Potty training - interest at naptime/bedtime but no other time

[Quiet Cricket]

I'm looking for some advice on what direction I should take on potty training with my 25-month-old son.  We got a potty some time ago and did all the readiness stuff (talking about what it's for, practicing sitting on it some) and he started showing real interest about 2 weeks ago.  Since then, he has been enthusiastic about sitting on the potty every night before bed, and every day before naptime.  In the last week he has obviously gotten the hang of controlling it and can urinate right away when he actually tries (sometimes sits and 'reads', talks or plays until I tell him he has to get serious).  Even one morning when he woke up at 5, he insisted on sitting on the potty, and actually did eventually go (although I think again this was a strategy to keep me from putting him back in bed and going back to bed myself right away).

Unfortunately, he only has interest when sitting on the potty means postponing naptime or bedtime!  No interest at all when it will interrupt play time!  Also no interest in pooping on the potty.  We started off giving a "special" sticker whenever he was successful urinating in the potty, but the last week or so I hit upon an even better incentive, which is that the "kissing monster" will come after he puts pee in the potty.  The Kissing Monster is me of course but he gets very excited after he pees, runs in his room and looks around in anticipation for the Kissing Monster to appear (and deliver loud sloppy kisses).  So, I feel like I have a good incentive and don't want to offer some bigger material reward because I don't think it will work.

I'm not necessarily in a big hurry, and am delighted with the progress in the last few weeks, but have heard that especially with boys there can be a window of interest that then closes and if you don't go all the way during that period, it is a lot harder later.  Should I put him in underwear and just deal with the messes for a while?  Get some training underwear?  Everyone says that pull-ups are not the way to go for training, but...any advice?

[momtomany]

Well, I think the disadvantage to pull-ups is that they don't have the consequence of getting soaking wet and being uncomfortable that should motivate them to try to stay clean.  There are pull-ups that actually will feel cold and wet.... maybe that's an improvement.  One time when my little guy was getting better at using the potty like your little guy is, he went to the toilet and then into bed and a few minutes later he said he needed to go again.  I was so sure it was a delay tactic, but lo and behold he produced a #2 (something he had only done a couple of times so far).... then after he had been in bed for several more minutes, he said again that he needed to use the toilet.  This time I was so sure he just wanted to get out of bed, but he really insisted, so I took him to the washroom.... another #2.  Wow... I think this breakthrough maybe happened at that time because during the day he is always so busy playing and he doesn't want to stop to get to the bathroom.  After that night, pooping in the toilet started happening a lot more often.  I'd just go with it for a little while.... it's good practice anyways, and like most of those little habits they like to try it out for a while but pretty soon the excitement wears off and they're onto some new thing to try out.  Maybe that miracle breakthrough you're waiting for will happen at some inconvenient time too.  Good luck... I'm sure there isn't one right answer to that... every kid is different, eh?  But I have noticed that 'ideal window of opportunity' or not, I don't know a single healthy 6yr old or 12 yr old or adult who hasn't learned to use the toilet .... it seems to me that you are absolutely guaranteed to succeed at this.  It's going to happen.

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