OT: How important is it....? (potty training question)

[simba20]

That a child be dry at night for potty training to begin.

When I talk to other parents, and mention something about potty training, the first thing they ask me is if my daughter wakes up in the morning with a dry diaper.

Well, ummm, no she doesn't.

Then they tell me that she isn't ready to be potty trained.

So what's the deal with this whole dry diaper thing? I have heard of being "daytime" potty trained and then becoming "nightime" potty trained, is that the wrong thing to do?

Here's the facts. The reason why my daughter does not wake up with a dry diaper is because she has a bottle at night before she goes to bed. Even as an adult, I have to pee at night, but since I don't wear diapers, and am an adult, I can get up to pee. Yes I understand my daughter can't. But for some reason the whole "she has to have dry diapers at night to be potty trained" seems to go against human body function -- i.e. the body still processes pee/people do have to pee at night.

Anyway, I'm not training her yet. I got a newsletter in the mail that speaks of signs of readiness and my daughter hits all but two (dry diapers for several hours or at night and somethign else that I can't think of).

So just how important is this dry at night thing? Will she be doomed never to potty train, as she loves her drink before bed?

ETA: My daughter is 20 months old -- soon to be 21 months.

P.S. I'm not trying to rush her into potty training, it's just that this "dry at night" thing is usually the first thing brought up. I don't think it's natural to follow that, but I am a first time mom so sometimes I wonder.

 

[Stephres]

When my son was potty trained at three he had dry diapers at night. When my daughter was potty trained at three she wasn't dry at night until she was almost 5. The pediatrician said they were both normal (believe me, I asked!).

I think you should try to limit the bottle at night (not that you asked) because the milk can pool up and cause cavities; I know it is hard so I am not judging. And you should be fine to try potty training. Good luck!

 

[GoofyG]

I've just finished training my DD2, both of my girls day trained. It took about 6mos for my oldest to night train but she also trained right when she turned 2. My middle one will be 3 next month and some days she does wake up dry and others wet. I have noticed she stays dry for nap. Though she still wears a pullup for nap and bedtime. I figured it will come to her, and it's not hurting anything. The fact that during the daytime she is trained already saves on money. I'm so excited to have her finally trained! Now just one more to go!

If your DD acts interested or if you want to see how she does then just do it!. I will say, don't use pullups! Except for nap and bed, no diapers! Once I started potty training I got rid of the diapers. Dresses are my DD2's best friend right now!

Good Luck!

 

[Drivercan]

Don't rush it.

I tried to push my daughter after her 2nd birthday and it was not fun for her or me to train her. During the day I put her in pullups with no success.

I waited until my son was a few months shy of his 3rd birthday. I told him no more diapers and gave him underwear (no pullups). It took him only 3 accidents and 3 days to be trained!!

I gave both my kids pullups at night and it was another year before they could stay dry through the night. I did not make a big deal out of it and it eventually happened.

 

[simba20]

I think you should try to limit the bottle at night (not that you asked) because the milk can pool up and cause cavities;

Since January, I have been slowly trying to get her off the bottle. She is 20 months, and yes I am late to the getting rid of the bottle ball game. Anyway, I don't mind the advice. She gets two bottles during the day now, one is still before bed, however I will admit that I am an expert sneaky toth brusher and brush her teeth while she's sleeping. I know about the cavity thing, which is why I do it. Sometimes she wakes up, but due tot he fact that her sinuses have been clogged since forver (thanks daycare), she sleeps with her mouth wide open.

 

[Tommys Mommy]

My kids also wore pull-ups at night even though they would stay dry during the day. I think both of my kids had wet pull-ups until they were almost 5 yrs. old. It didn't really bother me or them!!

 

[simba20]

If your DD acts interested or if you want to see how she does then just do it!. I will say, don't use pullups!

This is also advice I have read (i.e do not use pull-ups). I feel the same way. I plan on usingbig girl underwear with plastic pants for times we are out or else cloth training pants. Decisions, decisions.

 

[2poohbears]

My boys were 3 years old before I tried potty training them (I have twins), and they were not dry at night when they trained. One trained very quickly, the other took another 6 months - he just wasn't ready. They both wet at night for about a month or so after they were day trained, but have stayed dry ever since.

I echo the person who said don't use the pull-ups to train. I put the boys in regular undies, and stayed home during training. First son trained in a day and a half. The other was not ready, so I stopped trying by day 3 in the undies. We tried again around 6 months later, and he trained in a day as well. I only used the pull ups when we went out somewhere, as a sort of back-up - just in case, for about a month after they trained.

I say start training when YOU think she might be ready. If you find she's just not ready, try again later. That is what I did & it worked. I did put the potty seat out in the bathroom around age 2, just so they would learn what it was and get used to it. I used to put them sitting in it for a minute or so just before bathtime, and sometimes they would pee in it by accident. We would clap and get excited about it. I never forced them to sit on the potty, though.

 

[simba20]

I say start training when YOU think she might be ready. If you find she's just not ready, try again later. That is what I did & it worked. I did put the potty seat out in the bathroom around age 2, just so they would learn what it was and get used to it. I used to put them sitting in it for a minute or so just before bathtime, and sometimes they would pee in it by accident. We would clap and get excited about it. I never forced them to sit on the potty, though.

She's had the potty chair int he bathroom since she was a year old. Whenever I go to the bathroom or Daddy, she'll follow us in and sit on it. Her favorite thing is to ask for toilet paper (I give her a square or two) and she'll "wipe" herself. Usually at bathtime, I'll sit her on her potty before a bath, and she's gone in it before. I also do this anytime she utters the words "pee pee" and "poo poo" at random -- and usually I can tell when she poops. If she tugs at her diaper or gets bothered by a wet diaper, I'll sit her on it then. So she's pretty used to it, and we do praise/cheer/reward when she does do something in the potty. We've had one miss, where after a bath, she said pee pee, but chose to squat on the bathmat instead of sitting on her seat. I don't push her, but let her show me when she's interested. I'd say most of the signs are there, but I find the requirement of having to be dry at night CRAZY. As I have gathered from other responses, it is not a requirement, nor important.

Maybe after our Dinsey trip, I'll do a bit more with her, and then in May (when my semester ends for grad school) I can take a weekend to train her. And while I'll use panties during the day, I'll probably use diapers/pull-ups at night, unless there is an advantage to using panties/waterproof pants combo at night. But then again, she'd probably not want to sleep in wet undies all night, at least the diaper wicks away some moisture.

 

[NotUrsula]

I won't offer advice about training, b/c my eldest took forever and frustrated the heck out of us , and the other one is the same age as yours, but I will offer an observation on the "dry all night before you can start" idea.

If this was true, why would there be any market for products for preschool-aged and school-aged bedwetters? Lots of children day-train LONG before they master staying dry all night.

On the other hand: It really isn't all that normal for an adult to consistently have to get up in the night to use the bathroom; that's usually a sign that there is some kind of health problem happening. If you have to get up most nights, you really should consult your doctor about it.

 

[disykat]

I suppose "dry at night" could be an indicator that a child is ready for EARLY potty training, but I don't know anyone whose child was dry at night before potty training! Mine certainly weren't. Definitely being dry for a several hours at a time is an important one though.

 

[BenA81]

We let our DD take it at her own pace and she was trained around 2.5. We introduced the potty to her and gave her experience on it. She's very independent and wanted to do everything herself, even cleaning up her own accidents. She was 'day' trained before 'night' trained, so we put her to bed with pullups on until she woke up 5 nights in a row with a dry diaper. On her bed we have 2 layers of fitted sheets with a waterproof fitted sheet in between, so if there is an accident in the middle of the night the top fitted and waterproof fitted sheet can just be taken off with minimal interruption for the child.

So I subscribe to the idea that the CHILD decides when they're ready. Or you can do Potty training boot camp.

 

[mrstxcop]

my son will be 3 in June and is daytime potty trained but i still put a pullup or diaper on him for nap and overnight --- the reason i do it is because he is still in a crib and cannot climb out to go to the bathroom by himself...

we are planning on getting him a big boy bed for his 3rd birthday and i will try start the night training shortly after --- but if he's not ready, no biggie, i'll just keep him in the pullups/diapers until he is ready...

i also agree on not using pull ups to train --- imo, they feel just like diapers so why would they motivate the kids to train??? i put undies on all my kids from day 1 of training and i would have them sit on folded beach towels on the furniture ---

good luck!!!

 

[mom2princessj]

Neither one of my kids were night trained right away...my dd would wake up dry more days than not but it took me a long time to put her in undies at night just because I didn't want to change wet sheets. She's never had an accident at night. My ds has been day trained for about a year now but just recently and I mean like two weeks ago started staying dry at night. I didn't go back to pullups with him...as soon as he was dry for two weeks we took the pullups away and put him in underwear. Knock on wood...he's been dry with no accidents.

I think you can do it either way. My ds is a heavy sleeper and our ped told me that may be the reason he wasn't staying dry...he just couldn't wake up. He's still not waking up to go but I guess now he's got more bladder control and able to hold it all night. I did however limit their drink intake at night...1 hour before bed there was no drinking. That has helped with both alot.

Good luck. Potty training is one of the most frustrating things to do. I did learn with both though that pushing them before they are ready just really impedes the process. Both kids were a piece of cake once they made up their minds they were going to do it.

 

[Stephres]

Since January, I have been slowly trying to get her off the bottle. She is 20 months, and yes I am late to the getting rid of the bottle ball game. Anyway, I don't mind the advice. She gets two bottles during the day now, one is still before bed, however I will admit that I am an expert sneaky toth brusher and brush her teeth while she's sleeping. I know about the cavity thing, which is why I do it. Sometimes she wakes up, but due tot he fact that her sinuses have been clogged since forver (thanks daycare), she sleeps with her mouth wide open.

My second had the bottle forever, so I can totally relate. She is a mouth breather too! The milk might be contributing to the sinus problems. I have always had terrible sinus problems and drank milk with meals. I cut out the milk and my sinuses congestions has improved somewhat.

Anyway, good luck with the potty training. As you can tell, mine waited and it worked for us but if you are willing and so is she, go for it!

 

[arielmomma]

My son was dry at night when we potty trained him at 2 1/2, but he was dry most nights before he was even 2. My daughter is 2 and we are getting ready to potty train and she isn't even close to being dry at night, but goes to the bathroom on the potty during most days without any prompting. I am definitely willing to take dry days and just do diapers at night!

 

[roscoepc1]

If it was important, my oldest dd would have been 8 when she trained, and my six yr old still wouldn't be.

Night dryness has NOTHING to do with potty training. It's a hormone that some kids don't produce until they're older that tells their kidneys and bladder to "slow down" for the night...

 

[EnchantedPrincess]

My ds was dry at night at 3 when we potty trained him..my dd on the other hand, didn't potty trained until she was about 3 1/2 and she wasn't dry at night until she was about 5. I just put on a pull up at night. Your dd is still young at only almost 21 months old...it is just so much easier if you potty train them when they are ready. That way, no stress and frustration on both sides. At 3 1/2, my dd told me that she was ready for big girl underwear, and it only took me one day to potty train her. My ds was ready at about 3, and it didn't take me long either to potty train him. Good luck to you!

 

[mjkacmom]

If I waited to train ds6 until he was dry in the morning, I would've waiting until he was 6, and not 2, when he trained. I've found the nakey butt test to be very reliable on determining if they're ready. Put on It's Potty Time, get the potty out, take off lower garments, and tell the child to use the potty if he or she has to go. If there is more than 1 accident, wait another 3 months. Dd8 was ready after the first test at 2 1/2 years old, as was dd6, but ds6 failed the first nakey test, but passed 3 months later. None of them ever expressed any interest in the potty, and all trained within a week. I think I missed the window with my first 2, and it was much harder (they were 3, and I went straight to underwear, and it took months).

 

[belle&beast]

If it was important, my oldest dd would have been 8 when she trained, and my six yr old still wouldn't be.

Night dryness has NOTHING to do with potty training. It's a hormone that some kids don't produce until they're older that tells their kidneys and bladder to "slow down" for the night...

ITA! My DD was almost 7 before she was dry through the night, but potty trained at 26 months- she had a definite interest and was trying to go on the potty before we even considered training.

My DS didn't have any interest in the potty until he was 3, so we didn't start trying until he was ready. He stayed dry through the night at 4.

My DD has had some bowel and bladder problems and we have seen a pediatric urologist. When we talked about bedwetting, the urologist's response was that we would intervene if she was still wetting the bed at 8 yrs old.