I think this really depends on the child. For some kids appearances (or the feel of training pant vs diaper) makes no difference at all and they go straight from diaper to normal underwear. For others if they were left in diapers would never 'get it' and just continue peeing/pooping their diaper (mine were like that, if they had a diaper on, they'd use it!). They need to realize that what they're wearing is not a diaper and that it won't function like one (ie will feel much wetter, get more saturated and perhaps leak onto their legs depending if it's waterproof or not).

I wouldn't recomend using it for nighttime unless your little one never wets at night and just needs something to catch a few dribbles that may escape from the time they wake till they get to the toilet. There's just not likely to be enough absorbancy to handle nighttime wettings, especially if there's more than one.

Other than that, everyone has their own way of doing things. Some use training pants all the time because they just don't want to have any messes on the floor (ie if you have new carpetting everywhere in the house). Others never use them at all and just use regular or slightly 'padded' underwear. Personally I would mostly use the training pants for when we went out and I didn't want to risk messes on the floor of a store or at a friend's house. At home we'd almost always just let them go naked. For nighttime we'd just put their regular diapers on, most kids are pretty good at knowing that nighttime is different and that it's ok to need a diaper then. That said, there is the 'big kid' psychological factor for some children and they come to associate diapers with babies only and resent being put in one at night. For them something that pulls on (like the bedwetter pant) and can be called 'special' or 'nighttime' underwear may help until they're dry at night as well.

I think for the 'different' factor it's more about how the training pants feel and how they function as opposed to just being a different color than their regular diapers. But that doesn't mean you absolutly must use training pants. Some use just regular underwear or non-waterproof training pants (most of the ones in regular dept. stores aren't waterproof). Some people do use diapers as training pants and it works fine for them. The only thing to watch for here is that they are able to pull them on/off fairly easily, usually setting the diaper looser helps with this and perhaps not putting pants on top of the diaper would also help (one less layer to remove kwim?).

Karen.

Actually this is called Ellimination Communication and is probably the most common form of dealing with a baby's ellimination needs around the world. True, it's not very popular here in the West but it is in many many many other countries. It's done from birth with most babies, in developing countries it's probably because of lack of access to diapers of any kind and lack of access to facilities to wash any that they could find. In N. America it's done because these parents feel it's a cleaner and more natural way of dealing with things.

I have not used it myself but I have spoken to many people who have and it's worked wonderfully for them. Apparently if you know what you're looking for it's actually not that difficult to get to know the signs (just like you get to know the signs of when your baby is hungry even before they cry). And you certainly aren't stuck in the house all the time. There are varying degrees to which you can do this, many will use diapers part of the time. Not sure where your article got their facts but everything I've read and everyone I've spoken to says that the children are actually fully independant before most 'traditionally' trained children. They never get used to diapers so you don't have to spend any time getting them 'un' used to them. As soon as they are physically ready for whichever aspect of potty training (be it 'holding' their urine till they can get to a potty or be it pulling their own clothing up/down) they do it immediatly.

It is indeed the parent who is trained but many find this method much easier and healthier than cleaning up messes in diapers and/or washing diapers. I remember talking to one mom who said that the first time they had a poopy diaper (their dd was over 5 months at the time!!) they were so confused as to what to do that they actually brought her outside and hosed her off with a garden hose (they lived in a very warm climate btw). A good friend of mine did it part-time with her son, she's now pregnant with her second and will do it again with her daughter.

It's not for everyone for sure and it does seem pretty intimidating as a concept. I was curious about it but I never had the courage to try it myself, especially considering I was having twins and had two older kids, I was already overwhelmed and knew I wouldn't have much family support. But it seems like a wonderful way of being in touch with your child, the ultimate in keeping them clean and the ultimate in being eco-friendly.

Karen.