Potty Training and Crib Vs. Toddler Bed

I would think it is best to try one new thing at a time, so keep her where she is comfortable for bedtime while tackling potty training during the day. Focusing on the daytime training is a good place to start so the night time thing shouldn't interfere initially. When it comes time for night time training, just make sure she goes the very last minute before her bedtime and get her up first thing in the morning to try to go. Another hint of advice from a mom who had a bedwetter, I found it beneficial to get her up around midnight to go to the bathroom - every night religiously! This did the trick in about 4 months and she stopped wetting the bed altogether. From having 3 kids now, I have learned (sometimes the hard way) that taking "baby steps" and doing one major thing at a time is best with little people. Good luck!!!

The crib is fine. One warning, when they are learning they sometimes practice taking off their pants and diaper while in the crib. Don't be shocked or get angry. It doesn't happen often.

My 2 1/2, almost 3, yr old is still in a crib and potty training. We use a diaper during nap and bedtime because he's not ready for that. One step at a time. He doesn't wake up either which shows us that he isn't ready to do nighttime/nap time potty training. We haven't had an accident during waking hours in a month and we plan on keeping him in his crib til next summer. Good luck.

i am about to start with my second daughter now too good luck. i wouldnt change her to a toddler bed bc of potty training because it takes a lot longer for them to stay dry at night anyway, most kids wear something at night until at least 3 years old. developmentally most kids are not able to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom until three. so, if she is safe in the crib i'd keep her there. you're going to have enough to deal with.

Keep her in the crib as long as you can. That way you don't have to worry about what she's sticking her little fingers into while you're asleep and she's up investigating the house.

Hi!
Honestly you do not have to worry about the bed at this point for potty training. It will probably take a while before she is ready to be potty trained at night. All kids are different, but usually they are ready during the day, but take longer to be dry at night. I would leave her in the crib until she is really ready to need to get out at night. My son wore a pull up at night for a while until he was consistently dry(until maybe 2 and a half years old--we started potty training at 2 as well). If the crib is better for you just leave her there a little while longer! Good luck on the potty training--it can be a frustrating job!!

L.

J.:

All of my children (3) were potty trained around the age of 15 months. From my experience, they do not have to be out of the crib in order to potty train simply because the potty training has many phases. The first phase is training them to go in the potty during their waking hours. My children were not totally potty trained until age 2 as the nap and nighttime training usually occurs later. As one of the mother's stated in her response, it is one step at a time. Use a nighttime diaper or pullup during naps and overnight sleeping. Nail down the waking hour potty training first, then take the time to train for their sleeping hours. This will not occur all at once and there may be relapses, but be patient with it. Do not scold the child for wetting themself either as this delays the success in potty training. In order to potty train during naps and nighttime successfully, you will have to stop all drinking of any form of liquids at least 2 hours prior to naps or nighttime sleeping. This is the hardest part of all, esp. if your child enjoys drinking milk prior to sleeping. Also, wake your child during the overnight hours to go to the bathroom periodically. This is the second hardest part as it impacts yours and her sleep. Have your hubby join in the fun! Good luck!

Hi J.,

Funny you should ask, I have nearly the same situation...I have a 2 1/2 year old that I potty trained in August. She does VERY well all day and a lot of times at naps and rarely has accidents. My advice to you is to hang on to the crib as long as you can!!! I was all excited to get my daughter into her big girl bed and then I came to my senses and I thought...hmmm she sleeps 13 hours at night and takes 3 hour naps, why ruin a good thing? So here is what I would recc. put her in a pull up or diaper at night. Our dr recc. a diaper since it would hold better and not have the wetness on her skin, but when I was done with diapers, I was DONE WITH DIAPERS. So we do pull-ups at night and that works great. I don't even call them pull ups and definitly not diapers, but rather "night night underwear" so she thinks they are for bedtime but they are underwear. Same thing when we travel, "bye, bye underwear." So if your daughter has an accident overnight it doesn't matter since she will be in a pull up/diaper. My daughter sometimes calls out to go potty in the night time and I do take her if she asks, but I certainly don't wake her to try. If she goes in her pull up, she does, oh well. It hasn't effected the daytime potty training at all. Hang on to the crib as long as you can is my advice! If she is happy in there and doesn't try to climb out, why ruin a good thing! My daughter will be in there until she is 7! Ha! Ha! :) One more thing...we put her in a onesie at night so she can't get her pull up off if she were to try. Let me know if you have any other questions.

J., I did not move my kids from crib to bed until they almost didn't fit in the crib! I think that is a very adult goal for a child that has little to do with the needs of a child. If they are not climbing out then they are safer and sleep issues are more controlled. If she likes her crib enjoy the time. When I finally moved my son to a single bed with a safety rail he still didn't get out!! He would call for me to come and get him so I did. If your child is potty trained she will just call out at night but I would be surprised if she is in out of a diaper for nights?? I think that usually happens last. Good luck. A.