Start potty training now or wait?

[jasmine_bay]

My DH just turned 2. She keeps taking off her pull-up at nap time, which is usually when she goes poo-poo. She's in a big girl bed, so the mess gets on the carpet and everywhere else. I have her in pull-ups thinking that I'd start potty training her. Sometimes she'll go poo-poo in the potty, but she's never gone pee-pee in it. I don't want to pressure her, so if she says "no" then I don't force the issue. I have another baby due September 7th. I'd be fine keeping her in diapers until after the baby is here, except for the almost daily mess that I have to clean up in her room.

I've asked her pediatrician about this, and her only suggestion was to keep a box of wipes up there and show DD how to use them. Well, the whole box of wipes was emptied out in about 10 minutes. I also left a little potty up in her room for her. Now, she'll take off her pull-up and put it in the potty.

I think she somewhat understands the concept of what should happen to poo-poo. If she's downstairs near the toilet, she'll take off her pull-up and empty the poo-poo into the toilet, then put the pull-up in the diaper pail.

I'm at my wits end. I'm 35 weeks pregnant and it's getting harder and harder to clean up after her. I've tried putting her in clothes with snaps but she still manages to take off her diaper/pull up.

So any advice? I have some potty training books on order, but I'm not sure if this question will be addressed.

[mudder17]

Have you tried putting her in a sleep sack or footless sleeper BACKWARDS?

Maybe you can stick to pull-ups during the waking periods and then put a normal diaper (again, you can fasten it on backwards) on for sleep times. Right now, Kaya is essentially daytime trained, but we put a diaper on for nap time and bedtime. Thank goodness she's started pooping in the potty because she used to wait until she had her nap time diaper on, then she would nurse and get her stories, etc., and just as we put her in the crib, she would say, "Poopy diaper!" and we'd have to delay naptime and clean it up. But in any case, she understands that if she has the diaper on she can pee in it, but if she has underwear on, she has to go in the potty. The backwards sleepsack was intentionally used to prevent her from accessing a soiled diaper during sleep times. For the most part it works and she has only gotten out of her sleep sack a couple times since then.


Eileen

http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33734.gif 29 months...
http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/t/catcatcvi20040222_-6_Kaya+is.png
http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev317pp___.png
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/33732.gif for Leah

[Joolsplus2]

How about having a potty time right before nap? There's no reason not to help her poop in the toilet now, since she's ready for it.

:)
Julie CPS Tech and mom to 3 in seats
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/RFAlbum/SarahMA.aspx

[proggoddess]

I'd say teach her what she is supposed to do and leave a potty in her room, but don't expect her to go in the potty all the time. My DD knows when she is wet (we put her in cotton trainers for awhile and taught her the words "wet" and "dry." We taught her how to pull up and down her pants if her legs are already through, but getting the pants on her legs by herself is difficult. We leave a little potty in her room. We leave a few cotton trainers in the lowest drawer of her dresser. Frequently we'll find her pull-ups off and a cotton trainer on wrong. Once, we found she used the potty in her room by herself!

Maybe also teach your DD how to "clean up" and leave a little laundry basket and a small stack of cloths/towels in her room as well. It won't be really clean and you'll still have to mop up, but at least she will get the idea of it.