February 24, 2007
When were your kids really potty trained?
I don’t mean when did they first poop in the potty. I want to know how old they were when you just stopped buying diapers or pull-ups for them completely. When did they poop and pee in the toilet every time, no more relapses and they could sleep all night in underpants. Be honest. If they were five years old - I can take it.
Posted by Sarah @ 11:10 am • Parenting, Potty Training
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February 24th, 2007 at 11:14 am, britt Says:
well sarah, zoe was 2 1/2 when she was fully potty trained during the day. because i dreaded having to wash sheets in the morning, as a single mom, working fulltime, i kept her in nighttime pullups until she was 4. however, she rarely, if ever had an accident in them. maybe one time between 3 and 4. i feel lucky, she was really easy. she has not wet the bed since.
February 24th, 2007 at 12:07 pm, Lisa Says:
oh this is a rough one to talk about. wj was daytime potty trained when he was 3, but even now at the age of 6 1/2 he still wears pullups at night. he is such a sound sleeper that most nights he doesn’t wake up to use the potty. i think with him it’s genetic, as his father had issues even up until almost the teen years. it’s frustrating for both of us, but i try not to make a big deal out of it for his sake.
February 24th, 2007 at 12:34 pm, Beth Says:
Mia was fully trained at 8 months. Sure, she couldn’t walk, but that didn’t stop her. What’s wrong with you?
February 24th, 2007 at 12:43 pm, Nancy Says:
We were lucky with Mimi. She was just under 3 when she was fully potty-trained during the day (and pretty well dry at night). She continued to wear pull-ups at night until she was about 3 1/2, I think. She’s had a handful of accidents since then, but it’s been probably about a year since her last one.
February 24th, 2007 at 12:45 pm, Bozoette Mary Says:
SonnyeBoy was between 3 and 4. Don’t worry; it’ll happen when it happens. My niece was 5, I think, before she was completely potty trained.
February 24th, 2007 at 1:26 pm, Robin Says:
I don’t have any kids (yet), but I’m very familiar with potty training, because of my sister’s kids. Her son, Jackson, turned 5 in December. He’s been potty trained since about 3 & 1/2 years old. He still wears pull ups at night. There was a time when he just wore underwear 24 hours a day, but after like a week of bed-wetting, my sister started putting pull ups on him again at night. Lately, though, she’s been giving him a choice: pull ups or underwear to sleep in. My niece, Riley, will be 2 on Wednesday & she’s just now expressing interest in the potty. But, she thinks she has to stand up to pee, because that’s what her brother does. My sister’s in for it!
February 24th, 2007 at 1:40 pm, Lance Says:
Um, I’m still not potty trained. Does that count?
February 24th, 2007 at 1:49 pm, April Says:
Hunter was almost 3 when he was daytime potty trained. At night, he wore a pullup until he was 31/2 I think. He’s had a few “accidents” since then, but nothing to worry about. Don’t stress about it. It’ll happen when they are ready. You’re encouraging them…that’s the best that you can do.
My SIL, (brother’s wife) refused to buy diapers fro her youngest after she turned 2. She just wuit putting diapers or pullups on her, and eventually (about a month) she quite having accidents. Just remember that EVERY child is different. Even though the GS are the same age, that doesn’t mean that they will potty train at the same pace. Keep up the good work.
February 24th, 2007 at 1:50 pm, Plain Jane Mom Says:
Mike and Robbie both at about 3.5, but they’re both still in pullups at night at 4 and 5. I don’t stress about it and figure it will work itself out in time.
February 24th, 2007 at 2:09 pm, Jules Says:
My 3 year old and 5 year old are both fully trained during the day but they both still wear night time pull ups. Their father had a lot of night time issues when he was a kid and we agreed that we weren’t going to make a big deal of it with our kids. We keep trying on the weekends to see how they do but they still have “accidents” every night. So I continue to spend the $10 a week.
February 24th, 2007 at 2:11 pm, tori Says:
My 9 year old was completely potty trained at 18 months. The twins were a little over 3 (my son months faster than his twin sister), but even though he trained faster for daytime, he’s almost 7 and still wears a pull up at night. My son who is 3 now is still not interested in potty training. He goes days where he is potty trained (but never for poop) and then goes back to diapers. Whatever. I’m pretty sure he won’t go to kindergarten in diapers, but if he does I bet he would train fast after that. I’m not going to stress yet.
February 24th, 2007 at 2:16 pm, geena Says:
My oldest finally pottytrained 2 mos before she turned 4. She is 6.5 yrs now, and we just got her out of pullups at night this week.
My twins were pottytrained right after they turned 3, and they nightrained themselves as well so we never put them to bed in pullups…they were awesome!! They were trained within a 3 days.
So now i just have Lucas in diapers, he’ll be three in April..i’m hoping he’ll train this summer as easily as the the twins did.
February 24th, 2007 at 3:30 pm, karly Says:
Elijah was probably 3 1/2 before he was really potty trained. And he still peed his pants every now and again when he was really into whatever he was playing with up until about age 5. Yea. I said five. But, we didn’t do pull ups. We just put him to bed in his undies and changed the sheets if he wet the bed. We are working on training Emma now (26 months) and I have a feeling its going to be a loooooong time before she decides to let me win this war.
February 24th, 2007 at 3:32 pm, Gidge Says:
No shit, Louis was probably 3 and a half before we had it completely knocked.
We tried the pullups thing and it was a dismal failure - between two and three.
At three we just said, no more diapers.
We had been PRACTICING though for a long time and so, he understood the deal.
I think we just got lucky though, bcse once we went to underpants, it was pretty much OVER. No more accidents.
We put him in diapers to sleep for about six months but there were RARELY accidents even then.
February 24th, 2007 at 3:40 pm, Dirk Says:
According to my mom I was fully potty trained at 20 months and never had any accidents. I was also speaking in whole sentences, riding a bike and ran the hundred meters in under 13 seconds at that age.
On a more credible note, the girls are almost 28 months old and not even close. We put them on the potty, but any success is random. Check back in a few years…
February 24th, 2007 at 4:22 pm, mrsmogul Says:
My baby is only one so not yet trained. I am wearing KOTEX sanitary napkins and it feels like I’m wearing DIAPERS!!
February 24th, 2007 at 4:27 pm, Janet a.k.a Wonder Mom Says:
I am not even going to read the answers…I don’t want to feel like a total failure…My daughter’s pediatrician did that enough for me already. Potty training is the work of the devil.
February 24th, 2007 at 4:31 pm, Devra Says:
My sons were 3.5 years and 4 years when they were fully potty trained. No accidents, never any pull ups. DONE.
February 24th, 2007 at 4:54 pm, MammaLoves Says:
Two sons weren’t totally potty trained during the day until they were more than three and a half. Night time–5-6 can’t remember. Littlest guy is just three and he’s not interested. I refuse to push it. He’ll do it when he’s ready…and I’m pretty sure he won’t be wearing diapers to his prom (at least for his date’s sake I hope he’s not).
February 24th, 2007 at 6:41 pm, Patricia Says:
My son was trained the summer before he turned 3 in August. He was nightime dry within 2 months of his birthday. I have not bought diapers/pull-ups since October of last year — but I have to say that it didn’t dawn on me that we had stopped buying diapers until the last time I was in Costco and stopped in the diaper aisle and thought, “We don’t need these anymore — WOW.” That was January.
My random tips (knowing full well that every kid is different and what is great advice for one is assvice for someone else): Potty Elmo — that was a great way to start really talking about it; complete bribery with chocolate; and the weekend I have come to look at as “Potty bootcamp” Where we did no diapers all weekend and every accident we then practiced going to the potty. It was two months before he was totally trained, but while a rough weekend — it was the beginning of gettng serious and the end of just playing at this.
February 24th, 2007 at 6:47 pm, Tammy Says:
Justin was no problem, fully potty trained during the day before 3 & at night at just over three.
Eric, on the other hand, decided to make up for his brother’s ease. We thought he was potty trained at 3. He changed his mind. We thought he was potty trained a couple of months later, he changed his mind. This went on until he was almost 4. He would not have any accidents for 2-3 months, then refuse to poop in the potty (although he rarely had an accident peeing). We tried everything. I think the kid just has control issues (I can’t image where he gets that from).
Anyway, by 4 he was fully trained during the day & by about 4 1/2 at night also.
February 24th, 2007 at 6:49 pm, Tammy Says:
Also, teaching kindergarten, kids pee in there pants a lot. And they are 5-6. They just get to busy to stop what they are doing until it’s too late.
February 24th, 2007 at 7:05 pm, Amy Says:
Obviously, I haven’t made it that far yet, but of my three nieces and nephew, one niece was 2.5, one niece right around her 3rd birthday, and the only boy of the bunch was 3.5.
February 24th, 2007 at 8:19 pm, markira Says:
Mark stayed daytime dry at around 3.5, but he still had frequent nighttime accidents (and occasional daytime) until he was 9.5. The last accident that I’m aware of was when he was 10ish. (no, that is not a typo) He seemed to have decreased sensation or something that made him unaware when he needed to go, or even when he had had an accident. We took him to the pediatrician, and a urologist, and I also got him a watch that had an hourly vibrating alarm (cool watch, hunting/fishing style) which would remind him to check if he needed to go. [vibrating alarm meant he was the only one who knew the alarm was going off, so it didn't embarass him] Anyway, all better now.
Kira daytime trained around 3, didn’t have nighttime accidents for very long after that, was staying dry in her pullups for quite awhile before I could convince her to try it without them. She has had some occasional accidents after that, but none at all since she was probably 5.5 or 6. (and those only happened when she was really really exhausted and slept very heavily)
Be patient, and know that each kid is different. One in ten kids age 10 will still be having accidents. Just be as laid back as possible about it, and invest in the vinyl sheet protectors that zip over the entire mattress. MUCH better than the ones that just slide over it like a fitted sheet. If you find yourself having a lot of nighttime accidents, double-make the bed: vinyl sheet protector, fitted sheet, twin-size waterproof mattress pad (flat), *another* fitted sheet. When there’s an accident, you can easily strip off the top fitted sheet and wet mattress pad, grab a fresh blanket and tuck kid back into bed (after a quick washup and clean pjs). This saves having to remake the whole bed at night when everyone would rather be asleep.
Good luck! mk
February 24th, 2007 at 8:34 pm, Stacy Says:
Some of these entries are making me SO SAD.
I’m with you. My twins are within days of yours. Morgan has the day potty down, but rarely on the poop thing. We do pull-ups at night, and she’s dry about 75% of the time.
Tanner has no interest. Grandma was trying to train him this week - I think he trained her. She was taking him to the potty every hour. When he tells me he has to potty, we’ll start working on it.
I’ll get concerned this spring. I keep hearing it’s easier to train in the spring with less clothes.
February 24th, 2007 at 9:27 pm, Christina Says:
Cordy will be two and a half next month, and she’s still in diapers 100% with zero interest in potty training. With another baby on the way for me, it’s probably useless to try until after the baby is born.
February 24th, 2007 at 11:19 pm, Chag Says:
Zoey was three months shy of her third birthday before she was potty-trained. But she never had a wet diaper when she woke up in the morning or from naps since she was 18 months old. Hope this helps.
February 24th, 2007 at 11:34 pm, Arwen Says:
Noodle decided she didn’t need a pull up at night on her third b-day. I had ‘accidents’ until I was about 9. I think my brother put my hand in warm water every night for 9 years.
February 24th, 2007 at 11:44 pm, kelli in the mirror Says:
Gillian was day trained at about 2 1/2. I bribed her with dance lessons.
She’s 3 1/2 now and still wears a pullup to bed. It’s dry maybe twice a week. I keep thinking maybe I could force the issue if I just quit buying pullups, but I tried that for about a week and got real tired of getting up at 3:15 every morning to change the sheets. So I’m not sweating it right now. Her pedi says not to worry at all about nighttime until she’s 7.
February 24th, 2007 at 11:54 pm, Mir Says:
Yeah, our dirty secret. DD was potty trained by two, but she still wears a pull-up at night at 5 1/2, with no end in sight. I will say that before she stopped taking naps, she was dry at night, but since she gave up the naps, she sleeps SO hard that she just won’t wake up. No kidding, I can go into her room, turn the light on, put her clothes away and leave, turning the light off again, and she won’t stir.
We put her in the cheapo pullups so she can actually feel the wetness, but otherwise the ped says don’t bother, because it’s common and she’s still young.
We’re just hoping by college she’s out of pullups.
February 25th, 2007 at 6:19 am, dragon-mum Says:
Bowen was day trained by 3.5 and out of night nappies at 5. Glare all you like but pullups are bloody expensive here! he still has accidents maybe once a week. However it is a drawback to the ADHD sedatives. He sleeps so hard that he just doesn’t wake up AT ALL. I could tapdance on his head and he wouldn’t notice. He will be seven soon and he still gets involved in what he’s doing and sometimes is not quick enough to get to the loo. I refuse to make a big deal out of it. It’s not worth the stress. he will get there when he is ready.
Ayden will be three in June and he hasnt shown the slightest interest in the loo or potty. He shakes like a leaf if you put him near either. So I am happy to wait til he shows me some signs that he is ready to try.
Yet my grandmother takes great delight in telling me that both her daughters were toilet trained before they were even 2 years old. Like 9 months old apparently. I just bite my tongue so I don’t scream “BULLSHIT” at her, smile and nod.
Give it time and lots of praise when they do good. Hugs and understanding when it’s not so good.
February 25th, 2007 at 1:11 pm, Crunchy Carpets Says:
Adam was 3.5. This was fully potty trained. Caity is 2.5 and knows how to, has the control, etc…just won’t.
I ain’t going to push it except I really want Caity in pre school in the fall or sooner and they want her trained.
wish me luck
February 25th, 2007 at 4:05 pm, alison Says:
Leah was trained by her second birthday. Don’t know if it helped, but we used cotton waffle-knit training pants rather than pullups. Rachel, on the other hand, was nearly four. And I had to wait until it was on *her* agenda. After trying and failing to ‘get’ her potty trained, I just chilled til the day she said she wanted to wear her Dora the Explorer underpants. She was using the toilet, but not all the time — if she was too busy playing, she’d just pee. I told her that if she wanted to wear the underwear, she’d have to use the toilet All The Time. She agreed, and it went pretty quickly from there.
February 25th, 2007 at 4:59 pm, Mrs. Why Says:
My son was totally trained on his 4th birthday. He was pee-trained by 3 1/2 and went to school in underpants, but the poop issue we took a stand on at 4, knowing he was ready and needed a push. He occasionally wets the bed, maybe once a month, about an hour before he usually wakes up.
I totally don’t get the pressure toward potty training. It is not that big a deal to make yourself miserable over and start some huge battle of wills. And pediatricians using guilt trips? Not their place. Not acceptable in my book. I’d get a new doctor.
February 25th, 2007 at 4:59 pm, Julie, ravin and photoggin' Says:
My oldest was in panties by 2.5 (her initiative, I don’t believe one can actually train). My youngest started with panties at 2. Sleeptime still involves diapers/pull-ups, as do some days or times that aren’t “race to the potty last minute” friendly. I’d call my oldest good to go by hmm maybe 3ish? It’s not real clear in my mind. It was mostly me, not her. She can hold like a camel, that one.
February 25th, 2007 at 5:16 pm, Markkkk Says:
28ish for me, but only if im sober when i go to bed
February 25th, 2007 at 6:08 pm, Chas Says:
My daughter is almost 11 months and I haven’t even considered potty training. She doesn’t even know what a potty is yet.
Before I was a teacher of twelve year olds, I was a preschool teacher. I’d say 9 out of 10 kids was potty trained by three years old (they were all supposed to be pt before they started the school), but for all I know they could have all been wearing pull-ups to bed at night.
February 25th, 2007 at 8:13 pm, Rhonda Says:
My Daughter was 2 she never wet the bed. She was dry the night i took them off her. My son….. well he was 5 when he stopped wetting the bed.
February 25th, 2007 at 8:17 pm, Rhonda Says:
I guess i left out that he was potty trained all day!! sorry. He didn’t pee or poop his pants during the day. But at night… ( BEFORE ) pull-ups he would wet his bed every night…
February 26th, 2007 at 8:46 am, Alison Says:
Robey was day trained at 3. On the nose. As promised. He wore still wore pull ups at night for a few months after that. Not for long. It already seems like it was eons ago that he was in diapers, but it’s been less than a year.
February 26th, 2007 at 10:31 am, merseydotes Says:
Petunia finally mastered it all for good around 32-33 months. She mastered the pee a few months earlier but had major issues about pooping at all - much less pooping in the potty - for a while that held everything up. Or, more accurately, held everything in. Yuck.
Good luck.
February 26th, 2007 at 10:41 am, Kelly Says:
My son was 3 for the daytime (did it in one day, glad I waited for three like my friends suggested). And at night he was 4. My daughter was also 3 for the daytime. And unfortunately at 5, we’re still struggling with the night time with her. Yeah, she has issues!;) The pediatrician swears that night time is not an issue until after 7. Alrighty then. I guess I won’t worry.
February 26th, 2007 at 12:10 pm, Kaleigh Says:
Daytime trained (meaning underwear all day, but diaper at bedtime), right at age 3 (within a month of the birthday) for both kids. Overnight trained (meaning no diapers and no wet beds with r a r e exceptions) about 3 1/2, maybe closer to 4 for my son. Each kid has had a random accident years later (daughter had hers in kindergarten, son had his in first grade….both completely weird and never repeated).
February 26th, 2007 at 1:24 pm, whit Says:
Atticus was just past 2 1/2 when he was cleared for big boy undies. Only once did he have an accident, at Target where we seem to spend a lot of time, but it was diarrea, and that shit could happen to anyone.
February 26th, 2007 at 3:31 pm, Ann Says:
I think we’re all a bunch of whooses. I’ve even trained friends kids-in a weekend. It requires: STAYING HOME for 48 hours, and taking them to the toilet hourly, with a lot of liquids in the diet. Children who can spell their name, and write it, should have been potty trained already.
We (the over 40 yr. old generation) were trained: girls at age 2, boys by age 3 (always slower). No targets in the toilet, no ‘potty’ parties. We were left in our wet diapers or pants, in a cool breezy doorway, to learn that urine left on the skin gets cold and eventually yucky-itchy!!
The diapers and pull-ups of today are a curse. Children have no idea what cold urine feels like. Did it kill us? Hell no, we learned to get our little selves to the toilet. Our mothers were busy making preserves and pickles, dinner, operating wringer-washers, and likely taking care of 4 other children.
Every younger friend that I’ve told to get rid of the ‘pull-ups’ (up to 75 lbs for Gods sake!!) got the kids trained in no time. You don’t want urine on your furniture or carpets? (and who does?) Then slip ‘em (still urine soaked in wet- normal-cotton training pants- NO NASA diapers) into a garbage bag-taped at the ankles and waist. They’ll be begging to get the cold, wet, itchy clothes off. Now that’s a REAL LIFE incentive if you ask me.
No drinks @1 hour before bed time (sip of water-just a sip or two) Please tell me these 2-3-4-5 yr. olds are not getting baby bottles either. Have them go potty before bedtime, install a plastic matress cover to ensure the matress isn’t soaked in the event of an accident. They’ll likely wake-up if they’re not in ‘pull-ups’.
Give it a try, it means throwing away convenience, staying home for a weekend, and a sense of accomplishment for the children!! I can’t imagine how awful a 4 year old must feel who doesn’t know how or why to use the toilet during the day.
This isn’t mean-it’s called teaching them to grow-up. It’s a good thing. No one was ever psychologically scarred from being potty-trained.
February 26th, 2007 at 9:02 pm, whymommy Says:
This is so encouraging … we haven’t begun the potty training olympics yet (Widget is 2.5), and I’m dreading it….
February 26th, 2007 at 10:18 pm, Jody Says:
Since we are working with a urologist to address one of our children’s bladder control issues, I feel safe stating that Ann makes a number of totally bogus claims. Night training in particular is not a question of making the child uncomfortable: if the body-mind connection is not ready, it’s not ready.
My little sister’s bed had a particular odor to it until she was seven or eight — she wasn’t in pullups, but I’d bet large amounts of money that she had frequent nighttime accidents, slept right through them, and was dry enough by morning that my mom didn’t notice.
My children were late to potty training, and if I could do it over again, I’d switch to cotton trainers closer to 30 months and see if that moved them forward (although in retrospect, since we’re dealing with medical issues with one child, it’s clear that one of the kids wasn’t going to train without professional intervention/medication). Night-time training, though, is an oxymoron. The child is ready when she wakes up dry, and not before.
I know, because I thought maybe the pullups were encouraging nighttime urination, and spent 10 days changing sheets on two beds two and even three times in a night. Lo and behold, two weeks ago, one child finally wakes up dry, switched to underpants, and is off and running.
Daytime training is one thing — I do think pullups and diapers are counterproductive there, for neuro-typical kids. But night-time training? Either you’re ready or your not.
Wrapping your child in a plastic bag to encourage wet, itchy skin is not only unsanitary and unhealthy, it’s a suffocation risk if the bag tears. Sheesh.
February 26th, 2007 at 11:10 pm, Tito Says:
Nancy! I’m not sure what you mean by “a handful of accidents” but I’m sure you shouldn’t share that.
February 28th, 2007 at 2:07 pm, Mom at Work Says:
At 4, little guy has some daytime accidents of the so busy doing something that going to the bathroom is not a priority variety, but he keeps dry reliably at night.
March 1st, 2007 at 12:12 am, Karen Says:
AE was potty trained the week she turned 3. She was almost trained many months before, but we moved to a new area and she got really upset by it. She went through quite a rebellious stage with the potty training. Finally, being the smart one that she is, she told me she would do it when she turned 3. The week she turned 3 I held her to it. She is 3 1/2 now and hasn’t had any accidents at night in a long time, so she is wearing panties to bed. I probably could have taken her out of pull-ups much sooner, but she gets really upset if she has an accident. I think (and hope) my little boy will be easier to train.
March 18th, 2007 at 10:13 am, bob Says:
if you shit you pants still when you are a teen and you have to shit in you underwear or just sit on it in school
April 23rd, 2007 at 10:27 am, Donna Says:
Ok, now when someone says their 8 month old is trained, I have to laugh. It is the parent who is trained not the baby. I really don’t know why parents think that early potty traing is a sign of intelligence or something! As for night trainin, girls are usually trained at age 5 and boys at age 6. There is a night time training device one can use if their child is not night train and is day time train. It does work. The day my son turned 6 I got this night time training device. As a previous mom said, the signal he has to pee doesn’t wake him up. The trainer is placed into underpants, and the beeper is attached to his pjs or pants. The second he starts to pee, it goes off and wake him up. My child went the first night 6 hours and it went off. He then got up and peed in the pot. It took one week to totally train him. My niece got it when she was 5 and it helped her. Her older sister didn’t use this and she pee until she was like 12. It does work.