Newly potty trained - need your advice

[Barringer75]

My 3 yr old twins have been daytime potty trained for 6 months. At the start of the summer they stopped wearing pullups to bed and have been doing very well. Maybe we have had 2 wet beds in the morning since. We are going to WDW in Sept. Should I make them wear pullups at night during our stay? I really hate to give them that message and "regress", but I'd also hate for them to have an accident. Your advice please!!

[LKS]

I think I'd use pull-ups and explain that they are only for hotels. I don't think I've ever seen a hotel with a waterproof mattress pad and your kids will probably be very tired and sleep long and hard. An accident is more likely than at home.

[Lois&Jim]

We had the same dilemma with our 3 year old when we went on vacation in May. I decided to use pull-ups but she was not happy about it, she kept telling me she was not a baby. Plus she had no accidents in her pull-up. So for our next trip in October, after talking to other Mom's what they've done, I've decided to pack a mattress pad that is just a square pad and does not fit around the edges of the mattress. I found mine at babies-r-us. This will protect the mattress just in case of accident and does not take up a lot of room in the suitcase.

Lois

[lcsmom]

Your time frame is similar to my DD's potty training - big girl pants at night in June, a few accidents, etc. By September, she stopped having accidents, so your twins should be okay. If you are worried, I would vote for one of the crib-sized water proof pads. You could put it across the bed, under the sheets, in the 'danger zone' while the kids are elsewhere with Dad and they would never know it's there. Call housekeeping when you get there and ask for an extra set of sheets, just in case. That way, if you do have an accident, you don't have to wait for them to bring you a set and everyone gets back to sleep sooner. (You can call them and tell them you have put some wet sheets outside the door.)
That said, if they are averaging one or two accidents a week just before you go, do the pullups and explain they are for hotels.

[colleen mcmaster]

Although you probably already know this, I thought I'd mention it just in case. We still bring an extra set of clothes even though our son is 4 1/2. He ends up drinking so much from being at the hot parks all day and is usually having so much fun that he forgets to tell us he has to go until it's almost too late. We try to do a potty break every couple hours but sometimes we forget too. We've never needed the extra clothes but it's better to be safe than sorry. (But you can always buy clothes at the park if you have to). Have fun!

[pajamommy]

I have bought clothes at the parks, lol! My dd was just 3 the first time we went, and she was so excited and happy to be there, and so busy, that she had several accidents one day at MK (she also LOVES to drink water, and lots of it!) I went through the 2 extra outfits I had with me, and dh was sitting with the kids outside of the Crystal Palace waiting for our name to be called for dinner. Anyhow, I booked down Main St., went into the big store there, and they kindly went in the back and got me a package of undies, then sent me over to another shop across the way that had clothes available in her size. I rushed back to CP, and changed her just in the nick of time.

Also, I would bring the waterproof sheet thing, too, I still do that when we travel and it works out well.

[Tamie]

When my son was younger, I would take garbage bags and put them under the sheets at the hotels. That way if he did have an accident the mattress did not get wet.

[wdwnutze]

My 2 1/2 y.o. dd just became potty trained too and we are going to WDW 8/11. Although we haven't had any night time accidents, I am bringing the pullups(with Mickey and Minnie on them). We have been calling the pull-ups "travel pants". She knows that when we go far from home or do a sleepover we wear them. I think that because she will be so busy and excited, when she finally goes to sleep at night she will be out cold. Since she has to share a bed with my other dd the pull-ups will work for us!

[SueM in MN]

You can request a waterproof mattress pad or rubber sheets from Housekeeping. Most hotels do have them, they are just something that you don't see unless you request them.

[ang]

I would bring pull ups with the Mickeys or Minnies. Kids do get very tired at WDW. So, it make them go into a deep sleep. My daughter never was a bed wetter...when we took her when she was five, she end up having a accident.
Last year my son was two when we went I did take a crib size pad for him....he was potty trained. He end up having a couple accidents. So, you just never know. The maids were great they said it happens all the time. Have a Wonderful trip!!

Angie's Magical Place (http://home.att.net/~angiemagicalplace)

[Barb D]

I love the idea of "travel pants!" I would even use them in the parks. It always seems that they "have to go" right when you're at the front of the line. Or you can't find a bathroom, or there's a long line. You could say, "I'm putting these special travel pants on you just in case we can't get to the potty fast enough. That way if a little bit leaks out, we won't have to change your clothes."

[susy]

Get Depends underpads (bed size). These are the things you used in the hospital after giving birth. When the kids fall asleep , lift up their butts and slide it underneath.

[lindaso]

I would just put down a pad or something just to be extra safe. It sounds like they are doing great and you won't need to worry. I know my 3 yr old would never put a pull-up on now...heck, she won't even sit in a stroller ("that's for babies").

If an accident were to happen, a new set of sheets should be easy to get. My DS threw up once in bed and we got new sheets immediately. By September, it won't even be an issue!!

Linda

[Barringer75]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences and advice! I thought this would be an embarassing question to ask, but it seems that a mother's question is always welcomed here at the DIS. You have all made me feel a little more at ease and definitely less stressed!

[SheDaisy0088]

Our son was potty trained at 3 also!! We went to Disney when he was 3 1/2. We figured that we wouldn't have any problems because he was doing so good. Well, he had 2 accidents in the week we were there!! This is with us asking him if he had to go potty!!! I hink he was so excited about being at Disney that he forgot to go or was afraid of missing something!! However, we went again 6 months later and he was dry the whole time and told us when he had to go every time!! Sometime it was when we were in the middle of a line somewhere!! LOL!!

It might be a good idea to take along some pullups for nighttime!!

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[chloesmommi]

Our 4-year old still occasionally wets the bed at night, so whenever we travel she wears pull-ups at night. She is not crazy about it, but she understands it's only when we are at a hotel. We did try a waterproof pad under the sheets, but children move around a lot when they sleep, and of course when she wet, it did not go on the waterproof pad. Also, you still end up with wet sheets that need to be changed in the middle of the night. A Disney vacation can be tiring, and you will need all the sleep you can get.

[tiggersmomof4]

When we were in the early stages of potty training and my daughter REFUSED to wear pull ups, I would always get her up for a "potty run" just before I went to bed. She has always been a pretty heavy sleeper so she never even really woke up when I took her to the bathroom!! I would definitely do the waterproof mattress pad, they are great! I got mine at Babies R Us.

[padams]

we opted for the "travel pull-up" idea. It seemed like a good idea at the time but in hindsight, it caused DS to regress and it set us back about 6 months in potty training. He was confused about why we were putting him in a pull up after we had been making such a big deal about wearing big boy pants and no diapers or pull ups. If I had to relive last summer, I would not use pull-ups. I would bring a waterproof sheet and ask mousekeeping for an extra set of sheets. Also, in addition to having your child use the toilet before he goes to bed, you can try waking him before you go to bed to have him go again. He will likely not wake fully and will go easily back to bed (keep the lights low). I have a friend who swore by this method of waking her dd before friend went to bed, I was really skeptical but DH and I tried it and it worked for us. Good luck and have a great trip. Pamela

[sha_lyn]

when ever I think DD might have an accidnet and in the first weeks of potty training she wore early trainers. they are uderware wiht a soft plastic outer shell. Wal Mart in our area has them and when DS was little Baby superstore did (now Babies R Us). I do keep pullups in the car for emergencies. DD has started to not want them even then so Ibetter replace them with exta underware. She did however go put one on the other day when a friend was over playing that is still in pull ups.

[Barringer75]

Thanks for all the replies. Seems like they are split 50/50 between pull-ups or bringing the waterproof mattress cover. Since I still have 4 weeks to go, I'm still undecided (will continue to see how they are doing), BUT at least I feel better that I'm not alone with this issue. When I told my DH that I posted this question & how many responses I got, he said he hadn't even thought about it. Of course not!! LOL

[skissugar]

okay heres a question for you girls... my son is 2 (will be 3 like a week before we get to disney but were saying hes two to get him in free i know bad but i cant see spending that much money on someone whos only been 3 for a week lol) anyway.. im pregnant and even though im not too far along i dont move fast lol.. my dh just doesnt understand i need to go tee tee means right now not 5 min from now.. my son has been pretty good in underware all day (only a few accidents here and there) and does wear pull ups at night (still wets alot at night) but he wont wear them in the day.. he gets really upset if we put them on (we call them night time pants since he only wears them at night) id hate to put them on in the parks and have him regress back (this has already happend one time while visiting inlaws) but i am worried that if he gets too excited hell forget he needs to go.. any suggestions other than very very frequent potty breaks? i am planning on taking extra clothes but id hate to take a closet full..
christina

[padams]

look at the map for each park and find all of the restrooms. Whenever you pass by a restroom, use it. Try to make a game out of it..."let's go see if Mickey is in this restroom." As I said in my earlier post, ds regressed last summer when we put him back in pull-ups during the day while we were on vacation. Of course, when I was pregnant, I went to the restroom more times than a toddler just out of diapers. I think you'll be fine if you just plan to tour the restrooms. However, you could resort to bribery..."if you stay dry all day, we'll get you a treat" (maybe a sticker or ice cream, etc.). Good luck! Pamela ;)

[DVCajun]

This isn't "advice," but this topic reminded me of a funny moment outside of HISTH at Epcot. We were about to enter the turnstile when a mother and her very young DS came dashing back outside. She quickly herded him off to one side and shielded him while he did his business. :) As new parents, we got quite a kick out of this. Wasn't much else she could do!!!

[Lucky'sMom]

I read this tip on these boards before we went in Feb, 2000. *Bring stickers to put over the automatic flush detectors in the public restrooms!* All of the toilets in the parks (and the airports too) have automatic flushes. My 3 yr old son was terrified of the toilet flushing (they are very loud and fast, and scary to some young children). This can really impede toilet training, as my son would put off going "potty" because of this. Thankfully, some dear parent on these boards made me aware of this, and we came prepared with stickers. We used the round stickers that come with about 4 colors in a pkg-people often use these stickers for garage sale pricing. They work great. My husband would keep a strip of these in his wallet, and I kept some in my bag. My son loved them! We would use one for the potty and one for his hand each time he went. Also, each park has a child rest room facility that has child-sized potties in them. They are really nice for the kids. Good luck!:)

[wdwnutze]

We just returned last week and I put my 2 1/2yo dd in pullups when we were at the parks. She didn't mind being in them. She also did not have 1 accident. I was so happy since she has only been trained for about a month. Anyway, she loved the automatic flushing toilet! She called them "magic potties"! Well, now that we are home, she keeps asking if we can get a magic potty! I guess the point is that all kids are different and that what might frighten 1 child entertains another!

[TaraPA]

All of the above is great advice for parks & hotels...but let me add that be prepared on the plane as well! When our son was 2 1/2 & out of diapers, he got diarrhea from either the motion sickness or just the excitement on the plane...it was a horrible & embarrassing situation! I had an extra outfit & a pull-up in my carry on which immediately he was changed into, but let me tell you the people around us were not smiling! I have also learned from that experience to pack a light extra outfit for MYSELF. I didn't that time & sure could have used another outfit. The next year, at age 3 1/2, he had to go so bad & we were in line for take off. I kindly asked the flight attendant if we could use the bathroom quickly & she refused (which I understand, policy is policy). But she then had a very wet seat to clean up after we got in the air! This year, at age 4 1/2 (which I realize most of you will tell me is too old for a pull-up) he will have the option of wearing a pull up on the plane to avoid the last 2 years' incidents! I don't care how old your child is, if there is any hesitation in getting them to the bathrooms on time (which is often VERY difficult in the parks) use the diapers or pull ups!

[tiggersmomof4]

We also had our newly potty trained 2 1/2 yr. old who refused to wear a pull up on our '98 trip to WDW. We left out of Newark, NJ on a Tues. morning, after sitting on the take off line for about 15 min. the captain informed us we were #24 in the pattern!! We could expect up to an hour longer delay! Not long after the announcement, my DD asked to go potty. I, too, asked the FA if we go use the restroom and was informed of the FAA regulations. I fortunately had a pull up with me and put it on my DD. She REFUSED to go!!! She held it for the next 90 min!!! My DH and I couldn't believe it! I don't think I could have held it that long after 4 children! LOL!! I guess the lesson to be learned is no matter how you prepare, your children will ALWAYS surprise you!!

[Barringer75]

I never even thought about the airplane ride and the possible delays. Thanks for passing on your experiences. I always have a change of clothes with me for my twins wherever we go. Just the other day after about 1 hour in the park by our house, on the way to go out for some lunch, my DS threw up all over himself and the carseat. Too much spinning on the tire swing!! With little ones, I guess you can never be too prepared (LOL)!

[tiggersmomof4]

I know this is a little off topic, but I am sitting here dispensing advice and knowledge but I can't get my youngest daughter potty trained!!! She is 2 1/2, and has no interest!! My other 3 daughters were so easy!! At 2, I showed them a pair of Barbie panties and that was it!! They were all completely potty trained in a week, days and nights. I know this is nothing short of a miracle but it's what I'm used to!!! HELP!!!

We start school in a little over a week and my schedule is going to be crazy! School, dance, horseback riding, girl scouts, gymnastics, etc. If I don't do it now, I don't think she'll ever be potty trained, because all I ever do is drag this child from one of her sister's activities to another!!! Everytime I ask her if she wants to be a "big girl" and go on the potty she tells me, "No, I a baby"!!! Can you believe it?? What should I do? Any advice would be very much appreciated!!

[sha_lyn]

tiggersmomof4..I think the problme is when you ask her if she ants to be a big girl she is unsure of just exactly whgat you are expecting her ot do. She she "bigs girls" as you and her sisters and the thigns they do. She might think she has to give up her "baby stuff" and act older. Try not to use the phrase big girl. With my DD she for some reason was not ready until she was 3 1/2 but once she decided she wanted to go on the potty there was no "trainin" to it. She has had only a couple of accidnts once she decided it was time.

[tiggersmomof4]

sha_lyn

Thanks for the advice, that maybe just what the problem is! I'll have to try a different approach. On the bright side, she told me she had to go potty while we were in Target today and she went when we got there!!!

[SueM in MN]

When my oldest DD was 18 months, she asked to use the toilet, did, got rewarded and I thought it would be easy to toilet train her. Didn't work. She used the toilet when she wanted to and wet her pants when she wanted to. We laid low for a while until she was over 2 and then tried again with stickers and rewards. She would go just enough times to get the reward, and then stop. On her third birthday, she announced that she was old enough to use the bathroom all the time and did not plan any accidents (she really talked like that at 3). From that day, she used the toilet and didn't have a single accident.
So, maybe you just have a DD who is on her own schedule.