Toilet Training - What do I need?

[Naxi]

... other than patience!

I have been investigating various brands of training pants, but a lot of them are PUL with pockets. Does this defeat the purpose? Won't it just feel like a nappy to DS? (I have tried using a nappy with no cover, but he just pees in it as normal.)

Also, how many pair do you think I will need? I am sure DS is quite capable of TTing, but it really eats into playing time IYKWIM, so I am sure there are going to be lots of accidents to start with.

TIA, Nat

[Lousmum]

how old is your DS?

I personally never bothered with training pants. When I used Pull-ups (disposable days) they didn't help the process at all. In the end what worked for me was just jocks and dealing with the accidents. But we had been introducing the idea of the potty/toilet for about 6 months, and DS had been using the toilet at childcare. All up it probably took a week of a few accidents at around the age of 3 for him to get it. We're doing the same with DS2 atm.

Playtime does distract them You'll probably have to be on top of him, reminding/suggesting that he tries going to the toilet frequently if you go cold turkey

[~Melissa~]

I totally agree with Kim about the training pants. I had a couple of the Blueberry ones which Chelsea loved to wear but as soon as she wee'd in one once & she realised it didn't leak like normal knickers did, she treated it as though it was any other nappy. Once you think they're ready, just put them in normal undies & commit to stay at home for a few days & then just remind them (often!) to go to the toilet. If they're ready, it really doesn't take them long to work it all out.

Good luck

[mum2lucas]

I had the best of intentions of making some training pants but never got around to it. We did lots of naked bottom half at home with the potty near by and offering a nappy or jocks at nappy change time and then one day he just said no nappy JOCKS!!! and then I bit the bullet and risked taking him out in jocks and we went from there. We did have the odd wet but often he could identify he was weeing and could hold it long enough to get to a toilet or his current favourite the sand outside!!!

Good luck

[~*Rebecca*~]

I wouldn't worry about training pants either just go cold turkey so to speak. Accidents will happen and can still happen when they r playing many months down the track.

Just be prepared to stay home for a few days and see how you go

[johT]

agree.undies (or better yet no pants) stay home for a week then slowly build up with trips out lol
and in addition to patience, loads of cloth to wipe up messes

[Naxi]

Hmmm. I thought that might be the case.

I am just a bit concerned for our lounge... I also read that using undies does at least limit the spread of poo from one side of the house to the other (we have a bub, too...)

I did see some microfibre undies somewhere - they might be slightly more absorbant than regular cotton, but not really absorbant, IYKWIM. What is the opinion of those?

And finally, given there are likely to be loads of accidents, at least at first, how many pair of undies (assuming regular ones are used) do you think I should go for? 5 per day? More? (I know - nudey-bum is probably easier, but I am not sure I am up to that!)

[mummygeorgie]

I just did undies too (or knickers, according to Alastair), well, we had training pants but kept them for outings and naps (still use them for naps if he takes them, but he is GREAT on outings).

Alastair insisted on wearing pants over his underwear, he's about the only small boy I know who doesn't like being pantsless which meant more washing but did help keep poo accidents from getting everywhere. He never really had many accidents though, once he decidedto TT it was very quick.

The trainig pants you can buy in K-mart/Big W (I think), with like a bit of foam for 'absorbency' - well, they're not very absorbent/waterproof BUT they will hold in poo pretty well because of their design. So that's another option - maybe would help DS know he'd had an accident but save your couch a little

Alastair has 10 pairs of knickers and a few pairs of training pants. I just make sure and throw his knickers in with whatever I'm washing that day.

[johT]

i guess i was lucky - when we TT my daughters were older and rarely pooed more than once a day or two. we would go through way more than 5 pairs of undies - they associated undies with nappies so just went in them so a few days/weeks with nude bum really helped

[Bec259]

I got those training pants from best & less on the advice of daycare, but tbh, next time I won't bother.
Alex doesn't like going nuddy either - he's a prude.
He's only had a max of 5 accidents & never done a poo in his jocks, but I still can't get him to do it in the toilet either.
I'm a firm believer of TT just 'clicking' - it did with Alex.
He can have a day sleep & not have an accident, but he still does wees in his night nappy.
I don't push the issue with him though, because he's very stubborn (just like his parents! ).

[kat13]

Yep straight to knickers here. We now have to tackle leaving pants around your legs, shoes and socks on while you go issue.

[mokster26]

we are enjoying training pants here - max isn't really quite ready for tt but he loves wearing his 'jocks'.

[sunflowerchild]

I totally agree with skip the trainers and go straight to the undies, they are more of a marketing trick then needed.
With ds1 tried the disposable training pants but I found that they were just nappies repackaged really. I had enough and told him one day that there were no more nappies and that shop had stopped selling them(yeah I know mummy lied and that jocks were it.
It took probably two weeks before we were accident free. (play time or tv time were the most common cause of the accidents).
I'm starting with ds2 after Christmas the same way.

[KristyMum]

Nappy-free time and jocks.
That was about it.

never bothered with a potty because I think it's an uneccesary stage.
oh and a soft-seatie thing insert to sit on the loo for little bums.
we already had a step (to use at the handbasin).

[Leah]

Nat, is your child toilet aware meaning are they ready for toilet learning? I have found that if they aren't really there then you are probably wasting your time and effort and cleaning products .

Alot of kids will learn the toilet really quickly if they are allowed to do it when they are ready not when we think they are YK. Giving them the option and making it OK for them to experiment with the toilet rather than the traditional "toilet training" can sometimes make it easier to know when they are ready. Sometimes offering an appropriate reward for using the loo can help them along too.

If they are ready I agree with PP no training pants, straight to undies and use the big toilet (except when you can't). Our DD1 learned to use the toilet (potty) when we were camping as we could let her have undies on all day and no carpet in sight

[KristyMum]

Agree too - in that I 'forgot' to start the toilet awareness thing with Zeke until one day he came up to me and said 'pee-inna-toy-lit' and I went 'oh... yes... probably should start doing something in that dept shouldn't I'... LOL so he was obviously ready!

[Kizzzah]

what age are kids usually at when they become toilet aware?? or want too start going too the toilet?? Ella is 21 mths and she takes her nappy off when she is wet, but thats it, doesnt really show any interest in the toilet cept when im on it. so im thinking awhile yet. is 2 or 3 the norm age for potty training??

[~Melissa~]

is 2 or 3 the norm age for potty training??

My girls were all between 2 & 3 when they TT'ed Caitlyn was 2 years 9 months, Emily was 2 years 2 months & Chelsea was 2 years 7 months.

[johT]

mine were all 3 yo, or almost 3

[marniehau]

what age are kids usually at when they become toilet aware?? or want too start going too the toilet?? Ella is 21 mths and she takes her nappy off when she is wet, but thats it, doesnt really show any interest in the toilet cept when im on it. so im thinking awhile yet. is 2 or 3 the norm age for potty training??

Babies are born aware of needing to eliminate - and that is why elimination communication works so well when you start with them very young. Their awareness is reinforced and so toilet training is never a separate thing IYKWIM. If a baby only ever gets to go in their nappy, despite early grizzles, then they learn that "in the nappy" is the only place to go - especially if they let go on the change table and get an 'eeeewwww yuk' response :-) Check out Tribal Baby for more details.

That said, my elder daughter decided at 21 months that that was the end of nappies and was reliably dry day and night after that.

If your DD shows an interest in the toilet when you are on it, then I would recommend getting her a potty so that she can sit on it while you are on the toilet. You can capitalise on assisting her toilet awareness by beginning to sit her on the potty first thing when she wakes up and at other nappy changes or if you check her nappy after a fair while and it is still dry. Use her developing awareness, interest and the warm weather(!) and take advantage of this toilet learning window of opportunity for her. The next one might be 6-9 months away and that is a long time to keep on changing her nappies ;-)

Good luck.