — don’t leave the house for the first few days, as going out and leaving the house and not having a potty or toilet to hand is likely to ensure an accident occurring.
4. You ARE going to have accidents, there is no doubt about it. So make sure you have a bucket of water with disinfectant available and lots of clean underwear to hand.
5. Make sure when an accident happens not to make a big deal of it and try not to use negative words. As long as your child is ready to potty train it will eventually come naturally.
6. The potty or toilet (if you are going to use the toilet straight away) should always be free and available for them to use.
7. Once you are brave enough to adventure out of the house – always make sure they try before you leave and invest in a portable potty — you can buy them for under £10 and they are small enough to fit your in handbag and I can’t stress enough how useful they are! Most of them also double as a toilet seat that you can use on big toilets as well!
Finally, I’ll stress again, if you try and it doesn’t work out your child might just not be ready! This doesn’t mean you have failed — it just means try again in a few weeks or months.
Happy training!
Janie Pengilly is a Lincoln mum of two, both under the age of 4, that keep her busy. As well as being a stay-at-home mum, she is also the editor of the new online magazine, Lincoln Mums.
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Residents, visitors, and traders have expressed their disappointment following the cancellation of the beloved Lincoln Christmas Market, on what would have been the inaugural day of this year’s four-day event.
Although the poor weather might have deterred some people, the city’s Bailgate area was notably quiet around 12pm on Thursday, typically the time the event usually opens its doors.
Although Lincoln’s famous Christmas Market is no more this year, and won’t be opening today, there are still alternative festive events happening in Lincoln.
City of Lincoln Council’s decision to cancel the 40-year-old event over safety concerns prompted backlash from people and business but, despite pleas from opposition members, its leaders would not change their stance.
There are, however, still some events in Lincoln to get you in the festive mood this week, including these highlights:
Christmas Market at County Assembly Rooms
The County Assembly Rooms in the Bailgate will still hold its own Christmas Market that it has done for many years.
Manager Gill Hunter said stallholders had already pre-booked and 70% still wanted to do it despite the cancellation of the city’s 40-year-old Christmas Market in uphill Lincoln.
There will be a range of festive stalls, food, drinks and performers when it opens at the following times:
Thursday, December 7 (4pm-9pm)
Friday, December 8 (10am-9pm)
Saturday, December 9 (10am-9pm)
Sunday, December 10 (10am-7pm)
This coincides with the free parking at selected city council car parks in uphill Lincoln on Thursday and Friday. This is available at these car parks: Westgate 1,2,3, St Pauls, Castle Hill, The Lawn, and Langworthgate
The bar at The County Assembly Rooms will be serving hot chocolate, festive sandwiches, alcoholic beverages and more. There will also be a brewery selling bottle ale and roasted hot chestnuts will also be available to buy.
Lincoln Castle Illuminated
Lincoln Castle Illuminated will run from Friday, December 8 until Saturday, December 23.
The Castle grounds will be bejewelled with festive lights and illuminated Christmas features. You can take a drip down Candy Cane Lane and also see the resident Castle dragons Lucy and Norman.
The Castle has retained its popular Illuminated Wall Walk, but the lift is currently out of action so it can only be accessed via the spiral staircase.
You can also board the ‘Mini Polar Express’ and enjoy traditional fairground rides.
In addition, there will be local vendors offering sweet treats and winter warmers, including hot chocolate and mulled wine.
Dog friendly evenings will take place on December 13 and 20.
The full Lincoln Castle Illuminated experience costs £11 for adults, £10 for concessions, £6 for children, and £28 for family tickets. Alternatively, you can choose to visit the grounds only for £3 per head (free for under 5s).
Festive fun at Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral will be hosting an array of festive events this month, including during what would have been the Christmas Market period.
Crafters market in the Cloisters – December 8 and 9 (10.30am-4.30pm)
Nativity Crafts – December 9 (10am-3.30pm)
London Concertante: Christmas at the Movies – December 9 (7.30pm). Ticket prices range from £33.99 to £47.72
‘After Hours’: Walking towards Christmas – December 10 (6.45pm)
Winter Market at Lincoln Museum
Lincoln Museum on Danes Terrace is holding a Winter Market on Saturday, December 9, which has been organised by Shelf Editions.
There will also be workshops to take part in including metal wreath (£45) and felt decoration (£15) making, which can be booked via the museum’s website.
For the younger visitors there is also a free drop-in Calendar wreath craft session with the Elbow Room Collective.
Entry to the market is free from 10am-4pm with the cafe serving a festive menu from 11am-3pm.
Lincoln Ice Trail
Lincoln Ice Trail will run from 10am-8pm on Saturday and Sunday, December 9 and 10.
There will be 20 Lincoln-themed ice sculptures to find – you can pick up a map of the trail from the Visitor Information Centre.
In addition, there will be festive entertainment, as well as live-ice carving demonstrations of the Cathedral.
The Travelling Historical Christmas Market
Although this event is next week, The Travelling Historical Christmas Market offers another festive alternative for people in Lincoln.
The free event will take place at St Mary le Wigford Church on St Mary’s Street between December 14 and 17 at the following times: