Training pants

[Reiltin]

I'm starting potty training my almost-3yo. I've been reading the no-cry potty training solution and it talks about using special training pants first, instead of going straight into regular pants. I've not come across this before and I'm wondering if it's an American thing! Has anyone used training pants or am I ok with just regular pants? Thanks :)

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MNHQ

I'm guessing they mean pull up type things, so absorbant but the child still feels wet. Or I think you can get terri towel type pants that still get really wet but prevent huge puddles. I wouldn't bother though, just go straight for pants and expect lots of changes in the first few days. I think anything else is too confusing and they don't get the feeling of accidents not being nice. Good luck!

I am in the minority here but we used training pants with our DS who potty trained at 2;7 and we started off using them everywhere (in the house too) and let him go pantless outside in our yard, and maybe it was a bit slower but we really needed to be able to take him places in the car/buggy, to let him go upstairs (which is carpeted) etc.

They are pretty easy to find in the UK - Boots have the Bambino Mio brand in larger branches, or Bright Bots (fit comes up v small, be warned) or unbranded are readily available on Ebay. We got some nice ladybird print ones from there.

They still let them feel wet but your floors will not be completely covered with puddles (and more to the point neither will the buggy/car seat/floor of the shops).

We've just started with DD who's 23 months but has been showing signs of being ready for a while. We're using training pants when out of the house/upstairs and letting her go naked downstairs. We are not making much progress though (only 3 days although most of it downstairs naked!).

Our CM did ask if her training pants would mean she wet on the floor and I think was happy to hear they wouldn't. We will go for them at nursery too for a week or two but then switch over to regular pants once we've had a bit more success.

PS don't get disposable pull ups, they are not the same, they advertise themselves as training pants but they are just nappies and the child doesn't feel wet.

We have always used them with our 5 at the initial out of nappy stage and later in a car or when we were out. In the latter cases we often padded them with a folded terry nappy for extra absorbency hoping they still felt they were in pants not a nappy but making it possible to avoid real flooding before the next motorway stop or friendly shop loo. The pants on their own don't absorb a lot and will leak when overpowered but they do stop carpets, seats and shop floors being drenched provided you notice the signs of an accident, which no doubt you will soon learn to do! We have used them padded first thing at night too on one of ours when we used to lift her. We would then change her into a nappy for the rest of the night but stopped when advised against lifting by a paediatrician friend.

I started potty training with my 2.9 DD last week, just went straight into normal pants. She's had two accidents so far, but she's getting it better than I expected. I think she's realised that weeing in pants feels horrible.