What If Your Daycare Requires Pull-Ups?

I often get asked, “What should I do if my child’s daycare requires Pull-Ups until they are fully potty trained?”

This, unfortunately, happens quite often because daycares (understandably) don’t want to be cleaning up potty messes and changing kiddos' clothes five times per day.

So what CAN you do?

• The first option is to put a pair of underwear under the Pull-Up, which will help your kiddo to still feel their bodily functions and signals in a more clear way than simply wearing a Pull-Up.
• Second, you can buy Pull-Ups in one size too big, which will create a looser feel and in turn allow your child to feel their bodily functions and signals more clearly as well.

Sometimes, we just have to do the best with what we’ve got, and when our kiddo’s daycare won’t allow them to wear underwear before they are accident-free, we can get creative and work around this as much as possible!

Always remember to communicate clearly what you’re doing at home as far as potty training goes so that your kiddo’s teachers can be on the same page and so that you BOTH can maintain consistency!

Here are a few tips to help stay on the same page with your kiddo’s teachers:

• Inform the staff and teachers BEFORE you start potty training. You'll want to find out their rules and policies so you can incorporate those into your training plan if necessary. It also helps to keep everyone who has a hand in caring for your child consistent across the board.
• Before you leave your little one at school for the first time sans diaper, explore the bathroom they'll be using together. Ask them to give you a little tour and have them identify something they like (wall art, a fuzzy rug, shiny sink, etc.) which will help them feel more comfortable in an unfamiliar environment.
• Make sure your child knows it's okay to ask for help going potty! Sometimes kids can be shy in ways you wouldn't expect. Have a mini-meeting between yourself, your child, and their teacher so everyone is on the same page. It also helps to identify one person that they can ask because having multiple people available can be overwhelming.
• Bring a reward for good potty days! This gives your child a goal to work towards.

Potty training can be a new and scary milestone for kiddos, but we can do our best to make the experience fun and exciting for them!

Once your child knows that it is okay to feel safe and comfortable to both go potty at home and at school, they will be able to smoothly transition into this new potty training routine.

Keep communication open and flowing so that your child can feel comfortable to ask questions to both you and their teachers if they need help wiping, pumping soap, or if they need a companion to wait for them while they go to the bathroom.

Commitment and consistency are the two most important aspects of potty training. Children thrive when they know what is going to happen and what is expected of them.

When you begin potty training:

• Communicate with all caregivers
• Consistently reward them in the same way
• Treat accidents very matter of fact
• Commit to sticking it out on the hardest days!

You are not alone in this! That is why I am here. If you need help, advice, or a word of encouragement, don’t hesitate to reach out! I offer amazing online courses covering all potty training topics, and I also offer consultations services that offer individualized one on one support and guidance!

Happy Pottying!

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