Going to daycare without a diaper

• Does your child attend daycare, preschool, or a childminder’s home? If so, it’s especially important to discuss this step thoroughly.
• Tell them that your child can go without a diaper at home. And that there are usually only 1 or 2 accidents a day.
• Ask if your child can now come to daycare or the childminder’s without a diaper. And find out what the policy is in case of an accident.
• Tell them what times at home work well for taking a quick trip to the bathroom. Maybe they can do the same at daycare. For example: before and after playing outside, before meals, after naptime. The routine there might be different.
• Sometimes, at daycare or with a childminder, they’ll put a diaper on your child after 2 or 3 accidents in a day. That way, your child doesn’t feel like they’ve failed too much.
• Your child may have a lot of distractions at daycare. As a result, they may not always make it to the bathroom in time. Keep this in mind and continue practicing at home.

Helping your baby transition to going without a diaper

• Discuss the rules at the daycare center in advance. How many times can your child have a wet diaper before a new one is put on? That way, you’ll know what to expect.
• When you drop off your child, let them know that they won't be wearing a diaper, even at daycare.
• Tell your child: "If you need to go to the bathroom, you'll let us know in plenty of time, right?" Agree on the best person for your child to tell. You can handle that.
• Dress your child in comfortable clothes so that pants or leggings are easy to put on and take off. So no tricky buttons or tight jeans.
• Be sure to pack enough clean clothes—two sets of underwear, pants, and socks. After all, accidents are still a part of this stage.