The great pull-up controversy

I know many people out there think pull ups should NOT be used for potty training because they make it easier for kids to have "accidents" without the natural consequences. I have followed that school of thought up to now and have had the girls only in regular diapers and underwear. At this point, they are fully wearing underwear, except for pooping and at night. They refuse to poop anywhere but in a diaper, and they are still very wet (sometime even leaking) at night, so we use diapers. I'm not terribly worried about night training, as I believe that when their bodies are ready, I will know because they will start waking up dry. However, now I'm starting to wonder if pull-ups would be a good idea at night because it would give them a chance to use the potty if they wake up and want to.

Any thoughts on whether pull-ups would be helpful for night time?

Also, for their refusing to poop in the toilet, might it be helpful if we went to pull-ups (maybe that they have to put on themselves) since that might decrease the amount of attention they are getting at poop time? Or would that just make it easier for them to back-slide into peeing in a diaper again? Any thoughts on whether pull ups are a motivator or de-motivator for pooping in the potty?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Natasha

 

I'm no help on the poop issue since mine poop trained before pee trained, but we use Pull Ups at night on Aiden (Conner stays dry at night now, but we did use Pull Ups on him before).

With diapers, if Aiden has to get up & pee during the night or immediately in the morning, he's always fussing with the tabs & trying to get it off. Plus, if he goes back to bed, or crawls into our bed, or whatever....without Pull Ups, he ends up going commando until we get him undies ! Now, he'll go potty as soon as he wakes & he can do it independently with his Pull Up. If he's dry, he's apt to keep it on until we get dressed (but he NEVER pees in it after he's awake), however, if it's wet, he wants it off (I don't blame him!). We call them his "Big Boy Diapers", so they never get associated with undies & he understands that he's not SUPPOSED to pee in his Pull Ups, but it does happen at times (like you, I'm not stressed about him peeing overnight).

The only issue I have with Pull Ups is that I'm not convinced that they hold all that well. We just switched to Pampers Easy Ups & those seem to fit better, thus hold better. I will not buy any more Huggies Pull Ups. I see they have Overnight ones, so I may need to try those if Aiden continues to wet as he gets bigger. As of now, he's dry about 3-4 mornings a week & hasn't been soaking out of these new ones, so hopefully we're going in the right direction!

So, while LOTS of people told me NOT to use Pull Ups, they work best for us at night. I also used to use them during the day for long errands or long car rides, but again, I always called them "Big Boy DIAPERS". My boys never got confused & actually never peed in them during the day.

Good luck!

 

They don't hold very well overnight. Cody waits to get one on for nap time & then poops in it. Too expensive for that. I bought one pack & will just go back to diapers for night time. I thought they would be good for going out & stuff, but Cody won't pee in them even when we tell him its ok. So we still have to hunt down a bathroom.

 

I am kinda in the middle on Pull-Ups. I think you can train without them. But they are definitely easier to get on and off in the middle of the night and during the day if you are out and about. So for that we use/used them. Plus, mine were peeing through the size 5 and 6 Huggies Overnites, but the Extra Absorbant Pull-Ups kept them dry. Or I can add another pull up over the top and give extra protection at night.

 

I have only ever used pull ups at night and they have worked just fine over night for my kids, we get the night time absorbency.


That said I have never used pull ups during the day for potty training. To me they are just diapers and the kid know and realize they can poop and pee in them. ardon: I just use underwear and that does mean cleaning out poop and pee for me, but I feel it helps the kids train faster, IMO.

 

I trained during the day with nothing but gotchies but I have always pull ups or easy ups at night. My oldest still has some accidents at night and I find when he does get up in the middle of the night he can get to the bathroom faster and on his own if he has pull ups on.
As for the pooping problem. I had tons of trouble with this one and in the end I caved into something I never thought I would. I decided to offer him a reward (scooby doo)fruit snacks (the ones with lots of sugar) and he only ever gets them if he poops. It worked the first time I introduced it and he still gets them only when he poops. I didn't notice any regression when he has his pull ups on.
Best of luck