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Potty training

Is your child ready for potty training at nursery? Here's the place for all your toilet training questions.

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Original poster

Am I the only one who thinks pull ups are confusing to a child who is potty training?

46 replies

SunshinePine · 03/01/2009 09:45

The whole point of potty training is to make a child learn that unlike whilst wearing a nappy, when in pants they mustn't go in them but should use the potty or toilet instead.

So what do we do, we go make a pull up, show the child they are like pants but actually it's still ok if they wee in it like a nappy - how does this help!?

I can understand using pull ups once the child is potty trained, say for bedwetting when the child knows the pull up is not the same as pants, but that's it.

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littleducks · 03/01/2009 09:56

I used some special cloth potty training pants when out and potty trained in summer to avoid too much mess, i think people get very scared of the idea of mess

my sil used pull up either over/under pants if she was going out

i think its easy access so its up to you to keep taking child when you think they need to go

purepurple · 03/01/2009 09:58

I hate pull-ups and see no use for them, except to make more money for the manufacturers

NellyTheElephant · 03/01/2009 10:41

I love pull ups. I used them (as nappies) for both my DDs from about 18 / 19 months as the were total impossible wrigglers and changing nappies was a complete pain (prior to moving to disposable pull ups I used washables - unfortunatly I was unable to locate anything that really worked as pull up washable nappy).

I also think pull ups can be a real help in the preparation stage of potty training, as long as they are treated as a nappy rather than as a substitute for pants. Before starting potty trainng both my DDs I initially introduced the potty into their lives with a month or so of regularly sitting them on the potty or loo througout the day just to bring it into their routine (we had occasional successes - more luck than good management, but I do not think of this stage as full on potty training). Regular trips to the potty are MUCH easier to do if using pull ups. When we moved to potty training proper the girls went straight into pants, but they were already used to regular trips to the potty /loo, which I think helped the process.

I have just potty trained DD2 (now nearly 23 months) and she still wears a pull up at night. She has no confusion about pants and pull ups and refers to the pull up as a nappy - she knows full well when she is wearing it rather than pants.

Seona1973 · 03/01/2009 13:08

I also started with a gentle method of introducing the potty/toilet to ds and found pull ups a great help as they are easy to pull up and down but have the advantage of being a nappy. When he was reliable at telling me when he needed to poo/pee while in the pull up I put him into pants. He is 2.3 years and has been in pants for at least a month now.

stuffitllama · 03/01/2009 13:13

Totally agree -- long journeys and emergency situations only.

stuffitllama · 03/01/2009 13:13

Totally agree -- long journeys and emergency situations only.

stuffitllama · 03/01/2009 13:13

and that's how much I agree

evaangel · 03/01/2009 13:15

pull ups are shite
undies and a few accidents are the best way
pull ups are lazy imo

goldFAQinsenceandmyrrh · 03/01/2009 13:17

I used pull-ups as normal nappies on all 3 of my DS's once they reached running around ages, made nappy changes SO much easier.

Ds1 was a nightmare to train (think I tried to early, but I was worried about new baby arriving imminently and him not yet being trained)

DS2 - trained very easily

DS3 - will let you know

If I had any more children I would use pull-ups again without a 2nd thought

electra · 03/01/2009 13:18

Generally, I don't think they are much use. It depends on the child. My younger one had them for a long time at night but for the older one who has ASD we did away with anything nappy like from the beginning, even at night and I just had a lot of extra washing for a short time - but this helped her get the hang of it really quickly.

backalleysally · 03/01/2009 13:19

I potty trained my DS in the summer so he could be naked from the waist down to start with and then gradually adding underpants and then jeans/trousers as he got the hang of it. There was much less laundry this way!
The only time I used pull ups is for bed, so he can pull them up and down on his own when he needs to wee.

staryeyed · 03/01/2009 13:23

I dont get pull ups but ds nursery insists on them. He is in an SN nursery btw. They say its easier to change them!??

goldFAQinsenceandmyrrh · 03/01/2009 13:24

oh SOOOOOOOO much easier to change a baby/toddler nappy when they're at the standing up and running off stage IMO

mawbroon · 03/01/2009 13:25

I agree. I only used them once we had started potty training, and only at night.

I called them night time pants rather than referring to them as any kind of nappy and ds knew that he wasn't supposed to pee in them, but they were there just in case.

He was only in them a fortnight after starting potty training because he became dry overnight very quickly.

Probably nothing to do with pull ups, or anything I did, but just because he was ready.

preggersplayspop · 03/01/2009 13:30

I use pullups for my DS as I often have to do nappy changes on the run as he is so active. I'd have to pin him down screaming to do nappy changes otherwise, which isn't something I wanted to do.

We haven't started potty training yet but it didn't even enter my head this would be confusing for him. I'm not planning to use these as substitute pants. He's pretty clear these are nappies and refers to them as such, when its time to introduce pants then I'm sure he'll realise there is a difference - for starters I won't be ripping his pants off him!

Joolyjoolyjoo · 03/01/2009 13:30

I never used them either, except as "special pants" at night. We just did away with nappies, stayed in for a few horrendous days, washed mountains of pants for a week, and then seemed to be ok!

mawbroon · 03/01/2009 13:33

I have a mindee who has been in pull ups for ages.

I don't understand how they are easier.

With nappies, I just pulled down the trousers and changed with them still on round the ankles.

With pull ups, I have to take off trousers (and shoes if they are wearing them), change the pull up and then put them all back on again.

goldFAQinsenceandmyrrh · 03/01/2009 13:34

they're also very useful for pre-potty training age when they start pull their nappy off at nightt - much harder to pull down a pull-up and take it off than a normal nappy.

Mawbroon - that's all veyr well if they actually stand still - or don't automatically pull their trousers the rest of the way off and run away

mawbroon · 03/01/2009 13:36

Ah, I do nappies on my knee, so no running off!!

goldFAQinsenceandmyrrh · 03/01/2009 13:37

that you manage to change a child's nappy on your knee - DS1 was fairly compliable - he mainly went into pull-ups (before he was walking actually [fgirn]) because he was taking his nappy off at night.

DS2 would occasionaly comply

DS3 i wouldn't have a cat in hells chance of keeping him on my knee long enough to change his nappy LOL

Original poster

SunshinePine · 03/01/2009 16:08

I suppose they are ok if your child knows they are a nappy, but if a child has been in nappies for two years pull ups and pants wont seem much different, JMO.

I also see nothing wrong with pull ups at night, just I've always used proper nappies with mine.

Staryeyed - how is it easier for a nursery to change pull ups? ok they can be taken off standing up but not if it's dirty and to get a new one on you have to take the child's trousers and shoes off. With a nappy you only have to pull the trousers down to the ankles and can change it.
DD went to a nursery where they took children in pants and children in pull ups and nappies. Most of the children were in pull ups by parents choice but DD had a medical problem so I stuck with the nappies. Even though she probably needed twice as many changes as any of the other children the staff told me she was the one they preferred to change, pull ups were a nightmare.

OP posts:

ChasingSquirrels · 03/01/2009 16:10

I never used them as they cost twice as much as nappies.

goldFAQinsenceandmyrrh · 03/01/2009 16:12

twice as much as nappies????

blimey which ones have you been looking at??

Oh and you can change a pooey bum standing up, and if you're mad flush and do buy the expensive ones you don't have to take the trousers off as many have "resealable" sides (never see the point in that myself, just totally confuses the rest of us who use them as nappies - and makes it just as easy to take off for a 12 month old as a nappy

ChasingSquirrels · 03/01/2009 16:16

well, I used tesco nappies, they didn't have tesco pull-up's just huggies and pampers - which the one time I looked were twice the price. Never looked again.

goldFAQinsenceandmyrrh · 03/01/2009 16:18

mind you am I the only person here who has never managed to change a DC's bottom (with normal nappy) without the trousers ending up off anyhow??

My DS's have always pulled them off (if lying down) with their hands, or kicked them off with their feet (if standing up)

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