Potty training - so near, but yet so far! Advice gratefully received

[kt14]

Posted in potty section but got resounding silence! Hoping one of you wise ladies can help..
So after 3 weeks of patient(!!) perserverance we're now at the stage where DS1 (3.1, HFA/lang disorder) is using the potty consistently at home, for both wee and poo, and has just today started to cope with pulling down a pair of baggy pants before he needs to go. (He's spent most of the summer bare bottomed and I'm sick of the sight of his bits!)

But - he likes to be really independent about it all, just taking himself off rather than telling me first (although he sometimes does) and although that's the house as he knows where the loos are, I'm not sure how to survive a public outing, or even preschool where if the staff are busy, he might not be able to get to a potty in time, never mind cope with yanking down pants and shorts and then pulling them back up again.

Should I just put him in pants, bite the bullet and go for it, sending him to preschool with some changes of clothes? Pull ups are no good as he just thinks it's a nappy..

[vjg13]

I would really go for it with pants and send him to pre school with LOTS of spares ! Once you have got to this stage it's much better to not look back and just have accidents.

Maybe got lots of really easy to get on jogging pants.

[TotalChaos]

DS was very similar. At that stage I sent him to nursery without a nappy, but kept the nappy for journeys on public transport, taking it off if we were with somewhere that had easily accessible toilets, like zoo/museum etc. The recommended advice is to go cold turkey with lots of clothes but my mental state at that point just wasn't up to lots of public accidents.

[kt14]

I think you're right, I had to go for it to start all of this off, he was never going to tell me he was ready!

Maybe i'll do it next week after a weekend of pulling pants up and down training. His preschool really are so lovely and helpful, I'm sure they'll do their best to help.. is it normal to feel this nervous?

[vjg13]

Of course, but even if he does have loads of accidents it will be fine in the end. You also have loads of time for practise before he starts school.

[SamsaraW]

Definately go with the pants and mess. we are currently traing our seven year old and it is very unpleasant, but apparantly at his age that is what he needs. Learning that poo runs down your legs and disturbes your walking. if you have a potty user they are definately ready to dump the nappies, and sending mixed messages will confuse them/ Nappy for bed and a piddle pad for the car, spare clothes and a portable potty for public.

[kt14]

thanks samsara, thinking of just going for it at all times during daytime next week as we've now been accident free in pants at home for a couple of weeks..!
I know he can control it to a certain extent so as long as he can let them know with a few seconds notice at preschool he should be ok.
Any recommendations for a good portable potty?