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  1. #1
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    Question Babysitter wants to potty train DS at night?

    We have a sitter 3X a week in the evenings. She is devoted to DS, and DS adores her. He has stayed overnight at her place twice. At 2.5, he is still being potty trained at day care. He is pretty good at urinating in the toilet and letting someone know beforehand, except when he just wakes up in the morning and after his nap.

    Our babysitter has told us we should try to take him to the toilet in the middle of the night, without totally waking him up. Just turn on the light in the bathroom so he will get his aim right, then put a diaper on him again and take him back to bed. She also wants to have him sleep at her place 3 nights in a row, so she can do this with him, so that afterward, he will be uncomfortable with a wet diaper, and will learn to go in the middle of the night by himself.

    I am totally uncomfortable with this, so I called my Mom and my sister to ask what they thought. And I am asking all of you too.

    I am not convinced that he is totally ready to go all night without diapers, and I don't like rushing a child who isn't ready, within reason. And I'm not convinced that I want a child under 3 wandering around the house while I'm asleep. (I am a light sleeper, so I most likely would hear him, but if I am sick or out late, DH will sleep thru everything.) I also think that he shouldn't spend a lot of time away from us unless it's an emergency, and I don't this qualifies.

    I don't think I am an overprotective mother, but if I being silly, just say so.
    Happy Healthy and Handsome DS 8/13

  2. #2
    SnuggleBuggles is offline Black Diamond level (25,000+ posts)
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    I don't like it. He's not even 3. What's the rush? Lots of kids night train later.
    And I'm far from paranoid and alarmist but I see no reason why your sitter has to take him to her house. Why can't she do it at your house if she really wants to try? I just don't get it.


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  3. #3
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    Her method is absolutely, entirely legitimate. It's physically prudent, too, because it doesn't ask a small child to hold his urine through an entire night. It's also not rushing the process if your child is ready, which it seems he is, because he is already day trained and not at all protesting using the potty. If I were you, I would jump at the chance for this kind of help! My son was fully 3.5 until I could potty train him, and I had to sort of outsource it to my cousin who is a child development expert and came for an extended stay. She accomplished in three days what it might have taken me another half year or longer to do. My daughter basically self trained at 2.5. Im not sure why you're uncomfortable, but if it's only to do with his age, the method, or the outsourcing, I would urge you to overcome your fears. If it's something else, like having your child spend the night in a place that's unfamiliar to you, that's a different story.


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  4. #4
    Cam&Clay is offline Emerald level (3000+ posts)
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    No. For a million reasons NO.

    I've never heard of that method of night-training on a child that young and certainly wouldn't allow him to spend the night with her for 3 nights to have him train that way.
    DS1 age 21 years
    DS2 age 11 years

  5. #5
    Philly Mom is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cam&Clay View Post
    No. For a million reasons NO.

    I've never heard of that method of night-training on a child that young and certainly wouldn't allow him to spend the night with her for 3 nights to have him train that way.
    I agree and I am the least paranoid parent I know.


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  6. #6
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    kep is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    Nope. Children all train at different ages. I think it's fantastic that he is doing so well at 2.5 years, because honestly even that seems early, especially for boys. It is completely normal for kids to night train months, even years after they are fully day trained. I can't imagine any reason why your DS would need to stay over at her house overnight, three nights in a row, especially at 2.5! It's way out of my comfort zone. Also, I would not willingly wake my sleeping toddler at that age to go potty at night. I am way too lazy. Somehow, all of my children has potty trained within a reasonable time frame. Sleep is really important around here.
    Kelli
    Mom to 5 amazing kids (5 to 17 years)
    Mom of a cleft lip & palate warrior

  7. #7
    Smillow's Avatar
    Smillow is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cam&Clay View Post
    No. For a million reasons NO.

    I've never heard of that method of night-training on a child that young and certainly wouldn't allow him to spend the night with her for 3 nights to have him train that way.
    A big "Yeah, that!" from me, too. Don't let someone else make that decision for you. It so isn't her place to suggest this.
    DS 2/09

  8. #8
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    This is a crazy theory. Taking a child to the potty three nights in a row doesn't magically night train them. DS will go up to six nights without wetting his nighttime diaper and guess what, the feeling of his diaper being dry for six nights doesn't stop him from wetting on the seventh night. Taking a child to potty in the middle of the night may lead to them waking up dry the next morning but it's not a long lasting effect. Plus, if she's saying he won't even wake up/know, how will he suddenly know to get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night? I guess that's a long winded no, nope, nope from me.
    momma to DD 12/08 & DS 3/13

  9. #9
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    As with most of the others, I'd be very hesitant, for a number of reasons. I wouldn't want my child away for 3 nights for "no reason" beyond potty training. If she was watching kiddo and you guys were going on a long weekend, that would be different, but it doesn't sound like that's the plan. AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) notes that it can take a child months to *years* after day-time training to be night-time trained. Believe me, I understand the drive to get kids out of diapers--each weekend, we have 2 in pull-ups, and 1 in diapers, and still wake up to a soaked bed (thankful for mattress pads). But, there's not a reason to rush it, and, developmentally, it is not common for boys (or girls!) to be reliably night-trained at 2.5yo. I also wouldn't want to make it a potential control issue, or a time when the child is sad that he couldn't remain dry as hoped for.
    --Mimi
    Mom to Lala (2004), Bonus Mom to Big Sis 1 (1991) and Big Sis 2 (1992)
    Grammy to Big Kindy Kid (2011), Big Pre-K Kid (2012),
    Grandbaby Appendage (2014), and New Baby Grandboy (summer 2017)

  10. #10
    hillview's Avatar
    hillview is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    Nope not worth it. Let him day train and eventually he will be night trained. He is very young. The having him sleep at her place to train is nuts.
    DS #1 Summer 05
    DS #2 Summer 07

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