Strategies for Potty Training: When to Buy Underwear for Your Child

[pampered.chris]

Lots of good ideas!

I don't want to force him into anything...but he turned 3 at the beginning of April...and I was hoping he would want to give this a try so he would be potty trained before the baby comes! I know that a new baby can make them "regress" so I was thinking if he did it soon, he may be past that phase by the time I deliver!

I think I will let him pick out some undies (but he doesn't get them till he goes on the potty.) Only problem is we are driving to SC on the 26th...so I can't see letting him sit in the car seat without a diaper! He would probably be all over the M&M idea too!

Such dilemmas! lol (granted, I know in the grand scheme of life this is NOT a major problem, but it's a problem nonetheless!)

Kelly,
My DD is now 11, but what I did w/ her was I let her have a few accidents and didn't change her right away. She didn't like the sticky itchy feel of things and it only took two days. She still wore pull-ups at night for a while, but she was all panties before 2. The daycare she went to was very strict that they be potty trained by 2.
My nephew was interested a few mths ago, but my sister and her Dumb hubby (he is an idiot...sorry) didn't want to be bothered b/c she was going to be having another one soon or just did, I can't remember. So they didn't do anything. He will be 3 in Sept and is showing some very definite signs that he is ready. If he poops his diaper, he goes into their bathroom and takes it off and walks around naked...I had to tell my sister that she NEEDS to potty train him b/c he is ready and no excuses. I really think she thinks it is easier to have him in diapers...um...I bet it is pretty pricey buying diapers for 2!!!
I don't have any helpful tips to give you, but I feel your pain. I wish I could get my nephew trained for them...heck I wish I could get custody of both of their kids. (the other one will be 1 on August 1st...which is MY b-day too)!!

 

[chefmeg]

CHRIS!!! My b'day is August 3rd!! I knew I liked you!!

 

[Kitchen Diva]

I did it! Thanks!!

Whoo-hoo! Look at you girl!

 

[Jess_K]

I say go get them.. my son will be 4 in late August and he just got the hang of the whole potty thing in the last month. Yikes I know!! We have tried before but finally let him figure it out on his own. He will be going to preschool in August, and once DADDY told him that the teachers won't change his diaper then he decided it was time. He told Daddy one night that he was a big boy, so Daddy said, "ok since you are a big boy then you wear big boy underwear." That was it, he was in underwear from there on out. He has been in pullups a few times when he was having tummy troubles, but that's it. We went cold turkey and put him in big boy undies.. few accidents.. threw a few pair away.. yuck. and grandma sent some pair and a potty chart with stickers that got him excited.. that lasted for about a week and now he just goes on his own and refuses a pull-up. Good luck!!

 

[gothim0802]

My son was acually potty trained then when my hubby came home from deployment he stopped!! I was so upset!! So we are on round two! But good luck and thank you ladies for sharing this with us!

 

[Teresa Lynn]

when I trained our kids years ago we would go to McDonalds have lunch then to Target where I let them pick out the ones they wanted (back them it was ninja turtles and sesame street) don't remember for my daughter even though she was the last one.We brought them home washed them put them on and never looked back (did pullups at night for awhile with 2nd son and DD they didn't make them with the oldest) but they were in them 24/7 once they actually wore the underwear they didn't want to go back to diapers or pullups.
I won't say they didn't have accidents but they didn't have many we just made a habit of going every few hours.

 

[stacywhitlow]

I finally had to just put my daughter in underwear. She was fine just wearing a diaper or pull up all day. Once I did that, it was about 3 days before she was on the potty. She was not quite 3 at that time. She is a little over 4 now & we do still have to put a pull up on at bedtime. She is still waking up wet. We tried the underwear thinking it might wake her to go potty but didn't work. Still trying that one. My son however was done in about 2 weeks at only 2 1/2 and stayed dry at night too. They are all different! Good luck!

 

[Shawnna]

My oldest son was taught to go outside to pee...we live in rural Oklahoma, lol. But the biggest thing was that I was pregnant with our daughter and our son would turn 3 a few weeks after she was born. I told him that I would not change 2 peoples diapers that he had to be a big boy and that is what he did. Our daughter was much easier. Our youngest son was a nightmare!! I didn't think I was ever going to get him trained...well actually my babysitter trained him. He would stay clean all day and when I picked him up the would go in his pants the rest of the night...no matter how often I took him to the bathroom. I was working a lot of hours and my husband was working away from home, so it was an attention thing.

But, I tried pull-ups and my kids just acted like they were diapers...it was okay to go to the bathroom in them. So, I used training panties and they worked much better. I used pull-ups at night and if we had to go on a long trip and we wouldn't be able to stop very much for the bathroom. But, I was not opposed to pulling over to the side of the road...although my daughter can't go outside. I think each child is different and you can't force it. You have to talk it up like they are going to be so grown up because they are using the pot...my kids would not use a pottie chair, they had a seat that sat on the big pot. My youngest finally started using the pot because he wanted to go to head start...they can go when they are three...and I told him he couldn't wear diapers because they only let you go to school if you used the big pot like a big boy.