Training Pants training

Until last year, cloth diaper manufacturers seemed to give little thought to training pants, which is surprising given the tendency for many parents to rely on training pants as a way to transition children from diapers to underwear.  Training pants provide protection when a child who is potty learning has an accident (and unless you wait to train him until he is 18 years old, there will be accidents.  Lots of them!). 


When parents come into the store for potty training advice, we take them on a tour of all of our training pants, we have a pretty good selection, and different training pants are better-suited to certain situations.  Regardless of their differences, something they all have in common is limited absorbency.  Since training pants are not meant to hold more than one pee, you should not treat it like a diaper -- your little one cannot wear the same training pants for 2-3 hours with multiple accidents.  For this reason, you want to introduce training pants only when your little one is ready for toilet training, and more importantly, when you are ready for toilet training.  The onus is on you at the beginning to do all the work (unless you wait to train him until he is 18 years old) -- if you're not willing to put in the effort, it may be best to wait rather than push on with toilet training.


Limited absorbency aside, training pants can be easily pulled up and down, making it easy for little ones to use a potty or toilet unassisted, and they are typically lined with fabric that holds moisture, meaning a child will feel wet when has an accident; feeling wet is a great motivator for children to use a potty or a toilet!  These similarities aside, there are subtle differences between different types of training pants that make them better-suited to different stages of potty training.

One-piece, non-adjustable training pants, like those manufactured by Bummis, are durable, and they work well.  A downside to these training pants for some parents is that they fit poofy (no, it's not a 'real' word, but I bet you know what I mean, right?), however, as long as the legs and waist fit snugly, the poofiness is only an aesthetic issue.  The Bummis training pants are ideal for a child who is new to potty training, they will hold an accident well, and they will buy you some time (if you're at the grocery store, for example, and you don't have a change of training pants with you).  However, if your child poops in the training pants, taking them off can be tricky (your little one will stand up, while you gently slide the training pants down -- it's about as pleasant as it sounds!). 


Bummis training pants are sized, when a child sits at a weight range that is between two sizes, we generally recommend parents buy the smaller size, since they are not adjustable.  If you size up, the training pants may not fit properly, and training pants are (hopefully!) a short-term piece of clothing, so you shouldn't buy them with the mindset your child will wear them for a long time.

Side-snapping training pants make changing poop accidents a little easier -- rather than pulling the training pants (and the poop!) down, you simply open the sides of the training pants to take them off.  Both Cotton Babies and GroVia have recently released side-snapping training pants, both of which are one-size affairs, the flip trainers fit 20-50 lbs and the GroVia trainers fit 18-35 lbs.  A one-size training pant takes the guesswork out of sizing, if a child takes longer to toilet train overnight, one-size training pants can accommodate a larger child (the GroVia trianers can be extended with larger side-flex panels).

Some training pants, like the daytime trainers manufactured by Blueberry diapers, are only partially waterproof, these trainers must be changed relatively soon after an accident, the wetness will eventually wick throughout the training pants if they are not changed quickly.  These training pants are meant for children who are almost fully potty trained -- they provide a little more absorbency than underwear, offering a little protection when needed (on Grandma's new sofa, for example).  Since these trainers are not fully waterproof, they are not suitable for nighttime use.


In terms of how many training pants parents should buy, we generally recommend purchasing 3-5 pairs.  It's very easy to treat training pants like diapers, when your child is wearing underwear, there is more incentive to offer the potty on a regular basis (if they have an accident in underwear, it's more work to clean up than simply changing their training pants).


Good luck!

flip potty training pants review

Barb, one of the moms who works at the Ottawa store, recently reviewed the flip training pants for us. Barb has tried many (many!) nighttime combinations with her child, if anyone's opinion on these trainers counts for something, it's Barb's! We stock a good selection of training pants as it is, but the training pants we have stocked up to this point were generally best suited to daytime use. When parents come into the store looking for an overnight option for potty trained kids, they need something that fits, and more importantly, something that will not leak.

The flip training pants are sold in a boxed set that includes a one-size cover (fits 20-50 lbs), five organic cotton inserts, and set of waist panels (see a video of how the inserts and cover work together here). The cover itself can be adjusted in the rise, the stretchy waist panels allow parents to adjust the width of the cover. Cotton Babies sells additional sets of stretchy waist panels in different colors, they are not sized differently, they are available purely as an aesthetic measure to create different color combinations. The flip training pants (cover and inserts) are manufactured in the United States.

My daughter pees like crazy at night, so much so that she can pee right through a disposable training pant, leaving it a sodden stinky mess, with wet bedding far more often than I would like to deal with. At five years old, and weighing more than 40 lbs, we have had a hard time finding resusable nighttime training pant options that work. I’m quite happy to say the new flip training pants work overnight for her.

I prepped the training pants' inserts by boiling them in a large pot for approximately five minutes with a bit of laundry soap; constant stirring prevented the nylon hook and loop closures on the inserts from resting on the bottom of the pot (the nylon would melt against the hot surface of the pot), followed by a hot wash and machine dry. The inserts took a fairly long time to dry, but that seems to be par for the course for extra-absorbent materials. It’s probably not necessary to prep the inserts before daytime use, but I wanted to be sure the inserts would hold up overnight.

For overnight use, Cotton Babies recommends pairing up the training pants' organic cotton insert with one of their

biodegradable inserts. I used this combination on the first night we tried the flip trainers, I'm happy to report that we experienced no leaks! Since I would prefer a nighttime solution that does not involve a single-use product, the next night I paired the training pants' organic cotton insert with a 3-layer AMP hemp insert. This combination was bulkier, but it also worked really well, the hemp wasn’t even saturated. I have also tried pairing the flip organic cotton insert with a 2-layer AMP bamboo insert, that allowed for a much trimmer fit (shown at left), and still no leaks.

My daughter could easily pull the training pants up and down, which is important for children who are working on daytime toilet training. In terms of the weight range, since we needed to add extra absorbency, I'm not sure she will fit in the training pants as long as the manufacturer suggests. For children at the upper end of the recommended weight range, pairing the organic cotton insert with a disposable insert allows for a much trimmer fit, which would certainly allow the training pants to fit longer.

I’m not wild about the contrast design of having the stretchy waist panels a different colour than the main part of the cover, but I’m really happy to have something that works. I like the fact that I can separate the inserts from the cover for laundering. I would like to be able to purchase additional covers separately, with only one cover in the pack, I have to handwash the cover between uses. Only having one cover is better-suited for daytime potty training, it would be convenient to simply replace the cotton insert with each accident, rather than replacing the entire training pant, especially when you're out of the house.

Overall, I would recommend the flip training pants to parents who are potty training their kids, I will happily continue using it with my daughter.

The flip training pants are introductory priced at $29.95 until December 31st, 2011. Their regular MSRP is $42.95.

Potty learning tips

When parents come into the store to buy training pants, we usually spend a bit of time talking with them about the potty learning process. Although we practiced infant pottying with our babies, we still relied on the following tips and tricks when we were transitioning our toddlers to full-time underwear.

Start early.

Before starting the process of potty learning their toddlers, parents will often question whether or not they are 'ready' yet. Certainly, conventional wisdom dictates that your toddler should hit certain milestones before beginning the potty learning process, however, the reality is that children are far more capable than we give them credit for.

In other parts of the world, infant pottying is commonplace, and even within our own culture, previous generations of parents started potty learning their children at a much younger age than parents of today. No matter how you do it, you are always 'training' your child. If you wait for your child to soil a diaper, then you give her a clean diaper, you are in effect training her that diapers are used for elimination purposes. As a result, the longer you wait to potty your child, the harder it will be for her to unlearn what you have previously taught her.


Don't ask your little one if she needs to 'go', just take her to the bathroom.

Do you know what a toddler's top three words are?

1) No
2) No
3) No


Yes, all three are clearly the same word, but it doesn't matter. Toddlers like to test boundaries, and the word 'no' is a great way to test boundaries! If you ask a toddler if she needs to pee, nine times out of ten the answer will be 'no', regardless of whether or not she actually needs to pee. Rather than ask her if she needs to pee, simply take her to the toilet at regular intervals. Set the timer on the stove if you want something else to take the blame, it serves as a great reminder for you, and toddlers aren't rational people anyway.


Rely on diapers as little as possible.

Toddlers know what diapers are for, they soil a diaper, then you give them a fresh diaper -- it's not rocket science! If you continue to put your little one in a diaper, you are enforcing the idea that she should pee and poop in the the diaper. Rely on underwear as much as you can, it looks different and feels different than a diaper, and you will do a better job at staying on top of the pottying situation (the onus is just as much on you as it is on her when it comes to potty time, if not moreso!).

For those times that you may not be able to access a potty easily (like at the grocery store), or when you really don't want to chance an accident (like at a playdate at a friend's house), waterproof training pants are a great alternative to diapers. They pull up and down like underwear, so your toddler can use the toilet easily, and they will hold at least one wetting. We generally suggest to customers that they don't buy more than 3-5 pairs of training pants, the more you have, the more likely you are to treat them like diapers.

Be consistent

Make pottying a part of your toddler's day-to-day routine, so that she knows to expect it, and she gets used to the idea of using the toilet. Potty her first thing in the morning, after drinks, before and after naps, and before you leave the house.

Use positive reinforcement.

When we got to the point where our little ones were consistently using the potty when we took them to it, and we knew they were capable of going themselves, we introduced the concept of rewards to encourage self-pottying. In our case, we used Smarties (shock, horror, I know!). If you're not comfortable with the idea of using candy as a reward, use something else you know will motivate your child to self-potty (stickers, pony rides, whatever feels right!). Once our little ones had the hang of self-pottying, we would gradually wean them off the reward.

Keep calm and carry on.

OK, I'll admit it, this suggestion can be tough to follow. I once found Grace in her bedroom with poop smeared everywhere -- on the wall, on her crib, and on the carpet, she was covered up to her elbows in it. I will fully admit that I cried. I cried like a baby, sobbing big, fat hysterical sobs, tears the size of jellybeans rolling down my cheeks. It wasn't a pretty sight.

The second you make potty training a big deal, it will become a big deal. When you freak out over accidents (which are bound to happen, consider yourselves warned!), you run the risk of scaring your toddler off the toilet and back into diapers. When your little one has an accident, calmly clean it up, talk about where poop and pee belong (in the toilet!), and move on.

Infant pottying: the what, the why, and the how

One of the many benefits of cloth diapers is the likelihood of earlier potty training. Since most cloth diapers (with the exception of diapers lined with wicking fabric) keep wetness against your baby’s skin, your baby will be more aware of what’s happening when she eliminates. Of course, this doesn’t mean your baby will self potty train, however, you can take advantage of her likelihood to potty train faster by pottying her at a younger age.

In many cultures, parents don’t rely on diapers – in fact, if you ask your own parents or grandparents about potty training, you’ll find that they likely started potty training you at a younger age than most parents today. When you potty an infant, you are not training her to hold her pee and poo, you are simply responding to your baby’s elimination needs; you are effectively teaching her how to eliminate. Infant pottying is not an ‘all or nothing’ deal, you can adapt it to your own situation; part-time pottying is completely OK! Even if you only potty your baby once/day, you’re getting him/her used to the idea that they can void outside of a diaper, so when you do potty train, it’s not a new concept. If you leave a child in diapers all the time, and change the diaper when it’s soiled, you are training them to void in the diaper.

The easiest way to start pottying your baby is at diaper changes, when you already have your baby’s diaper off. You tend to change a diaper after a nap/nurse, which is when babies usually need to pee (what’s the first thing you do in the morning? Have you ever noticed your baby’s tendency to pee at a diaper change?). Pottying your baby at a diaper change creates no more work for you.

You may find it easiest to potty your baby over a sink, it’s easier on your back, and you can cradle your baby against your chest; holding her under the thighs will bring her knees above her hips, which will help move things along. Another benefit of pottying your baby over the sink is the visual cue she will receive from watching herself in the mirror – she’ll see what’s happening.

When you are pottying your baby, you can cue her with a sound (‘sssss’) or a word (‘pee pee’). You can also teach them the hand sign for peeing (make a fist, with your thumb between the second and third fingers). Eventually, your baby will associate the cue with eliminating. Around seven months of age, we noticed our baby’s seemed to be holding their bladders and voiding on command.

Once you are comfortable pottying your baby, you can observing her habits -- your baby has a pattern, you can figure it out simply by leaving her diaperless on a waterproof mat and making note of when she pees (a newborn might pee every 20 minutes, for example; an older baby will go longer between pees). Of course, I’m not suggesting you potty your baby every 20 minutes throughout the day, but it helps to have a sense of her needs.

Aside from timing, if you pay attention to your baby, you will notice when things are happening. For example, when a young baby is peeing, she may hold her breath and stop moving. Now that Grace is on solids (solid poop!), I can tell when she needs to poop – grunting, farting, etc. If she starts, I take her diaper off and finish over the toilet.

Troubleshooting:
- consistency helps (same person)
- eliminate distractions (ie, a sibling who is drawing baby’s attention from the task at hand).
- give baby something to distract him/her (ie, a special toy on the potty)
- it’s not unusual for a baby to give up pottying when working on another milestone (ie, walking); continue to offer the potty, but don’t push it.

If you’re having an ‘off’ day, just use diapers. Same for if you’re sleep-deprived, or if you’re dealing with a sick/cranky baby… don’t make it a chore, it’s OK to take a break.

When you’re ready to actually toilet train (ie, encourage child to potty self, move entirely out of diapers), the onus is on you. Don’t ask, just take baby to the potty. Straight to underwear is more motivating for you to stay on top of it (training pants for out and about). Lot’s of praise and reward for self-pottying, then gradually cut it out (Smarties did it for our kids -- if they knew we had Smarties in the house, they'd be on the toilet every 20 minutes, squeeing out a drip!).

If you consistently provide your baby with an opportunity to potty at an early age, you will get her out of diapers sooner. Yes, you will hit roadblocks, but the earlier you start, the easier it will be. I honestly started pottying our second child at birth on a lark -- I read about infant pottying, and I thought it was crazy. It worked so well, we've done it with all of our children since, and I encourage all new parents to try it. Good luck!

Resources:
- http://www.diaperfreebaby.org/
- “Diaper Free: The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygiene” (Ingrid Bauer)
- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eliminationcommunication/

Potty training tips

We sell a variety of training pants at our stores, so naturally, the topic of potty training comes up quite frequently. It's one of those things that as a parent, you can't avoid, but you can make it easier by following some simple rules:

1) You can't start pottying your child 'too early'. It was common practice in previous generations to start pottying babies well before two or three years old (ask your parents!), which is the current standard in North America. In other cultures, babies are pottied from birth. The concept of waiting to start potty training a child until she can walk and talk, and pull her own pants up and down independently is nonsense. The earlier you start pottying your child, the easier it will be on both of you!

2) As soon as your child has solid poops (um, solid food begets solid poop!), and it becomes obvious when she's having a bowel movement (farting, grunting, going red in the face, you get the picture?), if you're around and you notice what's happening, take the diaper off and let her finish it on the potty. If you continually wait for her to finish it in the diaper, and then you give her a fresh diaper, you are training her to poop in the diaper. If your child poops in a diaper, make it a point to let her watch you dump the contents of the diaper into the toilet -- let her wave bye-bye, let her flush the toilet... let her know where poop belongs!

3) Don't ask your child if she wants to use the potty, you are just providing an opportunity for her to say 'no'. Watch the clock, and take her accordingly; start by pottying her on a frequent basis, then slowly increase the time between potty trips.

4) When you begin actively potty training your child (ie, trying to get her to self-potty), move her right out of diapers into underwear, don't rely on training pants. Training pants are meant to hold a wetting, there will be no repurcussions for your or her if she has an accident. The onus is on you at the beginning of potty training to take your child to the potty (see point #3). If she is wearing training pants, you will be lazy about it (trust me!). If she is wearing underwear, you will be more likely to potty her on a consistent basis. Only use training pants for excursions outside of the house.

5) Reward your child for self-pottying. There is nothing wrong with providing an incentive for your child to potty herself. Whatever her button is, you've got to push it! At the beginning, when she is getting used to self-pottying, reward her every time she takes herself to the potty (even if it's every twenty minutes to squeeze out a drip!). Then reward her every two times, then every three times... you get the picture? Don't worry, she won't require a Smartie to pee when she's 18 years old, lol.

6) Relax. Don't get stressed out about accidents (which are inevitable), your stress will make your child anxious. Potty training is not going to be an overnight event, it's a gradual process, there will be accidents, but no parent has ever sent a child to university wearing diapers.

When it's time for you to purchase training pants for your little one, we have a great selection:

- Bummis training pants ($12.00) feature a PUL outer, and a cotton flannel inner, with extra absorbency sewn into the wet zone. S: 20-30 lbs; M: 30-40 lbs; L: 40-50 lbs

- Mother-ease training pants ($13.00) feature a PUL outer and a cotton terry inner, with extra absorbency sewn into the wet zone. S: 20-30 lbs; L: 30-40 lbs

- Happy Heiny pocket trainers ($20.00) feature snaps that make it easier to deal with poopy accidents; they are lined with a microfleece lining, so your child will not feel wetness. XS: 15-25 lbs; S: 25-35 lbs

- Starbunz learning undies ($20.00, ETA end of June) have a pocket so you can customize absorbency; they feature a cotton lining (especially made for us!), and snaps to make it easier to deal with poopy accidents. They have stretchy sides, to make it easier for your child to pull them up or down.