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Potty training

Long car journey - pull ups or brave it out?

9 replies

nearlytherenow · 09/09/2011 15:46

I started potty training with DS (3.0) 11 days ago. He's doing ok - has managed I think 4 days with no accidents at all, and other than that is having 1 or occasionally 2 accidents a day. I am still mainly reminding him to go (when we left him naked from the waist down he was taking himself off to the potty a bit, but he doesn't seem to do this when he has clothes on), and he is going every 1-2 hours. When he has accidents, he usually starts to pee / poo in his pants and will then tell me what he's done and "finish" in the potty.

We are going on a long car journey next week (12 hours, over 2 days). I can't decide whether to try pull-ups, or just risk a few accidents and protect the car seat appropriately. He's generally quite proud of being a "big boy" now and wearing pants, so I think he'd view pull-ups as a step backwards (unless I could convince him that this was NOT a nappy), but on the other hand he also hates having accidents.

What do people think? We have a small baby too so will have to stop fairly frequently and for reasonably long spells.

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ExpensivePants · 09/09/2011 15:49

I think as you have to stop for the baby I'd brave it out. However, I say that as a coward who puts DD in a pull up even though she's been out of nappies for a year . In my defence I don't have a young baby (yet) and hate stopping.

But I don't think DD has ever ever used the pull up, she has the wee storage facilities of your average camel. Don't know why I do it really.

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DanJARMouse · 09/09/2011 15:49

Pullups!

My DS is 4 in November, and although trained since he turned 3, whenever we go on long car journeys, we stick him in a pull up. A lot of that is because of where we live, and the fact when we go away, we travel 700 miles over 2 days and a lot of country roads with limited service stations.

We went away in July, 6hrs this time, put a pull up on him, but it stayed dry. We took him to the toilet each time we stopped, and if he asked to go and there was somewhere close, we stopped.

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alittlebitshy · 09/09/2011 15:58

Brave it out!
We had to make the same decision in August when ds has been dry a week and decided that pull ups was a backwards step. I bought some if the pampers change mats and doubled one of those over in his seat.
He did really well and the only car accident was after he had had a wee (but it was at lunchtime so had had a reasonable amount to drink at around the same time). Just as we turned off a roundabout (where we could have gone round a stopped) onto a big A road he announced he needed a wee. We stopped the first chance we could but he had done it already. poor chap. But that was one accident out of about 8 long journeys so I was so glad we had decided to brave it out!

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alittlebitshy · 09/09/2011 15:58

Lord - i should proof read!

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Debs75 · 09/09/2011 16:11

We recently did a long trip with dd, 2.11 and I use a huggies bedtime sheet on her car seat incase she has an accident. It has been on the car seat for about 3 months and only had to swap it 2 weeks ago due to a accident. It is better then a towel as it doesn't leak. You do have to fold it so they still fit in the seat

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nearlytherenow · 09/09/2011 20:30

Thanks all. You have given me the confidence to brave it out (with a stash of pull ups in the boot in case it all goes wrong!). I hadn't heard of Huggies bedtime sheets - off to google!

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IwishIwasmoreorganised · 09/09/2011 20:34

We've got a piddle pad which is great at catching accidents, but only if there's only likely to be one of them (it needs machine washing once wet). I think the Pampers change mat/Huggies bed sheets might be best for you on this occasion, but for day to day more local use I would highly recommend gettting a piddle pad!

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jeee · 09/09/2011 20:39

I'd definitely use pull ups because (a) if I'm going away I don't want to start the break with a stack of washing, and (b) on long journeys my DC have always gone to sleep at that age, so unless your DS is already dry at night, accidents are extremely likely.

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nearlytherenow · 09/09/2011 21:41

Thanks, will look at the piddle pad as well. He has actually had a completely dry nappy the last 3 mornings, which surprised me (pre potty training it was always really really wet). I had wondered about the napping issue (am sure he will sleep), but I think it's at least worth trying with pants, I am quite interested to see what happens with naps.