Potty Training

My daughter will not have a bowel movement in her pull-up.  Whenever she has to have a bowel movement, she will clearly state that she has to potty.  Hovever, she will urinate in her pull-up until it is soaked and then she will take it off.  How can I help her move on to those cotton panties without mishaps.  She is 2 years and five months old.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear Ms. Rhodes,

Is your daughter dry in the morning when she wakes up? Does she seem interested in using the potty all the time?

If she's ready (and remember, she's still pretty young), you can make the decision to stop using the pull-ups. But try not to have the expectation that there will be no occurrences of wetting. This is not a realistic expectation.

Children need the opportunity to learn - you shouldn't expect perfection. If she wets, just help her clean up and move on. It's not the end of the world.

One of the drawbacks, from a toilet training perspective, of the newer-generations diapers/pull-ups is that they absorb the liquid, keep the child pretty dry, and they do not experience the discomfort of being wet. Obviously, for infants and young toddlers this is fine. But when the child is ready to achieve bladder control, the diapers can actually be an impediment to some degree.