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

[SunshinePine]

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.

I'm in the didn't use em, too confusing and waste of money camp

And the DC's nursery recommended that I didn't use them too

I've never been able to cope with pull ups, I guess everyone is different but they werent for us. I found them more of a chore to put on than a nappy and not absorbent enough.

As for changing on your lap I've never had any probs but its something I've done from day one, once LO gets used to it then its easy !

I thought the point of potty training was for a child to learn bladder control and bowel control. Pull-ups were very helpful for us because we did a longer, slower, child-led potty training starting at 14 months, and they made it stress-free; if he asked to wee while we were in the car, I said "Okay" (acknowledge request) "but you can't wee now, if you can't hold it it's okay you can wee in your pull-up." When he mastered bowel control around 15 months, I switched to underwear which was padded with something to soak up accidents. Again, stress-free; no emergency outfit changes, but he was well aware when he'd had an accident and would let me know. We have never had to run for a toilet, carry a potty around, etc. and my DS was clean and dry by 18 months.

now you see I would never use a pull-up as an aid to toilet training, as far as I'm concnered they're nappies (which make large running toddlers easier to change, and stop younger, nimbled fingered babies pulling their nappy off at night)).

Whenever I say to DS3 - "right lets change your nappy" and pick a (pull-up) nappy up - he runs like the wind

lol, mine would both come and lie on the floor when I said that. ds1 used to go and get the nappy (unless he had poo'd, in which case he just flatly denied it).

To me a pull up is simply a nappy in disguise, if you are going to use one you might just as well use a proper nappy.

How is a pull up easier to put on than a nappy ? I've never had a situation yet where I couldn't put a nappy on in less than it takes the kettle to boil !

Actually DS2 did usually just lie down nicely for me, for him pull=ups were more useful for stopping the soaked cot in the morning when he easily undid normal nappies.

I dont know how old your LO's are or what nappies you use but unless you've a very fast boiling kettle I bet I could manage !

DS3 is 19 months, and if you can get a nappy on in the time it takes for the kettle to boil for me to make a coffee I'll give you, ermm, err, a round of applause, as it would include putting the trouers back on which WILL come off as well as trying to ensure the nappy was on straight so that it didn't leak after he'd done one wee in it .

Thats no problem, I've changed a lot older than 19mths in a couple of mins, luckily DS is a bit older so its not something I need to do often but I can if need be.

even exH who "could never understand why I found it so hard to change him lying down" has since given up with DS3 and does it the same way as me

and what do you do about babies who take their nappy off at night? I never found any other solution other than a pull-up (was before the ages that they could pull things up and down)

nappy on back to front and popper vest here for ds1 - but he was never very persistant.
Oh and grobag on back to front.
Failing that duct-tape?

ahh - Duct-tape that's what I didn't try (DS2 learned to undo his inside out, back to front grobag at around 12 months old, he also then discovered that you didn't need do under the poppers on a vest to undo the nappy - you can go in from the side).

Mind you he gave all that up at 14 months when he discovered that you could climb out of the lowered cot still in the grobag

lol, mine never bothered. ds1 never climbed out of his cot, ds2 did it at about 2y4m. Think they are just lazy sods, no idea who they take after nope, no idea.

Poppered vests or depending on the type of nappy use try try pins.

anyhow, back to the OP

No - pull-ups useless for potty training

Some people find pull-ups easier to use as nappies than normal nappies (depending on how awakrd their child is [fgirn])

Some people prefer to use normal nappies.

No - I haven't found that using pull-ups as nappies have hindered potty training in anyway.

and now I really should go and sort some food out for myself, and finish tidying in here...........

Ladylighthouse, does your DS struggle a lot when you try to put a nappy on him?

My DD who I believe is about a year older lets you put one on without fuss and we're talking terries, then again she's quite used to it by now.

Now that he's older and not regularly in nappies he does make a fuss if I decide to put one on for a while. I do ignore any tantrums though and simply get on with it, at least that way it's done a quick as possible despite him objecting. He doesn't like it but it's easier for both of us.