Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Painting floorboards

I'm thinking of pulling up my old carpet and painting the floorboards, and was wondering if I could get some advice.
My reason for doing this, is I have a severely Autistic Son, who is proving difficult to toilet train, and I want a surface easy to clean, having said that I don't have much money because I had to give up work to look after my wife and son, I am a full time carer. Also, my because of my son's behaviour, I don't want to go to the trouble of pollished floorboards, as they will be quickly scratched up and damaged anyway, the same with Vinyl which I cant afford anyway.
So, my questions are, what type of paint would I use, and what could I do about the gaps between the floorboards so that they don't trap all sorts of dirt etc.
I'm not really worried about the job looking flash, just something practical, as it is hard to keep this place looking good as you might appreciate, I'm expecting holes in the walls and doors as my son gets stronger.
Any replies would be appreciated.

We have had forum posts where folks paint subfloors until they can afford floor covering. Painting provides a sealed surface that can be easily swept and mopped and cleaned/disinfected.

You can simply paint with a couple coats of porch/deck paint and not worry about the expansion gaps between boards. Or, you can caulk gaps with a paintable caulk before painting. The caulk should be a paintable silicone or latex caulk that can expand and contract as plywood panels expand and contract due to temperature and humidity changes in the home. Countersink any nail heads or staples and fill with wood filler before painting.

You might want to post in the Parenting Forum for advice & support with your special child. I will take the liberty of discussing your parenting issues in this forum and others and myself will offer advice & support in the Parenting Forum if you post there.

Don't focus on your child's age. Focus on signs of intellectual and psychological readiness. Remember boys tend to be a little more challenging when it comes to potty training even without developmental issues. Most kids aren't ready until they are able to follow simple instructions and be cooperative. Most kids don't like the discomfort of a dirty diaper and want to be changed. They must also be able to recognize when the bladder or bowels are full. They must also be able to communicate this discomfort and be able to tell you they need to go to the bathroom or be able to take themselves. Sometimes it simply takes a while longer for some kids than others. Also, learning to read your child's facial expressions and body language is a clue to sweep him up and take him to the potty. You can also learn his habits, such as how long he stays dry and how often he has bowel movements. Of course, there will be surprises. The bottom line is that you have to be on your toes with any child.

Do not give up on the diapers or pull-ups. I am a frequent visitor to the local nursing home. Many of the patients there have to have pull-ups. Of course, the elderly are at the other end of the age spectrum. But, the situation is the same. These folks don't always have the intellectual or psychological abilities to communicate their need to go to the bathroom. Some don't have any physical control as they have lost that. But, for those whom I visit who can communicate the need to go to the bathroom and are physically able to do so and I am physically able to help them (I am a little person), I take them to the bathroom.

I know with my son I tried everything from bribes to opportunities of wearing big boy underwear. Nothing worked. One day he just came down the hall and said, "Hey, mom, I used the big potty." I sold the new potty chair at a yard sale.

Signs of physical readiness can include your being able to tell when your child is about to urinate or have a bowel movement by his facial expressions, posture or by what he says, staying dry for at least 2 hours at a time, and having regular bowel movements. You just about have to be Sherlock Holmes, but it can be accomplished by you and then you can keep cleaning issues at a minimum.

Again, we look forward to helping you in the Parenting Forum. Please, never get discouraged. Never try to push your child too fast or punish for mistakes. Accidents are accidents and treat them lightly. It's part of life whether a child or an elderly person. Move at your child's pace. Always be encouraging and shower your child with love and encouragement. When your child starts show that he is uncomfortable in a dirty diaper, then you will know it is time to move on to pull ups and then training pants.

You did not share your son's age. Please know that when I did my early-childhood practicum, I had 4-year-olds in diapers. The PhD head of the department and a well-published parenting expert told me when I questioned this issue, not all children are developmentally ready at age 2 or 3 and that some are not ready until much later. I immediately got over my mom's swearing that she had all four of us kids potty trained at 16 months and my guilt. (Of course, I had my daughter trained at 2 and my son at 2 1/2 and I thought I was a failure because of my mom. Thus, we don't live by some standard published in some book or our parents' standards.) These kids in my care in my practicum were not special kids. It was a university setting and they were children of university employees. Of course, they were special as all children are, but most had no special needs. Those older ones in diapers were not special needs kids.

My point is don't get discouraged. The point I tried to make was if a PhD has a kid in diapers at age 4 and the kid is perfectly healthy and has no developmental problems, then I don't want you discouraged. There are many good websites on the internet about working with autistic children and potty training them. You might want to type into Google or your favorite search engine 'potty training autistic children.' These websites tend to offer different types of training methods. Remember, what works for some does not work for all (personal opinion). And, again, I look forward to your posts in the Parenting Forum. You will find that at DIY.com that we have many who may share your situation and that there are many who can hopefully keep up your spirits and share some expertise.

Please give your son a big hug and kiss from DIY.com and all its many members. And, give yourself & your wife a big hug & kiss, too. XOXO

Firstly, sorry I didn't reply sooner to your lengthy reply, thank you for taking the time with your response.
I have decided to put down some Laminate flooring, that click together stuff, my brother is going to help me so it shouldn't take us long, and it works out much cheaper than the alternatives, and if any of it gets damaged I can either replace individual boards or touch them up.
As for the parenting issues, I really do appreciate your advice, and I am always willing to listen to any, I actually think I have a pretty good handle on my son's condition, my comments on the toilet training situation is just a realistic assessment of the situation, I've been doing all of his care now for about a year and a half, and was doing quite a bit of it even before I gave up work.
My son turned 4 in January, and has been in early intervention since before he was 2, currently his early intervention is at a specialised Autistic School, next year he will attend their as a school age child funding permitted, he is getting the best possible care to ensure the best possible outcome, and we get advice from his school from arious specialists. In adition I do a lot of reading on the internet, and from books, to study up on Autism, and belong to an Autism support group.
I am making some progress gradually with toilet training, but I do think it is a long term prospect, as he has no developed speech or alternative method of communication, and it doesn't seem to bother him if he is wet or dirty in his pants, that being the case I am keeping detailed records to try and find patterns of the times he is likely to go, and it is paying off to some degree, and I am learning to read his facial expressions and body language, in the last couple of weeks about half his daytime wees and poohs have been on the loo, mainly because he just happened to be sitting on there at the time, but at least it gives me the opportunity to praise him up so he might learn eventually that is the correct place to do it, I do think though that lack of control might be a problem.
As for being discouraged, you have no need to worry about that, I have learned to be very excited about the smallest bits of progress, and I am very foccussed on working on getting the best outcome for my son, and I really think it is a privallege for a father to be able to play such a big part in their son's upbringing.
Again thanks very much for your reply, and I can assure you my son and wife get plenty of hugs and kisses.