Choosing Undergarments To Potty Train Your Child In

start potty training

You may have encountered the problem of what undergarments and clothing to use when you potty train your child. Is there an option that creates less mess but allows your child to complete the potty learning process unimpeded? There are three popular options available from which to choose; pull-up type disposable training pants, underwear and cloth training pants. Which is the right choice for you? Each choice has distinct features, both good and bad. Let's weigh the pros and cons of each to determine the best option.

Many parents immediately go for the pull-up type disposable training pants because they reduce messes and accidents, and can be beneficial in transitioning from diapers to underwear. This type of training pant is put on and taken off much like regular underwear. They are disposable and can protect surfaces when accidents occur. They can also provide an alternative to diapers in the early stages of trying to potty train your child, when he or she may not be able to stay dry throughout the entire night.

Disposable training pants can induce complacency in parents. When it is difficult to find a toilet or potty for their child to use, they may consider using the pants as a potty receptacle. This inconsistency can inhibit a child's overall success with toilet training for an extended period of time.

When you start potty training, a good way to help young children get excited about it is by introducing them to big kids underwear. Parents can talk with their children about getting to wear fun and comfy underwear instead of diapers. Buy a package of cotton underwear with your child's favorite cartoon character printed on them or let your child pick out the kind they prefer. Discuss how they should try to keep the characters from getting wet or soiled.

With regular underwear, your child will still experience the discomfort associated with wetting or soiling themselves and hopefully they will want to avoid that feeling in the future. The good thing about underwear is that it is relatively inexpensive and reusable. They are also much easier to pull up and down. A sticking point with underwear is that many times, if a child has an accident, they will require an entire change of clothing, creating a lot of laundry and causing surfaces in your home and car to become stained.

Cloth training pants are more expensive than traditional underwear, but much less expensive than the pull-up type disposable training pants. They are reusable, so a good washing will fix up any accidents that might occur during your toddlers potty training. They are thick enough to protect surfaces, but are thin enough that your child still feels the uncomfortable sensation of being wet or soiled.

Cloth training pants may not be thick enough to protect clothing in case of a larger accident, so a change of clothing may be necessary, just in case. As with underwear, cloth pants can create a lot of laundry. Although close, they are still not as thin as regular underwear and may not give the big kid feel your child may want. In some cases, cloth pants may be more difficult to pull up and down.

When it comes time to potty train your child, whether you choose to use underwear, disposable training pants or cloth training pants, each option has both good and bad points to consider. Before you begin to toilet train, weigh your options and choose which avenue will be the most effective with the least amount of problems for your family.