Toilet Training and Naps

Updated on November 12, 2007
J.E. asks from Sacramento, CA
7 answers

My son is 2-1/2 and lately seems to be progressing really well with toilet training (thank you daycare!!) In the past week he has been a lot better at telling me when he has to go pee and last night he went poo poo in the potty for the first time (oh the things that we get excited about once we become parents - although he then said "touch it mommy!" - um no thanks). Anyway, I'm thinking of starting to transition him to underwear to see how he does but I'm wondering what everyone's experience is with re: to the afternoon nap. Does his body just learn to hold it at some point or do you put a pull up or diaper on for nap or do you just go for it and go through some wet pants until his body adjusts. I'm just thinking that since he is asleep he doesn't consciously have control. Thanks!

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

you're doing fine. For napping and sleeping, since the child is still adjusting, I would go with a diaper or pull-up. It's a personal preference. The bladder control during sleep, will adjust in their own time. Each child is different. So no worries. Until then, you can also supplement the progress by putting a waterproof bed pad on the bed, just in case of accidents. It saves a lot of time and protects the bed and sheets from accidents, and having to wash the whole sheet set all the time. Some kids will have good bladder control, and some need more time. Just keep that in mind. It also depends on their bladder size, and how deep they sleep before realizing they pee'd or need to go pee. Bladder size and control ability is not a direct result of their age. If it were, all kids would have perfect control at the same time. it seems you and he are doing great. Good job! He's only two and a half... just keep encouraging him, and don't compare him to other kids. It's a learning process and they have their own timeline and abilities. Just keep practicing! Oh, since he is also potty training... and say you put him in underwear during the day time, and you are out on the road driving with no bathroom in sight & he says he has to pee... one GOOD idea is a "car toilet" for traveling. Here is the link to look at it:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F1QKRQ/sr/ref=pd_cp_...
Or another one is: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000K7IF1O/sr/ref=pd_cp_...
It is REALLY great! We have one in both cars and Grandmas has one in her car too. It has saved a LOT of grief and accidents. My daughter LOVES it! It really comes in handy, believe me. So very useful and a good investment.
Hope this helps. Remember, children are fickle, but they will make progress here and there, and it will happen in due time.
Good luck!
~Susan
www.cafepress.com/littlegoogoo

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C.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hmm, that's funny. I also taught 2-year-olds in preschool (for 8 years) and I have the opposite advice from the others here. I say, put him in underwear for the whole day. I rarely had my potty-trained two's have accidents during nap, and if they did, I just changed them into clean underwear without making a big deal out of it. But, if they wore a diaper for nap, they would go in the diaper every time. I think it's very confusing to them to figure out when it's ok to go in their pants & when they have to use the toilet if they are always switching back & forth between diapers & undies. Nap time is usually so short at this age (usually about 2 hours), that they're bodies usually don't have a hard time holding it through that time. Just make sure to bring him to the toilet as soon as he wakes up, because if he's awake but groggy, he might not make it there by himself.

C. : )

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L.G.

answers from San Luis Obispo on

I started with a pullup at nap time and car rides, then transitioned to a pullup only at night. One thing that has really helped: sit on the potty some time before nap or a ride in the car. I don't let my son nap on my bed anymore after having to wash the blankets after an accident. It's easier to wash his smaller bed's linens if an accident occurs. The accidents are few and far between at this point. I've heard from some other moms about doing a double sheet / waterproof mattress pad thing, i.e. mattress pad, sheet, mattress pad, sheet. You can pull off the top soiled one and be good to go.

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K.L.

answers from San Francisco on

Continue what you are doing, but put some pull ups on him at naptime until he is consistantly waking up from his naps dry, and then is able to empty his bladder into the potty upon waking. He is only 2 1/2, and a great many boys don't potty train until after the age of 3, so don't jump the gun here. No one appreciates waking up from a nap in a wet bed with wet underwear - when he is able to stay dry ALL day, even during naptimes, then you can put him in underwear all day.

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B.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

A few of the kids at my daycare (they're 3) still wear pull ups for nap. I would suggest giving the pullups the boot sooner than later, but keep them around just for nap (just make sure you take them off immediately after nap and go back to "big kid underwear"- parents underestimate the power of the big kid underwear). Eventually they do learn to hold it in their sleep, and you will notice this because they'll start to consistantly wake up with a dry pull up.

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K.B.

answers from Fresno on

What we did with my daughter was let her wear underwear durining her nap and she does pee sometimes. But if i know she had a lot to drink before nap i just go and put her in a diaper. But she is usually good about that. She just went in for her 3 year check up and the doctor said that we can expect her to wear diapers at nite time until 4. hope this helps.

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A.W.

answers from Stockton on

I used to teach two year olds in preschool, and from experience I would say to let him have the diaper/pull up at nap time. Using the potty is a very stressful transition for children, and they are very proud of themselves when they get it right. Having accidents while asleep can be very traumatic for a child who's starting to get the hang of using the toilet, and since they cannot control it when sleeping until much later, it's better to set them up to be successful.

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