Potty Training- Tyler's Progress Report

For some reason, there have been a number of my blogger friends who have written a post today about potty training.  I thought I'd build up some camaraderie and fill you in on how potty training (or learning) is going in our household.

Tyler initiated peeing on the potty a little over a month ago.  It all started when our babysitter did a very poor job in wiping his bum from his last diaper change before bed.  As a result, the poor guy had a very severe diaper rash when he woke up. :(  So for the next few days, I'd wait a while before I put on a fresh diaper between changes.  In the morning, I'd take off his diaper and just let him have some fresh air.

During one of these mornings, Tyler went into the bathroom and sat on the "froggy potty".  Instead of telling me he was going, he decided that bringing the little bucket of pee pee with a proud face was the way to go.  This brings such a smile to my face thinking about how he walked in announcing " I PEED, Mommy!"  I couldn't believe it.  That day, he was so into it, he probably peed on it 20 times-lol! Of course, most of the time, it was a little drop.

Ok, so this might be too much visual but check out that proud face!

Since then, he's had days where he had an accident almost every time he had the urge to go.  But overall, he's done great.  Using cloth diapers before potty training has made potty training so much more relaxing for a number of reasons:

1.  Dealing with an "accident" isn't a big deal because I feel more prepared. I've already carried around a change of clothes and a wet bag, since he was born. Instead of diapers, I have trainers. About a year ago,I wrote a blog post on ways to be prepared during potty training here. Of course, we have different trainers to recommend now!


2.  Instead of rushing Tyler into this process, I've let him take the lead.   I've come to understand that he will do this when he is developmentally ready not when other moms brag about their child or when the books say it is time.


3. I don't feel pressured to "save money" on pull-ups by forcing him into this stage. We've already paid for them! :)


4. Because he's been in cloth, I've been following his peeing/pooping record closely.  I pretty much know about when he pees, how much he pees, and how long he stays dry.


4.  Tyler is more prepared too.  He knows when he is about to go pee/poop and has had time to feel "wet" longer than if he weren't using cloth diapers.


5. He's still using his one-size diapers at night and even some of the Flip Trainers.  Unbelievably enough, he has been staying dry through the night too.  


I've learned that potty training is very different for each child.  My daughter was (is still in many regards) motivated by rewards and night time training was extended long after she was in underwear during the day.  Tyler could care less about any reward! 


What has/was potty training like for your kids?  Any stories you'd like to share?


In peace,

Jen Starks, Owner
www.ecologicalbabies.com 
ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 
574.275.1235

Giveaway: Trainer of Your Choice

I know we all hope that our children will eventually stop using their adorable cloth diapers someday.  Why not be prepared for the day when it comes by winning one of our new trainers?

The two trainers we now carry, Flip Trainer and GroVia's "My Choice" Trainer, have brought cloth trainers to a new level.  We've tested a bunch before these and I have not had a trainer that is as trim and versatile than these.

The Flip trainer comes as a kit and give you 5 pads.  That's an awesome deal.  It also goes up to 50lbs.  This is a great trainer for getting started with potty training.  At first you'll need to assist them in pulling it up and down.  Later, they'll be able to do it on their own.

GroVia's trainer is more like an extension of underwear with added protection.  It will accelerate the training process and will appeal to those toddlers who want something that makes them feel like a "big boy" or "big girl".  It's not made to be an absorbent diaper like the Flip Trainer.  However, it has a pocket, so you could add more protection if you need it.

This is an easy giveaway to enter!  Some of these entries can be entered daily, so check back in and earn more points!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck!

Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 574.275.1235

Potty Training (Learning) Season

Call it what you want, this is PRIME season for starting to get your toddler out of diapers.  The weather is warming up and you can let them run around without pants inside or outside your house.  Now I'm the first to say I'm not an expert on potty training, so I won't spend time writing on that topic.  Though, I have certainly learned A LOT on the topic from going through it with my first child! 

To kick off the season, we're going to have a special on our Little Beetle Learners (15% off) starting 2/21 noon for a week.  These trainers are like a fitted cloth diaper in that they won't leak if a little bit of pee ends up in the learner.  It isn't, however, waterproof.  Here are some top reasons why we love these:

1.  They are super soft organic cotton=comfortable and they feel it when they are wet.
2.  They have snaps on both sides if your toddler decides to go poo poo in it-SO much better than sliding it down.
3.  They can be worn like underwear underneath clothes AND can be pulled up and down by your child.
4.  If you add a doubler and throw on a cover, you can use it if you want to take a break on the learning process and it is functional cloth diaper.
5.  They look like big kid underwear (which for our daughter was a big deal)!
6.  You're not throwing money in the trash for those expensive pull up disposables.
7.  It's healthier against the skin compared to most disposables.

Whether you've never given a thought to cloth diapers and are hoping to encourage your toddler out of disposable diapers, or you are continuing cloth beyond the diapers, these trainers are a great option.

Finally, I have a couple accessories to recommend when you begin this process.

1.  GroVia BioWipes- Made from a plant source, these wet wipes help the toddler (and you) with the poopies on the toilet.  One last wipe after she/he has wiped himself, so you won't have messy underwear.  We also used these when training "on the go".

2.  GroVia BioLiners- Let's face it, the poopies at this stage are really not fun to clean up.  These liners go on top of the trainer so in case they aren't comfortable yet pooping in the toilet, all you do is take off the liner and flush everything down. 

3.  Diaper Sprayer-  If you haven't already purchased one of these yet, your experience during this process will be really enhanced with one of these.  If you plan on using a portable potty seat, these sprayers are the BEST at cleaning it out.  If you skip the Bioliners and have poopies in the underwear for awhile, a sprayer really does the job with minimal mess for you.  We use the sprayer for many other uses to, so you'll have plenty of excuses to use it (cleaning the bathroom, filling up buckets, bidet, etc).

4.  Prefolds- If you've already invested in prefolds, don't put them away yet.  These are excellent at soaking up accidents in record time.  We'd keep them in a bin around the house, so if we needed to wipe up an accident it was ready for use.  And the bonus is that you won't need to buy a lot of paper towels and they can be washed with the trainers!

Good luck to you and your new adventure! 

Peace,

Jen
Jen Starks, Owner www.ecologicalbabies.com ecologicalbabies@gmail.com 850.284.5887

Potty Training Tips

Quick Facts About Potty Training
By Elizabeth Pantley, Author of The No-Cry Potty Training Solution

Potty training can be natural, easy, and peaceful. The first step is to know the facts.

• The perfect age to begin potty training is different for every child. Your child's best starting age could be anywhere from eighteen to thirty-two months. Pre-potty training preparation can begin when a child is as young as ten months.
  
• You can begin training at any age, but your child's biology, skills, and readiness will determine when he can take over his own toileting.
  
• Teaching your child how to use the toilet can, and should, be as natural as teaching him to build a block tower or use a spoon.
  
• No matter the age that toilet training begins, most children become physically capable of independent toileting between ages two and a half and four.
  
• It takes three to twelve months from the start of training to daytime toilet independence. The more readiness skills that a child possesses, the quicker the
  process will be.
  
• The age that a child masters toileting has absolutely no correlation to future abilities or intelligence.
  
• There isn’t only one right way to potty train – any approach you use can work - if you are pleasant, positive and patient.
  
• Nighttime dryness is achieved only when a child's physiology supports this--you can't rush it.
  
• A parent's readiness to train is just as important as a child's readiness to learn.
  
• Potty training need not be expensive. A potty chair, a dozen pairs of training pants and a relaxed and pleasant attitude are all that you really need. Anything else is truly optional.
  
• Most toddlers urinate four to eight times each day, usually about every two hours or so.
  
• Most toddlers have one or two bowel movements each day, some have three, and others skip a day or two in between movements. In general, each child has a regular pattern.
  

• More than 80 percent of children experience setbacks in toilet training. This means that what we call “setbacks” are really just the usual path to mastery of toileting.
  
• Ninety-eight percent of children are completely daytime independent by age four.

This article is an excerpt from The No-Cry Potty Training Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Child Say Good-Bye to Diapers by Elizabeth Pantley. (McGraw-Hill, 2006) 
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