As parents, you would want your child to be able to wear regular pants without the need for diapers underneath.
However, switching from diapers to regular pants can be uncertain for some.
The frequent question asked is, when do you switch from diapers to regular pants during toilet training?
One thing is for sure: switching from diapers to regular pants takes time.
Some children may succeed in a shorter time. In comparison, some may need more time to transition from diapers to regular pants.
Ideally, transitioning from diapers to regular pants involves 3 phases.
These phases are essential to transition your child smoothly and effectively from diapers to regular pants.
Remember, these phases have no fixed timeframe; it all depends on your child’s progress in toilet training.
Because every child is unique, they will succeed at their own pace.
Tracking the progress of your child’s performance in toilet training will help you decide when to transition between phases.
The 3 phases involve the switching between 4 types of garments: diapers, pull-ups, training pants and regular pants/underwear.
The features of each garment
Before diving into these phases, we must understand the logic behind the ‘switching’ between garments.
Why do you need to switch between the garments?
The answer is that each garment has different features that can suit your child’s situation, depending on their progress in toilet training.
The ‘switching’ has everything to do with the features of each garment.
Diapers
- Very absorbent, designed to hold fluids while maintaining comfort for the child
- Leakproof
- Uses velcro on the sides for support
- Disposable
Pull-Ups
- Very absorbent
- Leakproof
- Elastic waist
- Disposable
Training Pants
- Less absorbent than pull-ups
- Less leakproof than pull-ups
- Elastic waist
- Washable/reusable
Regular Pants
- Not absorbent
- Not leakproof
- Elastic waist
- Washable/reusable
The 3 Phase Transitions
Phase I:
Diapers to Pull-ups
Switching to pull-ups is good when your child is in the early stage of toilet training.
This stage is when you are instilling knowledge in your child about using the toilet and creating their desire to go to the toilet.
It involves regularly bringing your child to the toilet so they can get used to going and using the toilet.
Because of their elastic waistband feature, pull-ups are also good for your child because they can practice pulling their pants up and down during toilet training.
The absorbent and waterproof features of pull-ups mean you don’t have to worry about the mess caused by frequent accidents that usually happen in the early stages of toilet training.
It is good to use pull-ups until your child can master 2 essential toileting skills:
(1) the ability to know when it’s time to go and (2) the ability to pull pants up and down.
However, ideally, it would be best to switch from pull-ups to training pants as soon as possible.
You don’t want your child to wear pull-ups for too long as it will slow down the entire toilet training process (because of the absorbent feature of pull-ups, your child will not be motivated to go to the toilet).
Phase 2:
Pull-ups to Training pants
Switching from pull-ups to training pants is usually done around the middle stage of toilet training.
At this stage, your child knows when to use the toilet and can manage their pants.
Because of the less absorbent feature of training pants, they will be less comfortable when wet.
It will encourage your child to avoid accidents and use the toilet instead.
It also means your child will have less tendency to have accidents than when wearing pull-ups.
Because of their waterproof cover feature, training pants also provide security in case of minor leaks or accidents.
It makes it a convenient garment for your child to wear when going out.
Click here to find out the best absorbent, leakproof & washable toilet training pants.
Phase 3:
Training pants to Regular pants
Minor to no accidents indicate that your child is most likely ready to switch from training pants to regular pants.
At this stage, your child is likely in the final stage of toilet training.
The critical thing in this stage is ensuring your child maintains the proper toileting routines.
Conclusion
To conclude, deciding what garment your child should wear mostly depends on :
- Their progress in toilet training (frequency of accidents)
- Convenience of time/situation (public vs home)
These phases are not fixed, meaning some parents might skip one or two of the phases altogether.
These 3 phases are considered ideal to ensure your child can transition from diapers to regular pants effectively during toilet training.
Remember that the toilet training process is about consistency and keeping moving forward.
Never go back to diapers because regression can happen!
And you might need to start toilet training your child again when regression happens.
I hope this article is helpful to you, and if you like it, you may check out my other articles from this blog. Thanks for visiting my blog!
