https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:54:05 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-starting-preschool-and-potty-training#post-1802460 Thu, 07 Aug 2014 06:52:37 +0000 looch 1802460@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Have you thought about doing timed intervals? That worked quite well for my son. Boot camp style training and pant less time isn't something my son would have responded well to. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-starting-preschool-and-potty-training#post-1802455 Thu, 07 Aug 2014 06:43:00 +0000 honeybear 1802455@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm a little surprised that a Montessori program for 2.5yo would "require" underwear of kids they haven't met yet (I'd assume they'd follow the sensitive periods for this sort of thing). I am confident that they aren't expecting perfection at that age. </p> <p>Some encouragement: Toilet learning Montessori-style is really not that hard. If you set your LO up for success--easy to remove pants (or, better yet, no pants to start), easy access to a toilet (step stools and seat already on the toilet, etc), and lots of encouragement--it won't be as horrible as you're thinking. There will be accidents, but keep a pile of old towels/washcloths and some Bac-Out/cleaning spray ready and go for it. </p> <p>Also, you'll probably have better success at home than at school because his comfort level is much higher at home, so I wouldn't put him in diapers at home, except maybe overnight. (Nighttime and traveling are the only exceptions we made for diapers, and we made sure LO understood that those were special situations.) If you're not consistent, it probably will take longer. My LO stopped having accidents at home several months before he stopped having accidents at school. I'm sure that the reason for this was that he wasn't as comfortable at school as he was at home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-starting-preschool-and-potty-training#post-1802446 Thu, 07 Aug 2014 06:34:07 +0000 littlek 1802446@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Myicitygirl: you should definitely do a potty training potty boot camp. My friends child got asked to not return until he was potty trained. One or two accidents are ok, but they have to have some potty training. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-starting-preschool-and-potty-training#post-1802443 Thu, 07 Aug 2014 06:29:16 +0000 Mrs. Yoyo 1802443@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are going through this now. My son just turned 3 and is starting in a couple weeks. We are on Day 4 of potty boot camp and he's pretty much good with pee but poop not so much. Basically, I am making my good-faith effort -- I think that's all any of us can do. That said, do try, though. I agree that seems your to impose such a requirement. </p> <p>I have a mobile 9-month-old. Trust me when I say this will be easier with a baby who can't go anywhere. DS2 has a fondness for unrolling as much toilet paper as he can, and then trying to eat it, as I try to help DS1. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-starting-preschool-and-potty-training#post-1802437 Thu, 07 Aug 2014 06:18:36 +0000 Weagle 1802437@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO is also starting preschool next month where they are required to be in underwear. They don't ask perfection of the kids, but they do ask that the children at least be cooperative with the potty training process. We tackled it a few weeks ago. Honestly, I think it's a bit unfair for the teachers and rest of the class if you send him without any prior training. I don't think they have the expectation of potty training these kids themselves, abd spending extra time on yours takes away from all of the other students - all because you didn't make the effort at home. And I'm probably talking out of my butt because I don't have a second child yet (also next month), but I don't think that potty training with a 4 month old should seem like an insurmountable task. Again, I've not done it, but I've seen plenty of friends do it. I think it's just one of those things that you should "start as you mean to go on," take a weekend to buckle down, and get him into underwear a good majority of the time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-starting-preschool-and-potty-training#post-1802416 Thu, 07 Aug 2014 04:56:02 +0000 lamariniere 1802416@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I find it strange that he is required to be in underwear. He's still so young! (We didn't train my son until 30 months and he was in a Montessori school starting at 24 months). That said, how strict is the potty training rule? Will they not take him at all if he isn't trained? If they won't, I would just try really hard to train him over the next weeks. Good luck!</p> <p>Eta: even if you are successful at training him before he starts school, there is always a chance of accidents and regressions, it's totally normal. My son had occasional accidents even up to 6 months+ after he was trained (a lot more in the beginning though). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/advice-on-starting-preschool-and-potty-training#post-1802411 Thu, 07 Aug 2014 03:31:55 +0000 Myicitygirl 1802411@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So my 28 month old son will start at a Montessori school next month. He is not potty trained and they told me to have him in underwear for school. </p> <p>We got him into the routine of peeing in his potty (standing up) before bath time, but have been very reluctant to otherwise potty train because we moved to our house in March, had a baby in May and planned to start preschool this year, and so were worried about regression with so many big changes. He has regressed in a couple of ways since the baby was born and, tellingly, he no longer announces when he is pooping, after reliably telling us pre-baby (he never told us before he went, just during) nor does he reply anymore when we ask him if he pooped.</p> <p>Has anyone sent a non- potty trained toddler to pre school in underwear and how did it go? How was it at home in the afternoon and evenings? Should I initially put him in diapers at home until he gets the hang of it at school (because i will have my hands full with a 4 month old)? </p> <p>Or should I try to train him in the three weeks before school (again with a 4 month old), when there is a good chance he will freak out at school (this will be his first school experience, he is clingy to me and a bit shy) and may regress? </p>