Potty Training Using Pads

I don't know about these pads, but I have found that the most effective way to train is to put underwear on first, and then a pull up or diaper. Then, the child instantly feels the wet with out the mess for you on the floor!

I just think that those pull ups (and possibly the potty training pads) make kids lazy. I mean, after all, why disrupt their fun and games to go to the bathroom when all they have to do is pee their pants while they are still playing and mom or dad will eventually come around and clean them up?

Pullups=a diaper, Diaper= go ahead and pee. Take it or anything like it off, have her clean up the mess when she pees, gently suggest she uses the toilet. also have her wash her own body and put the soiled pants and panties in the hamper aswell as get fresh clothes. with in a week she will be done with that. but ONLY if you make her do all of the work :)

You HAVE to let her feel what it's like to get wet. Make sure she knows all the steps to successfully use the potty, where it is, how to gets her pants down, how to get on the potty...etc. Have her actually teach a dolly or stuffed animal. When she has the doll on the potty, sneak a little dixie cup of water behind it and make it pee, don't let her see you, but she will be amazed and if her dolly can do it, so will she! Put her in underwear and spend an entire day or two flooding her with yummy drinks and popsicles, this will give her multiple opportunities to be successful with the potty nearby. When she wets herself and feels urine dripping down her legs the learning comes more quickly. Talk about what just happened in a matter-of-fact way (don't get mad), lovingly help her to get herself cleaned up, and carry on with your day...best to really devote 1-2 days just to potty training at home, expecting the accidents, spend alot of time outside or places in the home where it's okay if she wets. If you devote your day like this, it goes quicker and you won't be irritated when she inevitably wets. We used this method, it worked like a charm. Good luck!!

When I was potty training my son, we put him in underwear at home but when we had to go out for longer periods of time, I put the underwear on first then the pull up. He learned the wet feeling but overall I had less laundry as the clothes didn't need changing as much.

All kids are different, some are physically more mature than others, and I know for us we tried at 2 1/2, and then waited until 3 and she was ready. I read a book called Potty Training in 1 Day. We used training underwear, and there's a whole routine you go through. By a month later we weren't having accidents, just the occasional one when she waited too long. I found that the pull ups didn't work, they were too much like diapers, and she would just pee through. Good luck

A.,

We started our son young at 2 yrs old. On days when we didn't have an outting (weekends) we'd put him in underwear and explained to him repeatedly that he was a big boy and that he needed to start telling us that he needed to go to the bathroom. Of course, the first couple days he had accidents which are normal. Every 30 mins we'd ask him if he had to go to the bathroom and he'd tell us. If he was playing we'd remind him and he'd go along with some accidents.

I must be honest, he was set a step back when he got sick and stayed at my in-laws for a straight 2 weeks. It took us another 3 months to get him started again on the training.

When we went for round 2. We decided to introduce the potty chair where he'd sit in his underwear so he can get usto the chair. He would sit there meanwhile I showered in the mornings singing his abc's, twinkle twinkle, the itsy bitsy spider, etc. meanwhile either mom or dad were in the bathroom. Sounds a bit intrusive for us, as we're not usto an audience-an idea I had to sell to my husband-he still has trouble with this idea, but remember he's your child and he's being introduced to a community bathroom which most preschools have.

My son was in underwears when we were home, and in a pull up when we would go out for an extended period. If it was a quick outting to the store and back, then I'd make him go to the bathroom before leaving and would take him in underwear. But always, always carry a change of clothes, some sandals, and wipes, just incase of an accident - even if they're kept in your trunk or in a large beach bag. When the accidents would occur we would talk with him and explain that he almost made it to the bathroom if he was showing signs of wanting to go and if he wasn't showing the signs then we'd remind him that he needs to alert us when he needs to go.

The night accidents are unavoidable specially with boys. But what helps with this are the washable training pads. My mother bought me about 4-5 different cloth-type pads that are washable (like a double layer sewed blanket)--the best type are the absorbable type. We kept a couple a my parents home, 2 in the middle of our king bed-where our son would slip into in the middle of the night (God forbid his parents get any alone time), and another one on his toddler bed for every night. Although its a pain to keep having to wash them especially when your starting the training but its cheaper than buying the disposable ones especially if it takes your little one longer. I would just wash them with our towels.

Also, you need to wait until you see that they are almost ready... look for signs. The key to sitting a while on the potty is also to have either a book or toy to keep them busy meanwhile sitting on the potty. And a couple snacks as rewards.

Our son was potty trained and officially qualified for the reduced tuition at his fulltime preschool by 2 1/2 yrs old. Of course, it also helps when the preschool also does the same potty training practices you do at home, so be sure to become 1 with your preschool teachers to ensure your child is exposed to the same practices both at home and school.

P.s. our son will be 4 years old at the end of this month and now he rarely wets the bed. By rarely, we're talking maybe once every 4-5 months and sometimes longer.

p.s.s... Avoid drinks within 2 hours before bedtime and also make it a daily practice to have them visit the potty right before bedtime...

Good luck

.... As if my response wasn't log enough already but 1 thing I forgot to tell you is that I purchased a large case 80 count of pull ups for about $28 plus shipping on www.ebay.com. Now that's cheap considering the packages at the stores.... To our luck they arrived close to the end of his training session...

Hey A.,

Potty training can be so frustrating! I started with a potty video and books to show them proper bathroom care. Next,I let my boys walk around in their underwear or naked during our training sessions and then in underwear underneath their clothes when we went out. I wanted them to know when they were wet. This seems to work so well. Once you go back to the safety net of diapers it will delay their potty training and take longer. Make sure to take them frequently and give them lots of liquid during training sessions so they really have to go! The best part of training for my kids was all the praise. It worked better than candy or toys. I made up a potty dance that the kids could do with me when they went successfully in the potty. The would love and go crazy when we danced. It made them want to go! After a couple of days to a week of accidents my boys were trained at age 3.

We only used the pull ups at night and naptime, when we didn't expect them to have control. During the day it was training pants and panties/underwear. When we'd go out, they would wear plastic pants over the panties/underwear in case of accident.

go striaght to underwear. It is messy but in the end it works, They feel wet and messy and start to get whats really happening.

Hi!
I haven't read the other responses, so I apologize if I am repeating something.
When my son was potty training, I just put him in "bib-boy" underwear. At first, every chance you get (every 30 minutes or so) take her to the bathroom and have her try to go potty. I know this is hard when she goes to school. Try starting on a Friday evening and following through out the weekend. It took about a week of constantly taking my son to the bathroom every 30 minutes (nerve racking, but worth it). It worked. he started to get it. Soon, the 30 minutes turned into an hour, and an hour to every two, and so on, until he was telling me he had to go.
I would also ask him if he had to go potty before I would take him to use the bathroom. Weather or not he said yes or no, I would still take him.

I hope that you find something that works best for her!
Good luck. :D

I feel it's time to get her potty trained.
My sister, when potty training her son, let him go naked for a few days, and then put big boy underware on him. YES....he did have a million accidents. But, after about 2 weeks, he was totally potty trained. She didn't even put a pull-up on him at night time. If he had an accident, my sister would just calmly change his sheets, and put him back in bed again. Soon, he started to wake up right before he had to pee, and went on the potty. I haven't had to start the potty training yet, my daughter is only 16 month. I do however have a potty for her and when I tell he to go pee pee and poop on the potty, she will walk over to it and sit right down and pretend to go poop (by making pushing noises) It's really funny. I have also put her on the potty just for the fun of it. It's adorable!!
Well, good luck!

There are lots of good tips from the other moms here, but if you want to top it off with a special reward chart for potty time, (to put on the wall next to the potty), check out this link:
http://www.gomommygo.com/pottytraining.html

Hope it helps! It worked for my 7 kids!

Best,
R.

A., you probably have a lot of replies by now. Just in case you don't, I think that pull-ups were a great success from a marketing standpoint. To me they really are just expensive diapers (that are difficult to maneuver). I agree with you that she is using the pull-ups like a diaper, because that's what they are.

If my daughter was almost 3, I would put her back in panties ( or even naked from the waist down on a warm day outside), and praise her when she sits on the potty and praise her like crazy when she urinates or defecates in the potty. It worked with my own kids, and works with the special ed kids with whom I work.

A.,

After reading most of the posts, I have to agree with a few of the Mommies. She may not be ready. But, she will need your guidance on what to do, as my son's doctor said 'it isn't magic'. She won't just automaticallly know she needs to use the toilet, that's why we call it training. We get our kids used to us taking care of the potty stuff, and then WE have to teach them how it works.

I think the important thing is not to force her if she isn't ready...like staying dry at night, or illustrating an issue with feeling wet or staying dry for a few hours at a time. Using the pads would just be another method of delaying her progress if she is ready. I don't know how much I believe in the whole Pull-Up thing, as it just seems like different kind of diaper...

My son is two and we've begun getting him used to the idea of what a potty is and how it works...but, we are going to use the cotton training pants and do it over a four day period, when we don't have to leave the house.

Since, your daughter is in preschool have you asked the teacher for advice or any suggestions they can make. They have been through it before and are probably old pros at it.

Good luck and keep us posted.

When my daughter turned three we told her she was too big for diapers. We put her straight into underwear-the thick training kind to absorb more. Yes, the first couple of days were on the messy side but it only took her a week to use the toilet. We did use pull ups at night and called them "sleeping panities." We stayed close to home that week but I did have a portable potty seat to take with us. Any messy #2's I simply threw away. I made a sticker chart out of construction paper and when it was filled she got to choose where to go for a special day out.

Whatever you choose you must reamin consistant at home and at her preschool. If you give up after a couple days, she'll think it's no big deal. You'll get her there, just be patient and consistant. It may be hard, but don't get mad at her.

Hello, I would say just put her in big girl panties. That is the best and if they get soiled you just throw them in the wash. It worked best for me! I would only put her in a diaper at night and for naps and once she started getting up dry then I got rid of the diapers. I would also recomend putting a plastic mattress cover on her bed just incase of an accident. Good luck, when they are ready to do it, they are going to do it!!!!!

A.,

I purchased a board to keep track of my son's potty accomplishments. I bought lots of different stickers and told my son that whenever he went potty in the big potty he could place any sticker he wanted on the chart, showing what a great job he was doing as a big boy. Whenever he received his 4th sticker of the day, he would get a sugar-free popsicle (only one a day) and not until he had that 4th sticker. I also had a jar to place nickels in and every time Devin went potty we would put a nickel in the jar (remember to let your daughter put her nickel in herself.) At the end of the week I would take my son to the store (walmart, toys r us, target)and let him pick out something with his money (even though he was only 2 1/2 it was a sense of accomplishment and reward.) It wasn't much usually $3.00, sometimes I would add a dollar, but he would pick coloring books, crayons, a book, little farm animals etc... Going #2 was the nightmare for me.....he would become petrified when he had to go #2 and just stand there and scream, because he would wait until it was too late from playing and once it started coming out he would freeze and not run to the bathroom. I had to bribe him with a piece of candy for that....tootsie roll and a toothbrush....it started to work and when he got the hang of it....#2 was rewarded like #1....the same technique as I first described.

Remember the stickers and trips to the store eventually fade once they really get the hang of it, including the NEW PAIR of Big Boy or Big Girl Panties.

Hope this helps.

I like Dani's idea of putting on undies first then the pull up! Or if you are really brave, put her in a dress and just undies while hanging around the house. Yes, you may have to clean up a couple of messes, but she will get the idea. Rest assure... this may seem like the biggest battle since WWII in your house, but don't let it be. ALL kids get potty trained sooner or later. Its just not on our time... it is when they decided it is time. Trust me.. when through all of this with my 4 year old and she was finally trained when around 3.5!

To me, using a pull up is the same thing as using a diaper. If your daughter is anything like my son, she will have built up a tolerance for a little bit of wet (but not enough to complain about it). My son was insistent however in wearing his big boy (cloth) underwear. So, we put the cloth ones on and then the pull up over it. When he urinated, he felt the serious wetness going on in there! Potty training went a lot quicker from that point on. I also used a chart with stickers and a trip to Chuck E. Cheese as the great grand prize at the end.

Happy training and good luck!

i dont know about those Pods things but i do know that Pull Ups are expensive and even the Cool Alert ones dont really work. my son would pee in his pull up and not think twice! here's what has worked on a few kids i know: let her wear regular panties and then put a diaper on over it. when she wets her "diaper" the wet panties will feel uncomfortable and she'll want to change them and learn that her pull up isnt all that comfy to pee in anymore. this worked for my friend's daughter and also with my son. of course, if you have the time and bare floor boards, let her wear panties or run around naked while taking frequent trips to the potty! good luck.

I just want to add one thing. :)
http://www.pottypatty.com

They have the best training pants. When my daughter has an accident it keeps the poop in her panties and not dripping down her leg onto the floor.

Good Luck!
Natlaie

All three of my children potty trained at different ages - 19 months, 3, & 2. As you can see each is an individual & ready for things at different times! My middle son was the one who needed more focuss on my part. The most important thing is to put her on the potty frequently - every 30 minutes until she gets used to it. Many times a child doesn't want to be bothered with going potty. It takes them away from something they'd rather be doing. So you have to help that along. I also agree with leaving her in panties rather than pull ups. You might have a mess or two to clean up, but this will hurry things along. It's too easy to pee-pee in a pull up! I would avoid the pod thing. I believe it will only prolong things.

Have you tried a reward system? If not it mioght work. Reward her with a trip to the park, a treat of some sort, for every so many times she goes on the potty.

One more important thing to realize. If you put too much emphasis or pressure on her, she will only do the opposite of what you want. Although frustrating, try and stay relaxed & don't make this a big deal with her. I guarantee she will potty train!

Good luck!

P.S. They all stayed in pull ups at night. My four year old daughter is just starting to wake up dry. My oldest was dry by age 3, my middle at 5. The timing will vary from child to child. You can get them up once a night & put them on the potty as well.

My oldest daughter was 2 1/2 and in the middle of potty training (her choice) when her sister was born. Potty training went on the back burner, which wasn't surprising. After she turned 3 she was ready to try again. We spent the weekend in the house, she ran around bare-butt and the potty chair was in easy reach. By the end of the weekend she was on the big toilet and never looked back - she also never had an accident. All the books say potty training is the one thing in life that you can't control - it has to be when they feel ready. Good luck.

Hi there!

Our daughter wasn't potty trained until after she turned three - even though we started the "training" before she was two. A neighbor finally told me, the pull-ups are no different than a diaper to them, you have to put them in underwear and let them have an accident or two to feel uncomfortable. It worked like magic, but I also felt she was at the point where she was choosing not to go potty b/c she didn't want to stop what she was doing. I felt that she was ready, capable, and knew WHAT to do before we went for it. The same method worked for my son.
Good luck!

A. Star
Owner, Baby Fabulous
http://babyfabulous.com

A.,

I feel your frustration. My daughter was almost 4, when she pottied train. Aside from a move and a new baby, she just wasn't interested. However when she was ready - that was it. No work had to be done on my part (this goes with both of my kids) and I truly believe it was because I waited for them to be ready. My son was 3 when he pottied train.

I recommend this book all the time here, so I'll do it again - The No Cry Potty Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. I swear on it. It not only helps you to potty train but it is spot on in figuring out if your child is even ready.

Best wishes,
M.

A.,

Try catching the morning pee for the first week. Make her sit their till she goes. She can't hold morning pee forever. When she goes do a happy dance, then the next day sit her their and tell her to tell you what her tummy feels like if she can't explain it help her, she needs to learn what her tummy is telling her, what it feels like when she needs to go and how it feels after she goes. After a week she has learned the feeling in her tummy and the release button, the first 2 or 3 days they hold it because they aren't wearing a diaper, but once they realize to sit and release they are ready. After a week put on the big kid undies and never go back to diapers or pull-ups. She might have a few accidents, but remind her through-out the day to listen to her tummy it will tell her when she has to go. And put off any major trips until she has the concept, and always have her try to go before you leave the house. I swear my daughter just wanted to try every public restroom, but to this day she goes often, I guess her blader is the size of a grape. You will confuse her if you go back and forth between undies and pull-ups, they just don't work, and I can't imagine pads working either. Good luck! J.

We didn't use any kind of pull-up or training pants on our 2year old when we trained her. We simply used panties and she didn't like to wet herself so she learned in about 2 days. It worked great!

forget about training her until she is ready...she will tell you.
Potty training is all about when the child is ready. This is the one stage of development that she can really control. If you forget about it, she will let you know when she is ready...let it be her idea!

Forget pull-ups, they're just diapers without the tabs. If you want her to feel wet, put her in big girl underpants. If she wets her pants, she'll be uncomfortable and want to learn how to use the potty. Take her to the potty every 15 minutes at first and gradually stretch the time out as she gets the hang of it. Take her to the potty before going out and when you get where you're going. Expect accidents, but don't punish her for having them. Just be patient, she won't go to kindergarten in diapers. :)

From everything you've written, it sounds like your daughter isn't ready to train yet. We had the same issue with our youngest. If she was in panties, she'd hold everything in until nighttime, or have accidents all over the house. After 2 days of that, we put her back in diapers, waited another 3-4 months, then tried again after she started telling us she was wet. It was a month before she was 3 1/2, and she potty trained in 2 days. Within a week, she was nighttime trained as well, and never had another accident. We used the cloth training pants, then panties, but the key to successful potty training is to wait until the child is ready. Both my girls trained very easily, but they were both around 3 1/2. Good luck.

I haven't tried the pads or maxipads, but it seems like it be worth a try. We have tried many tactics in potty training, and my daughter is also unphased by being in a wet pull up. We've seemed to be a lot more successful staying dry right after she turned 3 (literally the very next day.) Not sure if it was all the talk of being a big girl, the threats, the guilt trips, the big poopy blow out at her birthday party, who knows... For most of the spring and summer, we put her in skirts and let her go 'commando' to feel when she had to go. That has seemed to work the best. Her daycare was helpful in that and allowed her to use her own little potty chair as needed. But... we still have accidents and regression. I feel like a broken record all the time and am somewhat envious of other people's kids who are so much more driven to stay dry.

Sorry I'm not much help on your specific question - just thought wanted to share. Good luck!

She obviously isn't ready to be potty trained. What is the big rush??? If you wait until a child is ready, potty training is the easiest thing in the world. I think you need to ask yourself why potty training her before she is ready is so important to you.

Hi A.,
i don't know if it will work for you, but we had a potty chair that sat on bathroom floor. I figured this way she would go on her own when she had too, but it didn't work until i bought her some pretty silky panties which she loved and i told her if she went in them i couldn't wash them and we'd have to throw them away. She did have a few accidents only because she would wait a little too long and be running for her potty, but going on way. That was about 40 years ago, we didn't have the pull ups then. Maybe someone else will have better advice. Maybe a reward for staying dry and going might work too,

My suggestion, and I have used this numerous times with children, one of my own and others in my child care. Put her in underwear which includes at least nap time and do not turn back. Your first day will most likely be frustrating but don't let that get to you. When I did it with my son he did not make it to the bathroom the entire first day. The second day was better and by the third day he was fully potty trained. I would give her a D day and count down to the day that you are going to put her in undies and then, again, do not turn back. If you go back to diapers or pull ups then she knows that you could do it again.

Good luck.

Sounds to me like she is not ready. She knows what to do, she just is not willing to do so. In my opinion, I would put her back in diapers - the really cheap ones with no designs and get her some really cool panties. Show her where the panties are and tell her that when she is ready to use the potty like a big girl, she can wear the panties instead of diapers. When she is self motivated and inspired, I am telling you, it will take you five minutes to potty train her!!!