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Original poster

Cast your vote: Potty training, before or after the holidays?

32 replies

Chandra · 13/06/2005 02:23

We may be going on holiday in September and I have a dilemma, should I potty train DS before or after the holidays?. He seems to be ready for the potty but the idea of "Mummy I need to wee now!" in the middle of the motorway or while waiting in the very long queues of some popular holiday atractions just makes me wonder if it's better for the three of us to wait until we came back from the holiday. Any opinions?

OP posts:
assumedname · 13/06/2005 02:31

How old is he, Chandra?

Original poster
Chandra · 13/06/2005 02:34

He is 2. He seems to be showing all the signs of being ready, however he's still very keen in a bottle of milk just before going to sleep (therefore wet nappy overnight) and he can't put his trousers up/down yet either...

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assumedname · 13/06/2005 02:39

After the holidays, I think. At least you'd be at home to cope with the inevitable accidents and extra washing etc.

Original poster
Chandra · 13/06/2005 02:45

Thanks

Befor= 0 After=1

Anyone else?

I think I will re open the poll station tomorrow morning, I'm falling asleep. ahum.

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MaryP0p1 · 13/06/2005 07:31

Personally if he really ready I think he will be dry after a few weeks. September is months away. Why not have a go, he might not be ready. Wait for night until he asks or he is dry most nights. If he a bit haphard in September nappy for the trip.

Where are you going and how far is it?

csa · 13/06/2005 09:05

a vote for after.

jessicasmummy · 13/06/2005 09:06

After.... purely for convenience.... motorways etc.

coppertop · 13/06/2005 09:53

Another vote here for waiting till after the holiday. If ds has frequent accidents on holiday then you're going to end up spending a lot of time finding/using a washing machine.

suedonim · 13/06/2005 10:48

I think you've nothing to lose by giving it a go now, if he's showing signs of being ready. If he gets the idea pretty quickly then he'll be reliaable by Sept and you can work round needing to stop, anyway. If the time doesn't seem right then you can just pop him back in nappies until later on. Hth.

Ellbell · 13/06/2005 12:23

I had this dilemma last year with my dd2 (who was 2 in the March before we went away in the August). Decided to wait till later, mainly because we were doing long distances in the car (down through Germany and into Italy). Did the potty training when we got back and it was easy-peasy (much easier than with dd1), so I think it was the right decision.

PS Don't worry if he's dry in the day and not at night. Dd1 was dry in the day at 2 years 3 months, but still wearing a nappy (well, pull-ups) at night when she was 4!!!! She's a very deep sleeper and wouldn't wake up if she needed a wee. We still put her on the toilet at around midnight, because there's no way she'd wake up to go herself.

Good luck.

Original poster
Chandra · 13/06/2005 13:13

Thanks for your opinions. Is there a problem if I try to potty train him now and then use the nappies for the trip if he's not completely clean by then? or would be a bit confusing for him? what if he doesn't want to use them anymore?

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toomanypushchairs · 13/06/2005 13:20

I wouldn't go back to nappies, if I were you. I made that mistake with my eldest. I'd also go with what the others say about not worrying about the nights. My dt's have been in pants during the day since feb, but still wear a nappy at night. (they are 2 1/2) I think if you reckon he's ready you have plenty of time to get the daytime sorted before you go. Even now if we are going out or on a long journey I limit their drinks before we go and then give them loads to drink when we are going to be near a toilet for a while!

NomDePlume · 13/06/2005 13:21

I'm off on holiday at the end of July. DD is 2.10 and wears nappies, I will be leaving it until after our break to train her.

Ellbell · 13/06/2005 13:38

I wouldn't go back to nappies for the trip (except at night). I think it's confusing, and your ds probably wouldn't like it (especially if you've been praising him up for wearing pants like a 'big boy', etc... might make him think he'd done something wrong). My dd2 simply refused to wear a nappy at all once we'd started potty training. I did put one on dd1 for long trips and things at first, but after she'd had one on she'd go back to wetting herself for about a week afterwards, so it didn't seem worth it. I always keep a potty in the car in case of emergencies!

throckenholt · 13/06/2005 13:42

try it over the summer when he can go nappy free in the garden. If it doesn't work then you can go back to nappies, if it does then you just have to take spare clothes when you are out and about on holiday. Worth trying I think.

Original poster
Chandra · 13/06/2005 16:32

ahm... I'm afraid I won't have easy access to a washing machine during the holidays. Probably it's better to wait until we are back, potty training seems like a lot of work to have it going back to square one after a 2 week holiday.

Tha nks again

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chicagomum · 13/06/2005 16:58

you can always take a travel potty for the journey (avaliable from Boots etc)when we potty trained dd we used huggies pull ups for journeys (she was in pampers nappies prior to that and the huggies are much thinner so we called them her "special knickers" so it didn't confuse her thinking she was back in nappies, depending on what type of holiday you are going on it may be a good opportunity to do potty training in a relaxed atmosphere ie let him run around with no nappy on and a potty nearby?

misdee · 13/06/2005 17:02

before. just had a weekend away, dd2 potty trained for a couple of months now. was so easy. couple of poo-poo accidents. popped her in pull-ups on the actual journey and at night, but was dry during the journey and the nights. took potty everywhere and potty wipes as well.

Original poster
Chandra · 13/06/2005 17:13

Thabks

Special knickers? That's an idea.

The trip we are planning will involve lots of travelling and will be about 2 weeks long, so not very relaxed, at some point we will have access to a creche which would allow us some parents time during the day (they don't require children to be potty trained)... mmhhhmmm {confused emoticon], lets see how the vote is going.

Ok it's a bit tight:
before = 6 After=7

Anyone else?

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Original poster
Chandra · 13/06/2005 17:16

If I take the portable potty with me, what is nore hassle to cary the potty and it's supplies and care for the disposal of things or, the nappies? Probably second one would be less stressful but what if he is more reliable by then?

AAAAAARRRRRRrrrrrrf=ggggghhhh!

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crunchie · 13/06/2005 17:49

Hold on it is June now, the holiday is not until Sept. That's 3 months away. Go for it now. Get some jogging bottom type trs which are easier to pull up and down, a porta potty thing (actually we just took a nromal potty easily accessable in the car and pampers care mats incase.

Most kids take about 2 or 3 weeks I think, and are reliable in about a month. A HUGE handbag and a prtable potty plus nappy bags etc should see you around.

Good luck

Merlot · 14/06/2005 07:35

My vote is to try now, but with no pressure, and if he's not ready - as others have already said - try after the holiday. If he is ready, you could have it sorted in a few weeks. However, if he is not ready I would abandon the idea very quickly and try again after the holiday.

I RUINED a holiday with my ds2 when he was 2.5 because of potty training. Looking back it was completely laughable. My ds was 100% reliable to pee in the pot when he was bare bottomed, but put a pair of pants on him and we had ten wet pants in a couple of hours! I did not want to `set him back' when we went on holiday, so I persevered althrough the 2 weeks, but it was really grim and he still wasnt dry when we came home!

The `lowlight' of the holiday was when we used to eat out in the evenings and I had to check to see whether the restaurant had padded seats or not - If seats were upholstered I wouldnt let us eat there for fear of accidents etc.. The quality of the food didnt come into it! I bet my dh felt like divorcing me!

With the benefit of hindsight I would never have done this. After all, we'd paid for the holiday - it was meant to be a relaxing time and I ended making myself and my dh (plus, most probably ds) more stressed than usual!

So I guess, if you are not bothered and are unsure - my vote is for definitely afterwards

kcemum · 14/06/2005 10:07

I would leave him until after the holiday so that everyone can relax and you won't have the worry of what to do with wet clothes in the case of accidents
Have heard that the later you leave potty training the easier it is. Well certainly was in our case.

Original poster
Chandra · 14/06/2005 11:03

Oh, the upholostery! I have not thought about it! because we wiopuld be sitting at the same table with the same people for 2 weeks I'm afraid that that's a very good point...

It seems there are lots of things to consider. Because this is our first propper holiday since 4 yrs ago, and probably won't have another one like it in some time, and after Merlot's post I'm inclined to think that we are risking to much by trying before then. I will continue to sit him in the potty with the nappy on and if he seems more ready (atm can't convince him to stay on it for long enough). I would try it, otherwise I would wait until we return. Thank you guys, I'm more confident now that potty trained or not it won't be that difficult

Thanks.

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Original poster
Chandra · 14/06/2005 11:04

wiopuld? would

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