[mama2004]

My ds is only 20 months old. He has been in cds since birth, and has had a little potty around for a few months now, but more or less as part of the furniture (I am in awe of ec'ers, let me just say, I honestly don't think I could do it). These last few days, my boy has been interested in his potty, and if I ask him if he wants to pee in the potty, he usually says, "yes," sits, pees, works to pee more, says, "again," tries to pee more, helps me rinse the potty, and sits down to try to pee more. There are times during the day when I ask if he wants to pee on the potty and he says, "no," then we just continue on.

A couple of questions, then:

I am thinking that I'd like to get some training pants to try out here around the house in the next few days, to see if that might encourage him to let me know when he might need to pee (after a few or more puddles on the floor, I'm guessing), does anyone have any experience as far as training pants making a difference?

My boy is mostly communicating with signs, he's only just recently started to really play with spoken words, so at the moment, we don't have a way to say that he needs to potty, but then, it's a new concept, so I'm sure we would come up with something pretty quickly, right? Also, he isn't quite able to sit on his potty all by himself (it's a bjorn--the kind with the back--and his backing up to it needs some guidance), and he's interested in helping to dress/undress himself, but isn't really ready to do so yet (just thinking about training pants up and down). Obviously, I'll be right there to help him, but I'm wondering if I should wait to encourage more potty adventures? I am feeling like his interest might be a great place for us to begin the potty process, and if it stops and starts that's just fine, but I kind of feel like I might have a good opportunity here and I would hate to miss it.

I would really appreciate any voices of experience. And if anyone knows where I can get inexpensive* training pants in Portland, OR, I would love to hear about it, since they seem to be on the verge of obsolete.

ETA, ds does not like to hang out in the nude, he'll bring me a diaper if I don't put one on him right away.

*There is a marvelous WAHM diaper store here that I love, but the trainers there all cost in the double digits, and I need at least half a dozen/a dozen, I think, inexpensive (wish I could spring for the UTN all organic) gerber-style, 3 for $6 kind of undies...

 

[octobermom]

my DD didn't PL till much older and had some sensory issues to work through making the journey harder.. but shes did get there

for trainers we had them all from the cheep gerbers to the super fancy.. My favorite were the Imse Vimse Training Pants http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com/...m#trainingpant yes pricier (other places have them cheeper jsut linking for pictures) but I loved them they were thick enough to prevent leaking straight to the floor but thin enough clothing got wet and such which I feel is a natural learning to potty training. A simle pull on cover can be added if a little extra protection is desired and make great "first underware" as well.

Deanna

 

[RomanGoddess]

Cloth training pants or disposible? Disposible are a waste of money, IMHO.

I put my DD in cloth training pants at 24 months. They were light enough that the pee leaked out when she went in her pants. She didn't like that much and asked to be put back in a diaper. I told her that there were no more diapers for during the daytime. She wasn't too happy with that but she was going regularly on the potty within about two weeks.

For the next one, I would definitely try at 20 months rather than 24. To my mind, the earlier you start, the less oppositional will you have to deal with. Also, I know so many kids who started potty learning at 2.5 or 3 and who regressed soon afterwards because of the arrival of a new sibling or just because they play and can't be bother to go. I think it becomes more second nature to them when they learn earlier on.

 

[meemee]

this is how our experience went.

it was summer. my dd was 20 months old. she started having rashes around her bottom that the docs took a while to figure out why. they finally found it was heat rash. asked me to let her go diaper free as much as possible. or get her a size larger diaper. well that leaked. i had hardwood floors so let her go naked.

that's when i found she was showing signs of being ready for getting out of diapers. she wasnt urinating that often. if i remember right - maybe every 3 hours. or 2. AND when she did take a nap she was always dry. she just had to go within 5 mins of waking up. a couple of nights her diaper was dry too (i ended up freaking out and calling the advice nurse. she put the idea of potty learning in my head).

THIS is when i bought a simple potty. and cleaned up her mess. she wouldnt sit on potty and too scared to sit on big potty. took me a month to realise she WANTED to sit on the big potty - not her baby one. so got the ring.

now here is the mistake i made. i would switch from pullups (i did disposable since i used public laundry) to underwear. and it would confuse the heck out of my dd. i felt so bad. she couldnt tell the difference between panty and pullup. she would start crying when she expected the pullup to hold her pee but she was wearing uw.

then we started taking short walks around the neighbourhood. then short trips. i could have put her in uw when seh was 22 months old. but i wasnt confident. i finally did it the next month when she gave me THE look when she saw a pullup in my hand.

but she had potty regression when she went to a new dc when she was 2 1/2. took her a month with many potty accidents to adjust.

she also once in a while wet the bed till she was 4. not enough times to put pullup on her. maybe once a month or something like that.

when she was actively using the potty i had to remind her to take a potty break as she would be so engrossed in playing that she would have an accident. at the park i would have to try various methods to take a potty break because she didnt want to stop playing. i used to tell her i want company while going to the bathroom. i didnt want to go alone. and so she would go with me to keep me company all teh while saying she doesnt have to go. and then hear me tinkle and off she would have to use too.

with what my friends have gone thru - i have found bare bottom is the best learning tool - if you can allow that.

 

[Alyantavid]

I would buy him some undies, of his choice, and keep doing what you're doing.

 

[soccermama]

DS started potty training at 2.5 years - we started out in pull ups and recently switched over to undies (we still do nighttime pull ups for bedtime). He loves his undies, he got to pick out a character that he likes and seems to be doing well in them at school and at home. The only problem is, he's still learning to tell us when he needs to go potty while in his undies. I think eventually he'll get tired of being "soaked", as he likes to say, and let H and I know when he needs to go. He'll do it at school, np, but at home, things are a little laxed for him, it seems like.

 

[alexsam]

Pottly learning really is different for every kid... Some it takes a while and there are accidents and trial and error and then some take longer to get the hang of overnight. Some quite litterally do it in a split second (that was mine- he said "I want to use the potty and underwear" and never had a diaper- or accident- again).

I'd get the underwear (just regular underwear- it feels different than a diaper) and just try. The worst that happens is you change and wash some clothes! As far as I saw it, accidents and puddles weren't all that bad and they were worth it to get things going.

If I was going out, I also had the Imse Vimse training pants (just to avoid lots of changes on trips and stuff).

However, once you change to underwear, you can't really say so easy "OK, no potty today!"

. So, I'd come up with a routine- times when you sit on the potty to try or get get aquainted. If he said "No potty for right now" that's fine because you need to emphasize listening to the body. But I'd have regular times when I'd say "Let's go sit on the potty!". And (MDC'ers, don't get too upset with me!) but I'd also make a happy deal about using it. Clap, hooray, let's tell daddy, etc. The way it was though my son's eyes at the time was "Big kids use the potty. I'm growing up and now I can do it too and I'm proud of myself and mommy and daddy are proud of me too in that I can do this! Good for me!". If my son had been the accident type, we would we would have said "Uh oh! Let's change up to get more comfortable!" and moved on with no big deal

.

 

[octobermom]

Our situation was diffrent because of seneory issues but I too had to put DD on a potty schedule" her body did not respond to wet like it should have she'd like suddenly pick up an object and throw it across the room or colplase saying her feel hurt both signs she needed to go potty and no reaction on being wet. We had to physically say look your wet here feel can you feel that? ect and for us pull ups were actually a godsend at first because while she cared less about feeling wet she did notice the lumpy feeling cheep pullups gave her as the gell bulked up and that was her cue to go potty.

Deanna

 

[mama2004]

Thanks for all the feedback! I am definitely not interested in pull-ups, just wanted some thick cotton undies for my boy (I remember training pants from when I was young as thick underwear with a sort of quilted crotch, basically). I was thinking that a cottony waistband would be easier for his wee fingers than a wide band of elastic, but trying some regular undies is worth a try, especially since he's not into the au natural approach. I am expecting the laundry to increase a bit, and my floors will probably be extra clean, but I'm interested to see if peeing in something that won't absorb like a diaper will make a difference. If not, then I think we'll keep the potty as a sort of recreational object for now.

I'm trying not to make too big a deal out of potty use, but I have expressed my genuine excitement about the fact that he's peeing in the pot, and he knows what mama and daddy do, and that he's getting big and that when big boys are ready, they use the potty... I'm trying to keep it pretty mellow, I guess. I just don't want to miss an opportunity, and I guess it will be pretty clear pretty quickly if this is not the right time. Good point about not just switching back and forth from potty to diapers, too--thanks for pointing that out, alexsam, I definitely need to keep that in mind.

 

[EnviroBecca]

Dappi nylon pull-on diaper covers can be worn over underpants to contain most of the pee while still letting the wetness be obvious to the child. They're only about $3 each and might be a good option when you go out.

I've seen the thick-crotch cloth training pants at Target in the toddler section.

Our best trick for toilet-training was the sticker chart. We bought some small stickers, drew 2 rows of boxes on a sheet of paper, and told EnviroKid that he would get a sticker each time he used the toilet. Within 3 days he was using the toilet almost every time and not always even remembering to get his sticker. I think it just showed him that using the toilet was something under HIS control, not ours. He was 27 months and had been showing signs of readiness for a year, but he just wasn't quite getting it until we made the sticker chart.

 

[Embee]

At 20 months, DS certainly was interested in the potty because it was something WE did. He would sit and try, but couldn't make anything happen as of yet. IOW, while he showed interest, he was not yet up to the task from a physiological stand point. So, we kept the potty out, kept the information available and waited. Over the next year and a half, DS continued to "play potty" on regular (but not frequent) occasion and we played along. We supported, perhaps gently encouraged but were careful to not to portray using the potty as something that was overly important to us. When DS wasn't interested, neither were we.

Just before his third birthday, DS was interested in underwear so I bought him some (just like Dads). He liked it, but wet himself a few times and decided the reality of underpants wasn't nearly as fun as the idea of them.

We put them away. A month or so AFTER his third birthday, he was visiting a friend who was using the potty. DS decided to try and this time something clicked, he peed in the toilet. He was VERY proud of himself, indeed!

He was fully trained within days, even went on a 3 hour car trip a week later without problems. Within three months, he was our of diapers at night and has had but one accident in the five years since he "trained." (He was sick with a fever at the time.)

The thing is, I remember fretting about this when DS was a baby. Had no idea how to approach it and seemed like it was going to be something very difficult. As it turns out, it was one of the easiest things! We just waited, and DS did most of the work.

Our .02 for whatever that's worth.

The best,
Em

 

[mama2004]

Little boy pooped in the potty (!) today. He also signs train everytime I talk to him about training pants.

:
I'm not sure his little bod is ready, though, as he pees a little bit at a time frequently over the course of an hour or two, so in spite of the fact that he can pee in the pot, I'm thinking he might not be ready to hold it for potty breaks.
We shall see...

 

[Deer Hunter]

From personal experience, just take your time. Don't rush him. He is only twenty months, not even two yet. For a boy showing interest tat early, that is great because boys usually take longer. You'll also want to wait until he has found a way to let you know he has to go to the potty. If there is no cue that he needs to go, there is no since in it. There needs to be a stable form of communication.

One more thing.

Please do not tell him that diapers are for babies and that he is a big boy for using the potty. The reason I say this is that diapers are not for babies, as they are worn for medical reasons. Telling our children that they are all grown up for using the potty is incorrect. I wear diapers for total incontinence and resent greatly when parents tell their children this. I'm just as grown as the next person: yet, I depend on diapers because without them, I'd be in trouble. So sorry. It is just that this issue is near and dear to my heart for obvious reasons. I put forth my best efforts to combat stigma concerning diapers and incontinence since so much emphesis is put on potty training in our society that it leads to the point of some being punished for accidents. It's sad, but it does happen. I'm not at all saying you'd ever do that, but I'm just making a point that potty training is such a major corner stone in our society that people take it very far, further than necessary.

What I've done is just encouraged children to use the pot leaving out that diapers are for babies. If they have an accident, big deal. I don't demean them for it. I also allow them to be in the bathroom with older children and hang around with older children since younger ones like to immitate the older ones. I would also suggest that you allow them to watch you use the pot so they can learn that it is not scary and it is the thing to do. I wish I could do this, but I can't for reasons I've stated above. I'd not be a good example for potty training children, hence my reason for not dressing or undressing in front of them. Me having to wear a diaper would send confusing messages to them, so I avoid them seeing it at all costs. (I do not have children of my own, but I take care of my friend's sone and have helped in the potty learning learning process of many children. This is where I am qualified to give advice.)

I hope I've helped.

 

[2mama]

We just went with regular undies for our kids. After being in cloth I didn't want the pee to be absorbed like in a diaper. My kids took less than a week for pee, but longer for poop.

Good luck.

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[hipumpkins]

I recommend Gerber training pants. they are cheap, absorbent enough to keep the pants dry but not the kid. This way you wont have soo much laundry.

I think it is great you are recognizing his readiness. when asked I always tell freinds, "start before 2" They are so much more agreeable!

Anyway as for a sign, the actual toilet ASL sign is your thumb between your index finger and middle finger than shake..HOWEVER that may be too difficult for a toddler.
A wise EC mom told me to make the sign as clear, unmistakable and easy as possible...so we used one fist to bang on the chest. POTTY. We did use the ASL sign for poop though. DS did not speak until he was 2.5 years old but he signed potty when needed to go.

I think pullups are a huge waste of money if being used for training. stick with cloth.

Good luck!

 

[mama2004]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deer Hunter Please do not tell him that diapers are for babies and that he is a big boy for using the potty. The reason I say this is that diapers are not for babies, as they are worn for medical reasons.

Not to worry. His diapers are for him. As are his potty training pants and whatever variations on that theme we come up with over time. It must be quite a challenge for you to deal with serious incontinence, and I admire your ability to speak of it. We're in no hurry and there is no intended distinction applied to big boys beyond a readiness to try bigger things.

I'm not at all sure that he's ready, but he's definitely interested and I don't want to miss the opportunity to try learning something new.

 

[mama2004]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hipumpkins I recommend Gerber training pants. they are cheap, absorbent enough to keep the pants dry but not the kid. This way you wont have soo much laundry. I think it is great you are recognizing his readiness. when asked I always tell freinds, "start before 2" They are so much more agreeable! Anyway as for a sign, the actual toilet ASL sign is your thumb between your index finger and middle finger than shake..HOWEVER that may be too difficult for a toddler. A wise EC mom told me to make the sign as clear, unmistakable and easy as possible...so we used one fist to bang on the chest. POTTY. We did use the ASL sign for poop though. DS did not speak until he was 2.5 years old but he signed potty when needed to go. I think pullups are a huge waste of money if being used for training. stick with cloth. Good luck!

Thanks for the signing tip, I'll definitely try that. We have introduced the ASL potty sign, but he can't quite do it clearly and at any given point it could also be bicycle or silly. The fist on the chest thing is a great idea. I'm looking for gerber pants, but can't find any locally. Guess I'll have to order online--I was just hoping to find something for the next few days while we have some momentum... If nothing else, it's a fun new thing for us to do.

 

[hipumpkins]

Babies R Us sells them if you are in the US.

 

[mama2004]

Thanks, hipumkins, I'll look into that. I checked online and all they had listed were pull ups, but I'm sure it would be more effective to call. In the meantime, we did pick up two pairs of Under The Nile training pants and my baby boy is so cute in them, it's sick. Can't believe it's almost two years already!

 

[Carma]

I our case it went very easy. We did use disposables (she is in daycare). I bought cloth pull-ups for at home, but she didn't like those (no nice pictures on them, I guess

at that time she was very strict about what she wanted to wear also). At a certain time at around 20-24 months she became very interested in the bathroom (wanting to go everywhere she saw one), she did not want to wear pants with buttons or zippers and she woke up dry from her naps. Then we started pull-ups. When she was consistantly dry during the day, we used regular underwear, this was just a few weeks later (maybe less).

About when to start. Most stories of other parents I heard is to start when they are really ready. When you start to early it takes longer, so you are not gaining much.
Also I agree it helps when they see older children use the bathroom. My DD has a friend 1 year older, PL before my DD, and they would lock themselves in the bathroom and then my DD also became very interested.

Carma