Three weeks from trip... Not fully potty trained :/

[jenna326]

We have finally got our 3.5 year old to start potty training over the last five weeks. It has been going pretty well, but she is still having at least one accident a day and will not poop on the potty. We have tried everything, she's just not there yet. We have her in thicker training pants here at home so I'm just not sure what to do for our trip. I don't want to be washing laundry every night nor do I want to leave them all to be washed when we get back. (We usually run her undie load at the end of each night). I don't want to put her back in diapers, I thought of using like cloth diaper liners to make the poop clean up easier but they still might leave a mess and wouldn't really help with pee. I think we are just going to have to resort to pull ups and treat them as undies. She actually does really well when we are out in public (has no problem on a regular seat and loves the automatic flushers!) Am I overlooking any other options than going with pull ups? It's just a short trip (5 days), so I hope it won't "set us back" especially if we treat them as undies :/

 

[Thing 1]

I think you said it yourself....shes just not there yet.....and that is ok. honestly I would just ease off until after the trip. Remember WDW is hard on newly trained kids anyway. Long travel days, lines where you might not we able to leave and return and more. If she is not going poop at all yet, you know you will have to deal with that and new and different food can often upset little tummies. I agree that i would use pull-ups and encourage her to go anytime you all go but not worry too much either. Im pretty much of the mindset that when the child is ready, potty training will be quick and easy. Both of mine trained pretty much in one weekend....one was two, the other almost 4! Don't let it cloud your trip in any way,

 

[maranara]

When my daughter was at that stage we had a trip to Busch Gardens planned. I was so worried, but did what you suggested - we used pullups as if they were undies. I had several in my backpack along with 2 changes of clothes with me in the park. It worked out great - we stopped and used the bathrooms every hour or so and the novelty of the park bathrooms encouraged her to go every time! Good luck!

 

[Scornelius]

if it's any consolation, I actually found it easier with a kid who was still in diapers. At that age they don't tell you they need to go until it's urgent, so it's handy to not have to drop everything and bolt for a washroom.

 

[gatormom2tots]

We delayed potty training ours this summer...I just didn't want to deal with it!

One thing we do now when we are out (we are still potty training!) is I put panties on her and then a pull-up over the panties. The main reason for this so that she is still wearing panties while training (she would pee in a pull up without blinking twice because she KNOWS its not panties!) and has that feel to her skin, yet we have protection if/when she does pee.

As far as the pooping, we still are dealing with that issue. Unfortunately she waits until that naptime pull up to do that- I think it just comes with time!

 

[mjkacmom]

The poop thing is normal. My oldest used to wait for nap time (was put in a pull-up), and my next one would demand a diaper. He was 100% per trained for s year before poop trained. Fortunately, he was equally opposed to pooping in his underwear, so I could send him to preschool with no worries.

I'd definitely use pull-ups. With my next 3 kids, I found starting close to age 2 and nakey butt got them trained in under a week.

 

[MarBee]

One thing I might suggest is buying pull-ups with Disney characters on it and tell your child "These are your Disney underwear" if you're afraid that pull-ups will be confusing.
Best of luck on your trip!

 

[DisneyChris2016]

I agree - Disney pull-ups are the way to go. If you are concerned about setbacks, make sure your daughter understands that they are not diapers, and don't treat them like diapers yourself. So even if you just got to the front of the line, or you are not near a bathroom when she has to go, try to avoid the temptation to tell her to just go in her pull-up. In your mind, think of them as underwear, take her to the washroom as often as you think she may need to go, but if there is an accident, it will be so much easier for both of you. Good luck!

 

[Marissa227]

If you are that close to your trip, I think it would be better to keep you child in pull-ups. I would rather take a child that is still in pull-ups, or is completely and fully potty trained. With all the distractions and things they won't want to miss, it's going to be hard for them to give you fair warning when they need a potty break. What if you wait in line and then at the very end have to either leave to go find a bathroom, or have an accident in front of everyone. Neither situation would be a good experience for the child, and it might even hinder the training. I would say get some Disney pull-ups, and encourage the child to use the potty while you're there, but if she gets excited or distracted and doesn't make it to the bathroom, its no biggie! (I have a 4.5 year old who has been trained since age 3, and a 2.5 year old who sometimes will use the potty but I still put him in pull-ups).

 

[Kittyoko]

My son was 2 when we first took him to MK. We treated the Disney character pull ups as undies. One thing that helped encourage him not to pee in them was showing him the picture on the front. He liked Jake the Pirate and didn't want the gold doubloon to disappear.

 

[KT0191]

I am potty training my son as well and he is basically fully trained except at night time. Our trip is a little over 4 weeks away and I am a little worried about it. I think I will be doing the pull ups and telling him that those are his regular underwear and not to go in them. We will stop often for him to go but if he does have an accident, at least the pull ups will make it easy.

 

[BLAZEY]

DD was not quite 3.5 on our first Disneyland trip. She was fully pee trained but poop was not quite there yet. Even with that she wore princess panties withe princess pull ups over top. I took here with me when I had to go ( I have a bladder issue and go frequently). Also had post it notes to cover the auto flush sensors, DD is now 7 and STILL hate them.

 

[DisHmsklMom]

Second here on the post its to cover the sensor for the automatic toilet flushers. My kids hated to be on the potty if it started flushing. We always did a lot of potty stops when they were younger, before they asked to go.

 

[jenna326]

Thank you all for the advice! Sounds like pull ups is what we will be doing but treating them like undies. I do plan on frequent bathroom stops (I'll be 31 weeks pregnant on the trip). She actually tends to do better when we are out and about (must be the allure of "new" bathrooms!). She uses the full size potty with no insert most of the time, and squeals with joy at the automatic flushers and hand dryers. Looking forward to our trip and now that I know I have a plan for this, we are that much closer!

 

[lorenni]

Please use the pull ups. Our absolute worst Disney day was the result of a kid pissing his way down the Boneyard slide and my unsuspecting (and fully potty trained) 2 year old sliding down behind him. We did not have extra clothes or underwear, though the other kids mom did, and joked about how he did this EVERY DAY.

FYI, Animal Kingdom doesn't sell a single pair of shorts or pants that will stay up on a two year old. And try explaining to a 2 year old why his pants are covered in piss, yet HE hasn't peed in his pants.

So - if there is any doubt at all, please please use a pull up. An accident may have repercussions beyond your expectations.

 

[beckysko]

We are taking our newly-potty-trained almost 3yo, so I decided my plan was to TRY with the underwear (although pullups at nap and bedtime still like we do at home), and then if it is a fail on the first day we will switch to pullups while we are at the park and underwear at the rental house. That way at least we gave it a shot with the underwear. We are going to also spend some time on the toilet in the morning before we head out with books and whatnot, hoping we can get a poop out in advance of the day We are continuing our reward system as well, and lots of praise, etc.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

My then-3yo son was partially trained when we went to DLR, and I found that he stayed drier in the parks than at home! I had him in Pull Ups, because it just was not worth the hassle of changing clothes or, worse, having to go back to our hotel. I made him sit on the toilet every time his brothers or I went, so with that many chances, he stayed pretty dry, maybe one oops a day.

 

[monorailsilver]

In 3 weeks he may be fully day time trained. I know one of my 3 was PT in 3 days, I think it was my last one. My oldest didn't want to budge.

I wouldn't go back to pull ups or diapers during the day though. I know I used the plastic pants over the underwear and we were in the bathroom, often but that was at home. I would use pull ups for naps/bed time.

I would go to the bathroom after every ride and if you needed extra incentive, a Disney sticker chart and when filled he gets some special treat.

Or can you put underwear on and then pull ups over them? This way he feels the underwear vs the pull up but he has that added protection.

I am potty training my son as well and he is basically fully trained except at night time. Our trip is a little over 4 weeks away and I am a little worried about it. I think I will be doing the pull ups and telling him that those are his regular underwear and not to go in them. We will stop often for him to go but if he does have an accident, at least the pull ups will make it easy.

I can remember that. The what if, the first day going out of the house in underwear. I bet he will be fine during the day time as long as you take hm to the bathroom often.

 

[Petit_Rose]

3 weeks is still a long time in 'kid time', have a reassess moment closer to the day I think using pull ups as pants would be the way to go as many others have suggested, and however tedious ask them every half hour if they need the toilet and it should help keep your training on schedule.

 

[mom2miracles18]

Maybe keep a princess stamp in your Purse. Every time she keeps the princess pullups dry stamp on the white part. I would tell her that treats or m and greets, souvenirs anything else you would be doing anyway are a celebration of her success.