Am I reading the signs incorrectly?

DD is 2 1/2. We're all over the place with TT and I don't know if it's me thinking she's showing signs of being ready, when in fact, she isn't.

She'll let me know if she's pooed in her nappy, asking me to change it. She understands what I'm doing when I go to the loo. She's excited by undies, and tells me when she's wearing them that there's "no more nappies". Two nights ago, she went to bed at 7.30, slept until 6ish, came in to bed with us for a couple of hours and then we got up. She was still dry from the night before.

She's a cluey kid, knows her alphabet, can count to 30, knows her colours, shapes, etc. But put a pair of undies on her, and it's all over. Accidents galore, crying and upset. I put her on the toilet or potty every half an hour, she'll happily sit there, we read stories, etc. She never wees or poos. She is showing no signs of connecting the dots. Pull ups have made no difference for her to nappies.

Am I thinking that she's ready, when she's actually not? Should I leave it a while or keep persisting? Is it a case of once she actually goes on the toilet, then she'll start to get it? I'm in over my head and I know I've asked about TT before, but I'm not getting it either!

My DD1 was like that too and it took a bit of focus to connect the dots. She had all the signs but I would put her in undies and nothing ...

I followed the PPP advice and did role play with a doll. We ran through the whole thing with a doll (doll tells mummy she needs to go to the toilet, mummy takes doll to the toilet, mummy helps doll pulls down undies, sits on toilet and does a wee - if you have a doll that actually wees it works well, otherwise just tip some water into the toilet to give her the idea). We then let her play the part of the mummy while I played the part of the doll and then she played the part of the doll while I played the mum.

Then I filled her up with water and waited. And waited. And waited. FOUR HOURS she went without doing a wee. I thought that I was going to have to put her down for her nap but decided to sit her on the potty in front of the TV. Eventually she weed. She screamed and cried and tried to hold onto it but she couldn't hold it and it came out into the potty. We had two more mornings like this and then it eventually clicked. She seemed to just understand but it was traumatic for those couple of wees. She never had any accidents either. A couple of times she would be playing and do enough wee to wet her undies but would manage to hold it and run to the toilet and finish it there.

TT for poo was a whole other story and took another 9 months (she would wait until she got a nappy on a bedtime or do it in her sleep but she held on) and one day it just clicked and she started doing poos in the toilet.

DD1 was two years and 7 months old when we TT for wee and over 3 years old when she TT for poo. DS1 is 3yo and still not TT for poo. He is only just TT for wee, but he is a different kids to DD1. My DD1 sounds a lot like your DD.

Thanks, JM. Nine months to TT for poo must have been incredibly frustrating!

DD held on the other day - we came home from being out and I put her straight into undies. We got home at 2 and I put her on the toilet and potty repeatedly all afternoon. She didn't go until she had a rather large accident after 6pm! I'll definitely try the role play, thanks for the tip :)

We had a similar with my DS1, interested in everything but couldn't figure out that he could also go to the toilet or use the potty. We would always put him on the potty & in the end I think I stressed my self out and scared him out of it. I figured why not wait and see what happens (there was no hurry) so I bought a couple cheap potty's left one in the bathroom, one in the toy room and one outside. I would them let him run nude certain parts of the day & one day he just went all on his own & never had a problem since...both for no 1 or no 2's - he was a couple months off being 3.

I so wish TT was an exact science. I truely don't think there is a way to get it exactly. Some people say regular sittings, others say watch for their signs.
When I was frustrated with DD and her progress it used to drive me nuts when people said 'she'll just click one day'...yeah right thought I, but I stopped pushing and forgot about it. One day at CC they put her in undies....within 24hours she had it.
My DS is the opposite to DD but similar to yours. He is 100% TT (figured out all on his own while I wasn't even watching)...until I try and put undies or shorts on him....then he has no idea. Not so great for out of home social settings lol.
I'm not going to worry for another few weeks. I honestly think my DS just isn't ready yet. I'm lucky enough though that nudie run weather is pretty much all year here, so he wears no pants at home. I'm just waiting for it to click.
:hug:

She weed in the potty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I knew she wanted to go, and it was a battle of the wills. She got so upset. But I kept remembering what you said, Just Me, and persisted. Right when I was about to give up, I went to her and realised we had a full potty!!!!!! Lots of stickers and a Freddo Frog for rewards.

She went and played in her room shortly after, and then I heard "Oh dear". Looked in and found puddles. Oh dear alright!