Skip Using Pull-Ups

Potty Training: What Science Shows

A lot has been learned about child development since I graduated college in the 90s. So, I am listening to the courses from Scientific Secrets for Raising Kids Who Thrive on Audible by Peter M. Vishton, Professor at The College of William and Mary to see what clinical discoveries have been made since I first learned about child development two decades ago. Another thing that has changed are diapers and training pants.

The professor explains that most children in America potty train at two- or three-years-old. But, the average age of potty training keeps increasing as diaper technology keeps improving. In fact, it is becoming more common to see parents rushing to try to get their youngsters potty trained in time for Kindergarten.

It used to be that being wet and uncomfortable encouraged kids to potty train. But modern materials of diapers and training pants makes being uncomfortably wet almost impossible.

Pull-ups and training pants are the same as diapers — only easier for the child to put on and take off themselves. To properly potty train a child, caregivers have to ditch all diapers and training pants to allow the child to feel wet and feel uncomfortable.

Daytime potty training and nighttime potty training are not the same. While kids are sleeping they wet themselves unconsciously. So Pull-Ups and training pants are helpful to use for a potty training or potty trained child who still has accidents at night and would be mortified to have to put on a diaper.

Diapers and training pants have changed a lot in the past 20 years and keep kids drier than ever. While new technology is great, to properly potty train children, ditch the modern age training pants because being wet and uncomfortable is the basis of successful daytime potty training.