First time Potty Training....Need help/advice

[HIU8]

Does anyone use pull ups to start the potty training process even if DC doesn't use the potty that often?

Background:
DS is going to be 3 in November. He has been showing signs of being ready to be potty trained. He has asked for underwear. He sits on the potty and declares he has to go #2 (it is always just gas, but at least he gets that feeling). He won't use the potty if he is in a diaper. DH and I got him the cool alert pull ups and switched him from diapers in hopes that it will help him learn when he has to eliminate. We just started this and decided not to continuously ask DS if he needs to go on the potty. We ask him if his pull up feels cold and explain to him that his pee makes the pull up cold. Is this considered pushing him? Should we go back to diapers or use the pull ups as a diaper and keep encouraging and praising him?

Thanks,
Heather
DS 11/27/04
DD 6/9/07

[Gena]

Personally, I don't think that the Pulls-ups realy feel cold when wet. When I've touched them they feel a barely cool, definately not enough to catch my son's attention or to make him uncomfortable. I would suggest just putting him in underwear, especially since he was asked for it.

[HIU8]

I considered that. Then all of a sudden when we asked DS if he wanted to use the potty he has been saying no for the past 2 days. But still says he wants underwear. If I do go for the undies, do I need to do it when I can stay home for several days in a row or just do it and go out with changes of clothes and undies and pull ups if needed?

Thanks,
Heather
DS 11/27/04
DD 6/9/07

[Gena]

When we got serious about potty training, we switched to underwear and carried extra changes of undies and shorts in the diaper bag with and kept a couple more sets of back-ups in the car.

I schedule trained my son, due to his developmental issues. This means I put him on the potty every hour at first (gradually stretched to every 2 hours). I would simply tell him "Time to go potty" and I would take him. Even now, if he has has not gone for a few hours, I will ask him if he needs to go. If he tells me "no", I will say "OK, but in a few minutes it will be time to potty." Then after a few minutes I annouce that it is potty time and he will go willingly.

Some Moms prefer to stay home for several days after switching to underwear. That was not an option for me. We do not have a single weekday without some kind of therapy scheduled. So yes, you can take your child out if you plan ahead, always know where the bathrooms are, and pack enough extras in your bag.