Potty Training - how to handle daycare?

[Anonymous]

My son is 25 months and has started using the potty at home most of the time. He's generally got a naked bottom at home and he enjoys peeing and pooping in the potty. We've been very encouraging of this for a while, but all the sudden he's just really taking to it. He still needs diapers for nap and nighttime.

My question is about daycare. When and how can we make the leap to sending him to daycare without diapers? One issue is that our naked butt system won't fly there. But even in underwear, just not certain how to make that transition. He's still in the toddler room, and I know they do some formal potty training at daycare in the 2 year old room. So, he's just a bit ahead of the "program." He still needs a lot of reminders about using the potty, and will certainly have some accidents. I told one of the staff members in his room that he's using the potty at home, and she said she'd offer him chances to use it there, but I feel like there isn't much incentive for the staff to really work to make this happen. I think that I'll have to push it by bringing him in without a diaper and saying "he doesn't wear diapers anymore."

Other info: He's in cloth dipes at home and disposables at daycare. He has a 7 week old little sister and we assumed that would cause him to regress, but using the potty is actually seeming to work out as a way form him to get some special attention.

Thanks for any advice!

[Anonymous]

Does the daycare room he is in have toilets for them to use? If so they should follow through with it. Daycares will take kids who are potty training to the potty at set times through the day, and if they ask to go. They should do this whether your son is in a diaper, pull up, or underwear. However, sending him in underwear will most likely be a recipe for disaster if he is not fully potty trained yet. I'd let them work on it while he's still in a diaper or pullup before jumping to using underwear at daycare.

If you daycare keeps a daily log you can ask for them to put down if he was wet, dry, and/or peed or pooped on the potty.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you for the advice.

Yes, they have little toilets right by the room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does the daycare room he is in have toilets for them to use? If so they should follow through with it. Daycares will take kids who are potty training to the potty at set times through the day, and if they ask to go. They should do this whether your son is in a diaper, pull up, or underwear. However, sending him in underwear will most likely be a recipe for disaster if he is not fully potty trained yet. I'd let them work on it while he's still in a diaper or pullup before jumping to using underwear at daycare.

If you daycare keeps a daily log you can ask for them to put down if he was wet, dry, and/or peed or pooped on the potty.

I agree. I would ask them to start reminding him and putting him on the toilet at regular intervals and see what happens. But stick with the diaper for a while at daycare. Also ask them to note on his daysheet every time they put him on the potty and what, if anything, he does so you can have a good understanding of whether he really gets it. You might want to switch to underwear at home in the evenings and on the weekends. We did underwear at home and diapers at daycare for a month or more, and when we finally switched to underwear full time, everything went very smoothly with no accidents at daycare and just a couple at home.

[Anonymous]

The worst thing you can do is stick with a diaper. I know there aren't many options at daycare, but my son figured out pretty quickly that when he was in a diaper (at daycare) he could just pee in it, but when he was at home (and in underwear) he had to use the potty. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING would get him to use the potty at school as long as he wore a diaper. We actually started to see some regression in the home potty training, too.

I would talk to the teachers and see if they will allow any alternatives to a pull up/diaper. Ours agreed to us sending him in old school style training underpants with the plastic covers. That way, he could feel if he wet himself and he didn't think he was in a diaper all day. Carters makes these training underpants, you should be able to find them at any baby store.

http://www.amazon.com/Carters-Boys-2-7-Training-Pants/dp/B003DNRH8Y

Or these (all in one).

http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-All-Waterproof-Training-Pants/dp/B003IXE39U/ref=pd_sbs_a_1

[Anonymous]

10:35 here again - I forgot to mention, once we ditched the diaper and started sending him in the training underpants, he only had 2 accidents the first week and that was it. The diaper was definitely hindering his progression.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The worst thing you can do is stick with a diaper. I know there aren't many options at daycare, but my son figured out pretty quickly that when he was in a diaper (at daycare) he could just pee in it, but when he was at home (and in underwear) he had to use the potty. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING would get him to use the potty at school as long as he wore a diaper. We actually started to see some regression in the home potty training, too.

I would talk to the teachers and see if they will allow any alternatives to a pull up/diaper. Ours agreed to us sending him in old school style training underpants with the plastic covers. That way, he could feel if he wet himself and he didn't think he was in a diaper all day. Carters makes these training underpants, you should be able to find them at any baby store.

http://www.amazon.com/Carters-Boys-2-7-Training-Pants/dp/B003DNRH8Y

Or these (all in one).

http://www.amazon.com/Gerber-All-Waterproof-Training-Pants/dp/B003IXE39U/ref=pd_sbs_a_1

I'm one of the PPs who recommended sticking with the diaper for a while, and I agree that a diaper can hinder actual potty training success. OP, from your original post though, you sound as if you're still in the "is this going to stick? let's see how it goes" phase of potty training rather than definitely saying that you're ready to ditch the diapers 100%. If you're ready to ditch the diapers for good, then I'd do a long weekend of just underwear around the house and see how DS does. If he does well and recognizes the need to use the toilet on his own a decent amount of the time, then I'd push for cloth training pants at daycare. But, at 25 months, I personally wouldn't just show up to daycare one day with him in underwear or even training pants if he has never really used the toilet at daycare with any regularity before and if he isn't recognizing on his own when he needs to use the bathroom at least some of the time. For at least a couple weeks, I would have daycare encourage him to use the toilet at regular intervals and see what happens with him still in diapers. If he seems to get it there just as well as he gets it at home, then push to send him in underwear or cloth training pants. For my DS, feeling the wetness of cloth training pants at home on several occasions was enough to motivate him to use the toilet whether he was actually wearing cloth training pants or a diaper. But, as you can see, different things work for different kids so what worked for mine may not work for yours.

[Anonymous]

OP here. These are really thoughtful and helpful responses! Thanks so much for sharing your experiences.

[Anonymous]

DD's preschoo;/aftercare class told me to send her in underpants pretty much as soon as she started PT. They work with the kids during the day (take them to the bathroom often) and we worked with DD at home. I did have to send about 3-4 spare outfits b/c there were accidents in the beginning, but that really only lasted about 1.5 weeks. Honestly, the school felt it was a mixed message to to diapers/pullups at school and underwear at home (and I agree). It worked well for DD. With DS we did 1 week of naked PT at home duirng spring break. Sent him to school in underwear from that point. He had 1 accident the first week and then none.