My sons finally day trained between 3 1/2 and 4 years old with MUCH effort on everyone's part. So I was just fine to WAIT with my 2 1/2 year old daughter. But no...she clearly is ready as far as knowing when she has peed and pooped because she takes her pull-up off whenever she does. She wears underwear a lot around the house, pull-ups when we go out. I would be fine to put her in underwear all the time and just deal with the accidents, but I have no idea what to do at night. She is still in a crib, which we can convert to a toddler bed, so that isn't an issue. But she takes her pull-up (or diaper) off in the middle of the night if it is wet and pees all over the bed. Any ideas? (I should mention she is resistant to sitting on the potty a lot of the time although is slowly coming around with much bribery.)
Put a onesie on her and then something like a pair of overalls. They have all kinds of Carters Jammies that snap together at the waist so she can't get access. It's all in how you out-think them....
Your daughter isn't really ready to potty train, she just doesn't want her diaper on! If she wanted to train she'd take her diaper off AND use the potty to pee, not her bed. She needs to show more readiness signs to show she is ready:
http://www.parentingscience.com/toilet-training-readiness...
Since she doesn't want to sit on the potty (a MUST to train) you need to focus on her not being able to get her diaper off. My little guy did this (or tried) for about 3 months when he was 2 (now 2.5.) It drove me crazy for a bit, then I hit on the idea of using onesies under everything, with overalls or shortalls backwards over them during the day. (The straps need to be fastened snug enough so she can't wriggle out of them.) At night I duct-taped his diaper, starting and ending the tape in the back, with pj's with zippers on backwards. Basically, you have to outsmart her ; )
And, bribery is overrated, the experts say it's good for a week, longer than that you set yourself up for the child expecting the bribe when they should be doing it because it's the thing they need to do, using the potty or toilet.
I highly recommend the 3 day potty training method (http://www.3daypottytraining.com/). We trained our son day and night in the three days following this method. My son had zero interest in the potty when we started so your daughter is already one step ahead!
I'm with MelissaS. on this one. She sounds very ready and if you wait I think you will have a stubborn 3 1/2 year old who still won't use the potty. The 3 day method we used does not require them to sit on the potty and wait until they have to go, it just trains them to recognize when they have to go. Not wanting to be in a wet diaper is step one, now you need to give her the skills to know how to put the pee somewhere else (ie the potty). If you want more details about the method I used PM me. I also used no bribery, just lots of praise for how much of a big boy he was and what a great job he was doing.
Also, at 2 1/2 my son was in a twin bed, so I bet she is more than ready to move. I wouldn't do both potty training and transition to a big bed at the same time. We started with just day training and left my son in diapers at night. After two days of training he was waking me up in the middle of the night because he had to go. So I would just take the diaper off, put him on the potty and put him back in bed. Even now, 9 months later he won't get up and go on his own in the middle of the night (and we keep his little potty by his bed), so it wouldn't matter if he was in a bed or crib.
If she is taking the pull-up off, then it is time to put her in undies full time during the day. Tell her she is too big for diapers. Keep the diapers on her at night, and just tell her, when you have woken dry 5 times, you can wear your undies to bed. I bought two sets of water proof pads, and then put two sets of sheets on the bed for easy clean-up for accidents. I only had to change the bed once with my daughter.
Don't bribe her, just tell her she is too big for diapers, she knows where the pee and poop go, and that from this day forward she is now going to be a big girl.
And ignore anyone that tells you that taking off the diaper doesn't mean they are ready to be training. Taking off diapers is a major sign for being ready. When they know wet/dry, it's time to teach them what to do with their pee and poop. And do look at it as potty learning, teaching them the process of using a bathroom.
Basically, you need to just give your daughter the chance here to train herself. If she is resistance to you making suggestions about going potty, then tell her she is responsible for it. Full time undies around the house, and when she has an accidents, just have her helped you clean it up and ask her about where pee and poop go. Watch some Elmo videos or something.
Also, tell her if she needs to go in the middle of the night to call you. If my 22 month old son can do this, your daughter can do that to. Just tell her what you expect from her. It shouldn't take much effort, she sounds ready, and able, to be done in a matter of days or weeks.
One last thing, if you see her going, talk about the pressure you feel and then explain how if you feel pressure, you take yourself to the potty, etc.
