A few potty learning ?s
pghwedding10/08
member
Hi Ladies,
My DS spontaneously started showing interest in the potty a few days ago and has been doing really well. Since we were not planning on starting potty learning just yet, I have not done any reading/learning about my role in the process. We started without planning ahead and just got to the point where it seamed silly to turn back to diapers now....So, I have a few ?s I am hoping some of you can help us with as we navigate this new routine:
How often do your children pee? It seems like DS goes much more frequently than I would have expected. He will also go...then a min or so later...state that he needs to go again...and just have some dribbles. Is this normal when they are learning? I assume so since it is just a new sensation-I just want to check.
Secondly, what is "normal" in terms of how many accidents per day? I fully realize we are just starting (about 5 days) and DS has about 2 accidents per day. How long before your child was accident-free (or should I say-just an accident here and there-not consistently a few times per day). I am being realistic and not expecting too much, just kinda curious.
Lastly, do you notice that your child is more likely to have accidents in pull-ups? If my son has a pull-up on he is much more likely to just pee. Whereas when we put him in underwear or bare bottom-he will tell us most every time he has to go. So, it seemed like an obvious solution to just skip pull-ups. But, they would be much easier to use when we go on outings for "just in case" accidents. I am torn though because they seem to cause a regression. Anyone have a similar experience?
Any other advice....
TIA 
Re: A few potty learning ?s
How often do your children pee?
Several times, an average of between 7-10 per day. Some days I lose count. For example, during Movie Time at the library, he asked to go 5 times within a ten minute span. He went very little during those times but wanted to wash his hands. He's gone 3 times so far today. He's going more late afternoon and early evening.
What is "normal" in terms of how many accidents per day?
The first day was the worse for accidents about 5 that day. He was accident free for over a week, then had one. He also had one accident last week during his "nap time." Two accidents per day is not bad. They have to get into the routine of going to the bathroom. I ask DS if he has to go. Most times he says he doesn't. He does let us know when he has to go.
Do you notice that your child is more likely to have accidents in pull-ups?
Yes. DS wears a diaper during the night. Most nights he wakes up in the morning wet. He has only had one accident when we were out and that was Day 3 of PTing. I always pack both underwear and outfits just in case. He hasn't had any accidents out ever since.
BTW- we have only been PTing for 2.5 weeks, so we're pretty new at this, too.At first, DS peed all the time, almost 2x/hour. Not always a lot came out, but I think it is part of the experience of learning to go.
By day 3 DS stopped having regular accidents.
I did not use pull-ups and don't recommend them. IMO it confuses your child to put a diaper on them but not expect them to go in it. I had DS walk around the house naked for 3 days until he got the hang of it. We then only took very few very short trips out of the house for the next 2 weeks or so to be sure he would always make it to the potty. Hewas potty trained at 22months. I am now starting this week with my daughter who is 21 months and has been trying to potty train herself the past month+, but I didnt have the time to set aside for it. These next few weeks I do. Wish me luck that she learns as quickly and easily as her brother did!
Good luck to you too!
How often do your children pee?
She goes about 7-8 times/day I think. On a typical weekday, she goes when she gets up, before we go to daycare, 4x at daycare, before we leave daycare and probably 2x before bedtime.
What is "normal" in terms of how many accidents per day?
We did a very personal approach but when I put her in underwear full time, she had about 2 accidents per day for the first 2-3 days. I think it's normal to have a few accidents a day for up to 2 months.
Lastly, do you notice that your child is more likely to have accidents in pull-ups?
Yes, if she had a pull up on, she would usually not use the potty.
The approach I did was to have her in underwear or naked on the bottom at home for a few weeks. When we went out on the weekends, she could decide what to do. She wore a pull up to daycare and at night. After about 2 weeks, I switched her to underwear full time. I did this bc DD was telling me she didn't want to wear the pull up but sometimes she would want to. Also, her personality is that she is very hard on herself if she doesn't do it "just right." I was very concerned she would get too frustrated if she had a lot of accidents so wanted it to be a transition and not cold turkey.