Going without nappies at night, is this a bit ambitious?

[llareggub]

DS is 2.8 and announced earlier this week that he had a wee coming. He trotted off to the loo, pulled down his nappy and used the loo. Cue lots of clapping, cheers etc.

He has been in pants this week and has had a few accidents but seems to have grasped the concept. He has been completely accident-free today, used the loo alone, had a poo and wiped his bottom etc. Lots of chocolate was given.

This evening he decided he did not want to wear a nappy to bed so I've put the potty in his room, put a towel under him and left him to it.

Does this seem like a good plan or is it totally unrealistic? Lots of people have given me advice on daytime but apart from people muttering darkly about their children not being dry at night, I'm pretty clueless.

hopeful bump

My DDs (twins) did the same a couple of weeks ago. They've been out of nappies a while (one longer than other) and had hissy fits about being put in nappies at night. We had nearly a whole week of dry nights (got them up before we went to bed and put them on the loo half asleep to do a wee) and then they got bored of that trick and wet the bed three nights running. Neither of them realised though - I think they were genuinely so fast asleep they didn't notice. So they're back in pull-ups now, and haven't raised it again. If they want to try no nappies again, I'd go for it again. Nothing wrong with trial and error!

I think you did the right thing because you have demonstrated confidence in him and if nothing else, boosted his self-esteem. Personally I would wake him and pop him on the potty (make sure to wake him a little) before you go to bed and get up before him or with him in the morning to pop him on the potty before he has a chance to forget himself and wee on the bed.

I would just see how it goes, you can always revert to pull ups if he has loads of accidents but if you don't give him a chance to try you won't know if he is ready. DD2 (2.6) has been out of night nappies for a couple of months now. Although she has been potty trained for about 6 months she had a massive relapse / potty strike about 2 months ago (relating to arrival of new DS I believe) so I put her back into daytime nappies for a couple of days which she resented hugely, when I took her out of nappies again she had an absolute FIT if a nappy went anywhere near her so I couldn't put her into them at night either without tantrums and screaming, so I gritted my teeth and thought I'd see what happened and she has been totally fine (2 accidents so far - both a while ago now). She has a potty in her room, which she will often use first thing in the morning for a wee when she wakes up.

My suggestion would be to make the bed up 'twice' - i.e. waterproof mattress cover and sheet, then a disposable bed mat (pampers do these) then another sheet - it means that if there is an accident you can whisk off the top sheet and disposable bed mat and put him straight back to bed with minimum fuss.

Thanks everyone. He was dry this morning. I tried lifting him out of bed last night but he wouldn't wee. I'll definitely try making the bed up twice, that's a great idea.

That's great he's ready. Children vary enormously in the readiness to be dry. My older boys were dry day and night by 2.5. My three girls took longer and still have accidents at 3, 5 and 7. My youngest boy now 2.3 hasn't a clue about toileting, if his nappy's off he'll wee on the floor and look astonished frankly.