When it is time to try to go ONLY on the potty?

How did you know when it was time to try to get them to go ONLY on the potty?

Going diaper-free (or bare-bottomed) and going potty every 20 minutes is not really an option, since they are in daycare. They get put on the potty once every 1.5 hours or so, and they have to stay in diapers until they can more or less get through the day without an accident.

We're definitely not there yet, but I'm not sure how to get from here to there! If it's just a matter of time and maturity, that's fine, but I'm wondering if there's something I should be doing to move them along.

 

When they can tell you they need to go, or just go on their own. Until they understand the sensation of having to go, and connect it will actually going, there is nothing you can really do.

 

About a week ago, one of my DDs decided that she does not want to wear diapers anymore. So, she has been diaper-free since last Friday. She still occassionally has accidents, but she is doing well. I had tried many things -- treats, stickers, naked time, etc., but nothing really worked. They both would get tired of the potty and ask for diapers. I finally gave up and was not even thinking about it. One day, Grace said "No more diapers for me" and that was it. We thought about trying to push Elizabeth to catch up with her sister, but decided just to wait until she is ready. So, my advice is to offer the potty and encourage it, but just wait until they are ready to stop diapers.

 

You could wait and do bare bottomed when you have a long weekend and nothing else to do. I think we're going to try it soon. I was planning on PT'ing over the summer, but they are more and more interested and insistent on sitting on the potty. I just bought kiddie potties so that I can leave them out in the family room and they can more or less go by themselves. Believe me, I am being dragged kicking and screaming into PT'ing.

 

The day they both went to their little potties and removed dry diapers to use it was the day we switched. They were so ready. They'd been naked trained for ages before but just weren't ready to give up their diapers and they declined the underwear when offered or would wear it for an hour and then pee in the potty and want their diaper back on. I figured they'd change their minds eventually and when I offered after they'd used the potty that day, they were open to the challenge of keeping them dry. I feel like they potty trained themselves... I was just along for the ride to provide dry pants and encouragement.

As for the going every 20 minutes... I noticed something with my boys that may hold true for lots of others. When naked, they'd hold it for an hour or two but with a diaper on, they'd pee much more often in smaller quantities. After we made the switch to underwear, the first few days they were peeing every 30 minutes to an hour but then they started holding it much longer and peeing larger quantities. I don't think it's a coincidence -- I think that practice and awareness makes a difference.

 

QUOTE(debid @ Feb 22 2008, 06:42 PM) [snapback]635883[/snapback]
The day they both went to their little potties and removed dry diapers to use it was the day we switched. They were so ready. They'd been naked trained for ages before but just weren't ready to give up their diapers and they declined the underwear when offered or would wear it for an hour and then pee in the potty and want their diaper back on. I figured they'd change their minds eventually and when I offered after they'd used the potty that day, they were open to the challenge of keeping them dry. I feel like they potty trained themselves... I was just along for the ride to provide dry pants and encouragement.

As for the going every 20 minutes... I noticed something with my boys that may hold true for lots of others. When naked, they'd hold it for an hour or two but with a diaper on, they'd pee much more often in smaller quantities. After we made the switch to underwear, the first few days they were peeing every 30 minutes to an hour but then they started holding it much longer and peeing larger quantities. I don't think it's a coincidence -- I think that practice and awareness makes a difference.


I think it was your post about your kids suddenly being ready that prompted my question! I like "being along for the ride to provide dry pants and encouragement." :icon_biggrin:

I also agree about them being able to hold it better if they're not wearing diapers. I let my girls run around naked a little bit around diaper/clothes-changing time, because I don't think they're going to just let go if they're totally naked. Amy did have an "accident" the other day but it was because of a diaper malfunction -- she was wearing one, but I had put it on so badly that it wasn't really covering her. I suspect if she had not been wearing one at all, she wouldn't have peed.

Anyway, thanks everyone for confirming more or less what I was thinking.