Opinions on the "Cool Alert" Pull Ups

I have potty-trained 4 kids. My boys were 4 and almost 4 1/2! Finally it did happen, but I did not use pull-ups for any of them. They cost more and hold less.

I went right to underwear also. I think they need that icky feeling on them in order to learn. It was much more work for me, though. My son's preschool did want him to use a pull-up, though, so that he could pull it up and down when he "tried". I also stayed close to home and went on very short errands at first. Good luck - it really will happen.

Have you tried putting cherrios or a plastic small toy frisbee (the one with the hole in the middle) in the toilet and have him aim at it. Make it a fun game????? I, personally, only used pull ups on my kids when they went to bed at night. I started by buying underware and putting in on over their diaper, so they would have to/be able to learn how to pull them up and down.

I didn't like them with my daughter. When she would wet in them, they left these little pieces of stuff on her bottom.

Good luck!

I worked at a preschool for ten years. I have potty trained about 100 kids. My advice to parents is always the same... I suggest that you start putting your son in regular underwear UNDER his diaper (pull up or diaper; it doesn't matter). Diapers pull moisture away from the skin so the kids don't feel it. If he has underwear on he will be able feel when he is wet and, most likely, he will not like it. This will almost 99.9% of the time start the potty training off smoothly (and having the diaper over top will keep him from leaving little puddles everywhere for you to clean up). :) When he has begun to understand the sensation of needing to go potty and has kept his underwear dry for a few days, discontinue the diaper

I am a mom of four, my youngest a 3 year old boy. He potty trained at first not too bad and was put in underwear and then he went backwards and refused to use it. I refused to go back to diapers. I hadn't tried rewards yet. I bought really cool stickers and showed him and told him what they were for and then placed them on top of the fridge and told him when he does go, he will get one. Still nothing. But I thought he understood, so I then started to give his 7 year old and 12 year old brothers a sticker when they came out of the bathroom. Well, that did it. Those were HIS stickers in his mind. He then started going and within a couple of weeks had it down completely. Put the sticker on their shirt or the back of their hand, not a chart. They think about it much more of how proud they are and I would tell them how proud I was they got a sticker throughout the day and they show everyone proudly. Good reminder all day they did good. Also, with a big potty I think they are a little scared of that hole. I put his training potty cover on the seat and when we are out he holds my legs while he goes so he knows he won't fall in. With all four I hardly ever used Pull-Ups. They are too similar to diapers. I have used those training pants with plastic pants over them. Do not use any type of Pull-Ups. They don't work.

Your best bet is to loose the pull ups all together. I thought my oldest would go to high school wearing them, but we went to panties and in a week she was done. The same with my youngest. When my youngest was being potty trained and peed in her pull up's I'd ask her why she peed in her panties and she'd tell me "they're not panties, they're pull ups" they know those are diapers and it's no diffrent wetting in them than in a diaper. But to potting in real pants - now that is just icky.

Good luck!

S.,

I've potty trained 2 boys and can honestly tell you -- it's all about the child! My oldest responded very well to the Cool Alerts -- he did NOT like that feeling and would immediately tell us so we could take him to the potty! He caught on very quick and was fully daytime potty trained a few weeks before his 3rd birthday.

My youngest, however, is a whole other story! He just turned 3 and we are struggling. This boy would sit in a sopping wet, cold pull up and tell me with a straight face that he was "nice and dry"! So we switched to the vinyl pants that are just cloth inside -- no absorbency. Same thing! He gave himself diaper rash one week because he wouldn't tell me when he was wet! It does seem to be clicking for him now, though, as he's decided he doesn't like the wet pants, so we're about 60% there! ;)

Honestly, I've found, from most moms, that simply choosing whatever method works for you is the most important because CONSISTENCY is what really matters with boys.

Good luck!
S.

This is just my experience/opinion, so take it for what it's worth...I've potty trained 2 of my 3 (soon to be 4!) by going straight to undies. I put them in undies and always had the little potty in the same room we were in. There were a few accidents in the first couple of days - and poop takes a bit longer than pee for some - but they very quickly realized they did not like peeing/pooping on themselves. Neither of mine showed the "readiness" signs I've heard so much about (asking to go on the big potty, staying dry through the night, etc.) So I just picked a time I felt was "right". For my daughter it was 2, for my son, just past 2 1/2. I also night-trained at the same time. We limited beverage intake to nothing 3 hours before bed and before long it was 2 and now it's about 1. I disagree with pull-ups simply because I think it tells them that it is "sometimes" okay to wet themselves (nighttime, naps, outings, etc.) I didn't leave the house for the first 3-4 days much, then it was quick runs to the store and what not, but after 2 weeks, it was like clockwork. I did extra laundry (undies, sheets, socks etc.) but again after the first couple of weeks both were dry through the day and night and still are. Many don't agree with this method but neither of mine have any emotional distress over any of it. Oh yeah, I also did the **gasp** reward system (M&M's, etc.) We NEVER have candy at home so that was a HUGE incentive as well as not hanging out in wet/dirty undies....Just be positive and understand there will be accidents and give lots of praise and unconditional love - the more you stress, the more he will. Best of luck!!

My husband brought home the cool alert ones one day cause the other ones were out of stock at walmart. My son noticed the difference right away, he would tell me after he peed and he never did that before. So yes they work, but my daughter wouldn't tell me when she peed. So they are worth a try but not for everyone. Some people dont agree with pullups cause they are more expensive, but they are worth it to us. That's just my 2 cents.

Frankly, I wouldn't waste the money on the cool alerts. Neither of my kids noticed a difference.

As for using the pull ups for training. I never used them during the day because it only encourages them to continue going in their pants. After all, it truly is no different than a diaper. I DO, however, use the GoodNites for bedtime. I am not a lovey dovey sweet person at 2am when I have a wailing kid because they are cold and their bed is wet. My son is getting ready to turn six and we've taught him to cut back on drinking at bed time and have encouraged him to try to get up and go if he feels the need. We've gone so far as to even leave the bathroom light on so he can get there with no problem. Some nights he gets up, some nights he doesn't. I can say we are probably dry 3-4 nights out of 7 now. Yeah, I could probably make a bigger deal about it but the fact remains, losing his self-esteem over it is a pretty big deal to me. Right now he's confident and proud when he is dry in the morning and he is learning his body signs at his own pace (not mine or anyone else's). Both of my kids are deep sleepers so getting them up in the middle of the night to go potty just isn't realistic.

BTW- Don't get discouraged. Neither of my kids were motivated to potty train until they were pretty much forced to because they wouldn't be able to attend preschool. I found a couple of weeks of day care (and paying them a little extra to help with the potty training) was all it took. The combination of positive reinforcement along with their peers pressure, worked like a charm! Who says peer pressure is always bad? LOL...sneeky moms rule! ;)
Good luck!

We did try them for our little guy months ago. He was really hard to potty train, and the cool alert pullups didn't seem to make a difference. I would say try them, you never know, they may work for your little guy. And if they don't they would be good to use overnight. Our little boy still has to wear them at night because he often has accidents.

Good luck potty training and God Bless!
T.

I agree with others that the Cool Alerts don't alert and they aren't as absorbant and will leak at night.

I lucked out on the potty training. My son was going through some issues when he was 2yrs old and wouldn't wear clothing - a big deal in some areas, but a breeze for us in potty training.

We had about 3 days of accidents and then magically he was potty trained. I did absolutley nothing.

After that (and a few months of OT to get him to wear clothes) the pull ups were a life saver because he could pull them up and down but they still protected us from accidents while out and about.

So depending on what your flooring is like in your house, I am a strong proponent of the 'go naked' method. Pick a few days when you're home with him and can carry him to the bathroom when he starts to go. When he goes on the floor, don't get mad, just say something like , 'oh, that's supposed to go in the potty not on the floor, here help me clean it up'.

Another note, my son hated the little training toilets, he went straight for the big one.

We're working on potty training our daughter and we've used some different "tools" for different situations. We tried the pull ups alone (even the cool alert ones...I think she actually "likes" the cool feeling) and she just thought they were another kind of diaper (though I like them better than diapers since we can pull them up and down and keep using one if there are no accidents). Now that she's gotten the basic idea of using the potty (though sometimes her timing is off or if she's distracted, there will be an accident)we usually have her in panties at home.
I, for one, am not ready to tear apart the carseat to launder, or bring several changes of clothes everytime we go out in case there is an accident...and so, when we do go out for a short time, she gets a pair of panties under a pull-up. That way, she feels wet, but doesn't get everything else wet...so far, so good!
At home, it's panties, trainer panties (thicker) or bare butt if it's warm, and easy access to her potty. At night, she's in diapers...she soaks them.
I'm going on the premise of "never say never" and will try a combo of things and trial and error...and so far, so good!
Good luck!

Good Morning S., Sounds like you have a happy home with a lot of adventures & memories coming your way. I know this will sound a little strange but if your DC provider discourages Pull ups its must mean she is wiling to change wet and poopy pants. If that is the case then load up with a lot of Big boy underwear and some extra pants, then continue on with your work schedule.
If it were me I would gladly help potty train with PULL UPS. And your correct it really needs to be their idea and possibly feeling wet or poopy underwear will start the process of being a Big Boy on the potty.

Our Gr son Corbin (4 last week) wore a pull up at nap time for a long time, that is when he was relaxed enough to poop. We encouraged him to use the potty but he said it hurt to much. We never got on to him and eventually he was able to poop on the potty with a little happy dance and silly songs. Made up ones...lol He hasn't used pull ups now for at least 6-7 months. He peed in the potty really well mostly from the start of potty training. I never scolded for accidents cause they happen if we want them to or not.

What got Corbin really motivated was going to Preschool, he had to be completely trained before he could go. He loved it and was so excited everyday he got to go. He doesn't go now.. Whole other story...lol

Hope you can find something that will encourage you and your little man. Opps has Daddy taken him to potty? Shown him how to go?

God Bless you all
K., Mom of 2 sons, Nana of 5(4 of um Boys)

If your day care provider says they support no pull ups I say go with the no pull up route. I understand some providers using them.

First you have to decide if YOU are really ready to potty train. Get mentally ready to do a lot of extra laundry and get used to rethinking how you do things.
Before you leave the house- have him go potty-waiting till you are trying to rush out the door isn't going to good. So you have plan it where he doesn't feel rushed to go. When you arrive some where, again go potty. Carry extra clothes including socks and a gallon sized zip lock for dirty clothes.

If an outing is going to take awhile set your mental clock for every 30 mins to go potty again. If he has an accident-simply say remember you need to go potty in the potty and have him help clean himself off and change his clothes.

Personally I don't agree with trying to night time train at the same time. The bladder is slow to mature and most kids wet the bed for awhile. I know my 7 year old does, we don't don't fuss about it. He wears the goodnights at night. When his bladder is mature enough to hold it overnight, it will.

i can NOT give potty training advice - my 3 year old (Nov) boy also is "working on it". He's getting better, but we are no where close to being potty trained. My ped. told me not to even try with him until he was 3. He's really big/tall 45 lbs. already, so changing tables while we are out are almost not usuable (i have to brace them with my leg because i'm worried they will fall out of the wall) and his legs still hang off from mid thigh to his feet. Anyway... I've tried pull-ups, easy ups w/cool alert and target brand and i LOVE the pull-ups! They have easy open sides which make it easier to change him standing up in public restrooms. When using the cool alert they didn't seem to make him stop peeing when he felt it... it just made him tell me when he was done going, so they really haven't been helpful to us. I've tried all sorts of potty prizes, party, incentives, etc... and they kind of turned him off. Now I've gone back to M&M's, bags of mini M&M's (which are special for #2's) and dum-dum suckers, which seems to be just enough motivation for him to "try" to go on the potty when i remind him it's time. He also prefers to stand up like daddy to go #1 rather than sitting on a little potty. I tried the just put him in underwear thing and got tired of cleaning up accidents, so he wears pull-ups all the time. He got MORE discouraged when I was just putting him in underwear - I think he was getting frustrated with himself for having accidents. I feel like its hard enough to potty train him anyway, so I'll make it a little easier on both of us... pull-ups are the answer.
If I could find some great training underwear (THICK NORMAL looking training underwear) I would be happy to give them a shot at home, since my daughter is in cloth diapers anyway, but I'm not willing to put him through accident after accident anymore. I wouldn't sway back and forth between training pants and diapers though.... I would pick a time and make the switch. And keep hoping that one day "it just clicks" like everyone keeps telling me.

We had better luck just putting our youngest in the thick underware (no plastic). He used the potty b/c he didn't like pee running down his legs.
Kids are smart enough to know that a pull up is just a diaper. We went cold turkey on our oldest when he chose to be potty trained, but when he had to poop he would ask for a pull up. We would just sit him on the potty for a while & read books.
God bless!

All pull ups are is another version of a diaper. Take one weekend where you stay at home, set a timer if you have to and have plenty of clean undies on hand...best way to potty train is big boy underwear. At age 3 at La Petite where I used to work most 3 year olds were fully potty trained, if kids had an accident they were expected to clean and change themselves. You have a "big boy" now, treat him like a big boy, teach him to be proud of going on the potty, and don't shame him if he has an accident or lose your temper, treat it as an oh well...better next time/ these things happen.
Lots of luck
B.

My little boy, who is now 5, didn't want to go in the potty for the longest time. I was beginning to think like you. We did something that others might think is cruel but it worked for us. The pull ups didn't work for us so we went to underwear and anytime he would poop or pee in the underwear we would make take them off, put them in a walmart sack and make him sit in the time out chair for 5 min. He cried but he learned quickly that it is much easier to go in the potty. Having cold underwear is worse than a pull up. Might give it a try.

Good luck to you,
L.

Skip the pull-ups:) Like other moms, I decided to go straight to underwear. We also skipped the potty chair and just used the regular toilet (with a stool). Good Luck!

Hi S.,

First of all, remember that every kid is different and reacts in a different way. It took a long time for my oldest to be potty trained, and I used pull-ups, every kind of them, plastic ones, normal underwear, prizes, rewards, stickers, musical potty....etc..but still at 3 he was not ready. With my youngest, he started to be interested by himself at 2 and half, but "not ready yet". (I did not like that expression but it is true! and I learned to like it and understand it) So, I took this interest and willingness about being potty trained in a very natural way. I did not push him and I did not have him wearing pull ups yet, I just showed him the toilet, and told him the "purpose" of it. We would run to the bath giggling and I would have him sit on the toilet just for fun, and make the sound of "psssssss" and he would say to me: "mommy...coming coming..." He was still wearing diapers.
At 3 years old, I let my little one to wear regular pulls ups, and I started to sit him down on the regular potty (with a stool and a potty ring) at those times he would "pee" and "poop", for several days every single day at the same time. I usually have books everywhere in my house including the bathroom, so my little one waits for that "coming, coming mommy" reading a storybook. By now, he is doing Ok. Every time he feels that "coming coming", he runs to the bath, takes the potty ring, and the step and sits down on his own. Does he have "accidents", yes he does!, but he is getting better and better. He wore the regular pull ups just for one week to show him that he was becoming a big boy like his brother, but I took them out as soon as possible, and I let him wear them just when we have to go out for long periods of time, but I still take him to the bath wherever I go with him (ughhh!..I keep in my purse those paper rings for the toilet seat) One thing, I make sure he pees or poops depending the time, before we leave home. He likes to wear "Diego" or "cars" underwear!
S., the key is just being CONSISTENT for SEVERAL DAYS in a row to teach him how and when to go to the bathroom, with or without pull ups, with rewards or no rewards, with stickers or fancy potty seats, WHATEVER works for YOUR kid, but make it fun, consistent and within several days without going out with him IF you want it to be faster. If he is not ready yet, do not force him, let him relax a week and you will see that he will start on his own because he already knows the meaning of it.
Good luck, I know how eager you are waiting to be this over! Be patient....
Alejandra

I'm totally knocking on wood here, but we started traning last week and we've had pretty success so far. My son turned 3 yesterday. I was against the prize thing, bu it turned out that worked best for us. He ran out of the ten prizes we had for him yesterday and today he's been content just getting a "good job!" from me when he goes. I knew he was ready, and I felt like he just wasn't going to stat using the potty unless he had to. He was content to use diapers it seemed, but had one on th epotty before, etc. So, what I did was make apoint of letting him know he was too big for the diapers they sell at the store and the current box was his last box, we counted how many he had left and eventually we ran out and it was time for him to wear underwear, period. He was totally down with it. He hated the feeling of wet underwear so he did decide just not to wear them, but he also managed to go on th epot when he needed to go, and a week later he's wearing underwear again. We took him to the zoo yesterday for his b-day and had him in a pull up (which we refer to as underwear) and he kept it dry and let us know when he had to go the entire day. He has trouble when he wakes up in the morning b/c he is in a pullup from the night and I think he'd be okay with wearing it all day long if I let him, but eventually I talk him out of it and into underwear. For my son I think it was just a case of 'why stand when he could sit' type thing, 'why go on the potty when he could just go in his diaper' until of course that was no longer an option for him. I did buy ten small prizes and stickers. He put one sticker on his chart when he succesfully went on the pot and after 3-5 stickers he got a prize. Buut, like I mentioned, we're out of prizes and he seems fine with still going. Anyway, good luck! He'll come around. AND to answer your question (ha!) I haven't tried the cool alert pullups.

Pull ups never worked for us. It was still like a diaper. What did work was waiting until he understood what was happening (that he pees or poops) and then putting underwear on him. He can feel the wet then! Put plastic pants on over them (Target/Walmart, etc sell them). He won't like that wet or poopy feeling and that helps change behavior to holding it and learning to use a potty. Good luck, it's a hard process no matter what you do!

We had two boys - the first was completely potty trained on his own at 21 months and the second was over 4 years old before he was completely potty trained. They were little well before the time that they had pull-ups of any kind. I put him in training pants and he always had plastic pants over the training pants because he would have accidents frequently. I was in the habit of giving him vitamin C tablets and realized that he urinated far more frequently when he had them than when he did not. When I stopped giving him the extra vitamin C, he finally stopped having accidents. My advise would be to have patience, but also to watch his diet and make sure that you aren't giving him something that triggers frequent urination. My experience with grandchildren and the kinds of disposable diapers that whisk away the wetness is that it takes a lot longer to potty train when they are not uncomfortable. Good luck!

I just trained my 2 1/2 yr old and from my opinion there isn't any difference from a pull-up, whether it's a cool alert or regular, to a diaper. So many people, and I agree once I went through the training process, that I wouldn't recommend using pull-ups either. Go to straight underwear, if he's already starting to pee on the toilet. He should get upset if he pees in his big boy undies. Don't make a big deal about it but keep telling him he should go to the toilet when he has to pee/poop and just keep changing his underwear.

S.,
Don't get to concern that he is 3 and isn't potty trained. My oldest will be 4 on April 5th and still refuses to potty train. We have tried all the kinds of pull ups and even tried just putting underwear on him and still nothing. He pees in them like it nothing.So just give it time.

LOL! I know how you feel! I wish I'd had a second child so I'd have had a second chance to potty train without all the worries and headaches. My daughter (who's 9 now and potty trained!) is very headstrong, and no matter what I tried she had NOOOO interest in using the potty. Rewards, punishment (nothing major), real panties, etc etc. Nothing. This went on for nearly a year. All my friends kids, her friends, were potty trained, but she just didn't care. Finally, at 3 1/2, within a matter of days, she was totally potty trained, day AND night. It was her idea, SHE was finally ready. All those long months of me stressing out, thinking it would NEVER happen -- I wonder if our kids know what's going on and laugh at us privately? I know I do, NOW. It wasn't so funny then. But just like everything else she's ever done -- she had no interest in learning to read or write before she started school, but she quickly became the best reader and writer in her kindergarten class -- it had to be her idea. Hopefully your son isn't nearly as headstrong, but if he is.... GOOD LUCK!

I agree with some of the other responses, if the day care provider discourages pull-ups, then maybe skip 'em. Find out what the ped. and DC provider actually recommend, and since he's in DC full time, do what they do. But just remember, it might be that it won't happen, no matter what, until it's his idea. And what works for one won't necessarily work for someone else. Much as we might wish it would!

And above all, relax, it'll happen :)

We have been using the huggies that change when he is wet, xavier is 3 an being grandma got lucky an told him to see if he could hit the man in the hole for the big potty which he was standing on floor an he took to that like a duck to water. My daughter asked where in the world did you come up with the man in the hole said I have no clue it just popped into my head, but he aims for the hole then is giggling when i ask did you hit the man in the hole. We have more problems with trying to get him to do the other end. Good Luck.

Nope - my 3 year old son is not affected by these at all.

S., I am a mother of 3 year old twin boys and I completely understand your situation. I too was told not to use pull ups and to use "big" boy underwear. So we did this for a solid weekend and another week, hoping the "accidents" would make them go in the potty instead of their pants. This did not work for us. So I tried pull ups. This has worked some, but we are still having accidents. So I spoke with our preschool teacher, because they must be COMPLETELY potty trained before attending, and she suggested charts.
I took them to hobby lobby and let them pick out their stickers, poster board and other supplies. This has worked wonders. They love to see all their stickers on their charts and get very excited when they go in the "big boy" potty. We are nearly accident free and only have 3 more weeks to go (on a 6 week chart) I have been told boys are much harder to potty train then girls. Hang in there....

My husband actually just got the cool alert on accident, everytime my daughter went potty in them..(mostly at night) it soaked right thru like she was wearing underwear. If you are going to get pullups stick with the regular ones!

The cool alert pull ups are a joke! They barely feel cool and it doesn't last long enough. Not much different than a diaper. I tried pullups as my main source of potty training help and quickly switched to old fashioned training pants. Pullups were saved for going out in public and bedtime. I started my oldest at age 2. He didn't have a lot of interest, but I was on maternity leave and wanted it finished before returning to work. I sat the potty chair in front of the television and turned on his favorite shows. I rewarded him for going with skittles and M&M's. It didn't take long until he got the hang of it and the potty went back to the bathroom. Once he was good at going at home, I went to putting him in "big boy pants" when going to the store, but I put a pull up over them so accidents wouldn't be a total mess. It depends on each parent and child. It is totally up to you. I personally didn't have luck with pullups, cool alert or not. The walmart brand ones aren't bad either, for during the day. Huggies makes night time ones that are great. Good luck!

Well, I dont think it has to be his idea to go to the potty. I will have to say, that I didnt force my daughter to go on the potty, but just made it a routine. When she woke up I said ok lets go potty, and then put her on. If she didnt go, she didnt go. I didnt force her to sit there and go if she didnt have to. But I would do it several times. Consistancey works! I had a friend that came to my house with her 3 y/o son that wasnt potty trained and my daughter was. My daughter said she had to go on the potty, so then my friends son said he had to go. His mom said "No you dont". She just thought he was trying to copy my daughter. But so what if he was!! That was a perfect opportunity! But anyways be consistant. And yes, I do believe cool alert works. I noticed my daughter would stop what she was doing and look down and say Mom I just want potty. Then she started telling me before she went.
But I am very curious to why people would be against it?

I feel your pain. I have 3 year old twin boys. One potty trained easy the younger twin was more difficult. He understood the going to the potty he just had control over something that I didn't. We used pullups but the cool alert didn't really make a difference. We started setting a timer to go off every 30 minutes and we would make him go to the restroom. After 30 minutes we started adjusting the time by fifteen mintues until he started going on his own. We also gave treats for using the potty: if we made him go to the restoom and he went he received one M&M, if he went own his own he received two M&Ms, if he pooed on the potty he was rewarded with four M&Ms. It was bribery and very tedious but after two to three months and switching to underwear all the time we are officially potty trained. No more diapers or pull-ups. Good Luck and don't give up he will eventually go on his own. We have all been through this :)