I have to admit, potty training is not something that I am eagerly anticipating. I don't mind changing diapers so much (except when Ladybug soils a freshly changed diaper resulting in two diaper changes within five minutes). I do look forward to the day when the only bottom I have to wipe is my own.
I've been seriously thinking about using cloth training pants rather than disposables for potty training. A lot of parent opinions that I've read dislike the disposables because they feel too much like a diaper. But I like the idea that a cloth trainer would give more protection than regular underwear. One mom I spoke with agreed with this as well.
When Ladybug was born, I was totally intimidated by the idea of using cloth diapers. Now that I have done some research, I wish I hadn't been so intimidated. I'm really sick of using the disposables! For environment and financial reasons.
Gerber, of course, is the mostly widely available cloth trainer. The drawback with the Gerbers is that they only go up to 39 lbs. Considering that my almost 2-year old is as big as most 3 year olds, this is a serious drawback for us.
Most cloth diaper brands also make cloth trainers. They are a bit more pricey. They do come in larger sizes however.
A benefit of a cloth trainer that I like is that while it will provide a bit of protection for my carpet and furniture, Ladybug will feel the wet/soiled cloth and want to do something about it. As in, not want to stay in them! Even if she has an accident in the cloth training pants, it helps her to learn the physical cues of independent pottying.
The Dr. Sears website has great information on potty training in general.
It's difficult not to worry that Ladybug is already behind other kids in potty training. However, since this is a developmental milestone, all kids reach them at their own pace. Ladybug is definitely showing interest in things potty-related. So my hope is that this summer we can conquer this task. I don't want to be in a hurry or try to push a time schedule that she isn't ready for.
I'd love to hear your experiences with potty training - the good, the bad, and the ugly!
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Shiloh started potty training early (15 months) but she wasn't "trained" until after she turned two. And from what I've heard, that's early for most kids. So I wouldn't worry about her being behind at all. I would recommend not rushing too much. It won't work if they aren't ready. Trust me!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of cloth trainers. I used the thicker cloth underwear and put the plastic pants over them when Shiloh was training. That way I didn't have a huge mess, but she could feel that she was wet. Pullups just didn't work for us because she knew it was okay to go in them. Once I stopped using pullups, she stopped having accidents most of the time. I think she would have been trained much faster if I had done that from the beginning.
Other things that helped me: I taped a piece of construction paper to the wall and let Shiloh put a sticker on it when she used the potty. (I didn't bother with a potty chart, since I figured she was too young to understand.) I did the sticker thing because I didn't want to bribe with candy like most people recommend. But I hear that works too.
I also got her a seat for the big potty. I didn't want to have to get her used to a little potty and then try to convince her to use a big one when we're out of the house. That's just a personal preference though. If she had been scared of the big toilet, I would have bought her a little one.
Sorry for the long comment. Hope some of this helps. Oh, and I would worry with daytime training first. Shiloh still wets at night, so I put a pullup on her at night still. I'm not ready to deal with changing the sheets three times each night.
I would estimate that we're about 85% done with potty training. For us, the cloth training pants have been essential, especially in the early stages. We still use Pull-Ups for naptime, night-time, and outings, but for all other purposes, we use the cloth.
ReplyDeleteWe also tried the "cool alert" version of the Pull-Ups for the first time recently, and noticed a big difference - that may be something to try if you decide to use the disposable trainers.
Wow, before two seems really early to me, but I haven't done any research. My son is a couple months shy of 3, and we just started doing potty training in earnest last week. (He has shown signs of being receptive to potty training way before now, but he's my first, and like you, I had to kind of get ready myself before I embarked on PT).
ReplyDeleteWe are using pull ups (which ARE just like diapers, but my son distinguishes between them & diapers, so that helps), and I have a chart on the fridge with boxes labeled 1,2,3. He gets a sticker every time he goes potty and when he gets 3, he gets a toy car (I got a 10 pack at Target for $8). His first chart is almost filled out completely, and we only have 1 car left, so I will probably jump to something like 5 stickers per car for the next round.
Of course I won't continue to bribe him indefinitely, but he is really progressing. Around day #3, he started asking if it was "potty time" (instead of me asking him if he wanted to use the potty) and, today (about day #6), he has gone in the bathroom by himself without prompting to go potty.
I don't know how much farther we have to go, but it isn't the horror show I was afraid it might be. Of course, kids are sooo smart...
I don't really have a story to share, when my oldest was potty trained it actually went pretty easily. I'm getting ready to work with my youngest on potty training now though, so I am in the same boat as you.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that using cloth diapers will also prepare her better for potty training as she can understan dthe differenc ebetween staying wet and havi ng an option of using the potty! Good luck :-)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pottytraininginfants.com/
I potty trained my sixth child in a day, using the ideas I got from the book "Training Your Child in Less Than a Day." This was quite a few years ago, but I believe the book is still available. It was a day spent exclusively with my daughter. That meant no TV, no radio, no talking on the phone, and no other children--just me and my daughter. She loved it. I didn't even expect her to be trained at night, but she was completely toilet trained--day and night, bowel movements and all.
ReplyDeleteI just googled it and the title is now, "Toilet Training in Less than a Day" by Nathan H. Azrin and Richard M. Foxx. Check it out and see if it is something that you would like to try. It certainly worked for me. Pity I found it on the last child and not the first.
My daughter used the same ideas, modifying them a little for her autistic 4-year-old. It worked, though it took her several days of intense work plus a few more follow up days.
I used cloth diapers almost exclusively, as this was just when disposable diapers were new on the market. They were expensive and I could not justify paying that much money for disposables; I only used them when hubby or a baby sitter was left in charge. Oh yes, and traveling was made simpler with the disposables.
Good luck!
I'm a little intimidated by potty training too. Our little guy is 2-1/2, and he isn't showing any signs of being ready. I'm getting a little tired of paying for diapers though, and I think I'M ready.
ReplyDeleteI didn't potty train my first because I was a single, working mom. My mom potty trained him...both times! He had 5 strokes at age 2-1/2 after he was fully potty-trained, and so had to re-potty-train.
So, needless to say, I'm a little nervous. I don't even know how to begin! I just know that I want him to be p-t'd before his 3rd birthday!
Hope all goes well with Ladybug's p-t'ing.
Angie