Potty Training Time: Bummis Potty Pants Instill Toddler Confidence

When I started cloth diapering, almost 6 years ago, the first cloth diapers I invested in were part of a bummis cloth diapering kit. I still have those covers and well-loved prefolds and plan on using them with baby #3 later this Spring. Now that my daughter is almost out of diapers I have been having some cloth diapering withdrawals  I just hadn't found a great solution for reusable trainers to use during potty training.

I have tried the classic "plastic pants" which were a little like my daughter wearing a balloon. They were noisy and not comfortable for her. Then we went straight to underwear which lead to a lot of spot carpet cleaning. I was searching for a product to try for this in-between stage. She was ready to train, but not ready to go cold turkey.

So I was excited to hear that bummis had a Potty Pant. My daughter is 3 1/2, so I appreciated the trim design, fun colors and little bit of added absorbent padding. She still has an occasional accident, but these were a great way to help instill confidence during this important developmental milestone. Plus, she liked the ways these looked and felt. Her picky vote was very important for success.

I was sent a L/G size Potty Pant in Pistachio Dot for my daughter to try. She is almost 33 lbs, so right in between the suggested 30- 35 lbs range.

Inside there is an absorbent layer, one layer of cotton terry and one of microfiber, but I appreciate that it isn't too thick. My daughter isn't accustomed to cloth diapers anymore and this is nice mid-step between cloth and regular big girl underwear. In fact they look like underwear and only a savvy mom would know the difference. They are a pull-up style which she found easy enough to put on herself. There were no scratchy tabs or buttons for her to mess with. They also are made with an outer layer of waterproof fabric but she doesn't sound like a rustling plastic bag when she walks.

The material is stretchy enough to put on easily. My daughter is around the 50th percentile for her height and weight and we found these just a little snug around the legs. They were not uncomfortable or left red marks on her skin, but she did mention they were, "Not too big". For added accident protection, I appreciate that they were not too loose.

They fit around her waist comfortably and didn't come up too high. That is a bonus for wearing underneath her favorite pants and jeans without adding any extra bulk or "fluff".

You can see in this picture they are a little snug on her legs. These also come in XL, 35 lbs and up, which I would like to try for her next. Every child has a different body shape so I know fit may vary slightly from child to child, but I am still impressed with this training pant option and it will save me a lot in disposable pants.

Overall I wish I had these when my son was potty training! I would love to see more color options available in the future so I could have a whole variety available when my next child is up to bat for training time. If your toddler has chubbier legs I would suggest the next size up, but my daughter was able to use hers for 2 weeks without a problem. I enjoy that when my daughter has an accident these give her instant feedback without wetting her clothing or our furniture.

Again, I am thrilled with another bummis product and recommend this one for anyone else getting started potty training. Have you tried reusable potty training pants for your children?

Connect with bummis on Twitter, Facebook and on their Pinterest page for more product information and cloth diapering ideas. You can purchase these online through their site's Find a Retailer tab.

*Disclaimer - I was sent a pair of Potty Pants to facilitate an honest review. I was not required to post a postive review and all opinions and experiences are my own.

An Unsung Victory Vs. Pull-Up Purgatory

Something amazing happened in our home last week. It was at least a glimmer of hope for a Mom who considers herself quite hopeless on the subject of potty training.

I think I should just accept that my children like to make this big transition later than their peers. Most of our friends had their children potty trained by 2. My kids both drug it out, kicking and screaming with tears and tantrums, until over 3-years old. To be honest, it happened right before they each turned 4.

Now that I am getting closer to my due date with baby #3, I can't imagine doing two in diapers, again. My older children are 22 months apart and diapering two at the same time is exhausting. Not to mention that once they hit 3-years old I don't want to wipe that anymore. It is a big mess that only needs to be shared with a porcelain throne.

I have heard it all.

Everyone I knew, and even some people I barely know had potty training advice for me. I know they meant well, but I was a hopeless cause. Here are some of my favorites:

One that didn't sound half bad to me was intense potty training sans pants. I think this one might be best left to the Summer months of backyard sprinklers and hoses, but it seems like everyone I talked to was braving it indoors.

After hearing stories about the "no-pants" training sessions and the multiple carpet shampoos necessary in a day, I decided it just wasn't for me. I mean, I don't even like it when the cat gets sick. I do NOT want that kinda mess on the carpet.

No thank you, I would rather stay in pull-up purgatory!

Another favorite tip was to find the "perfect" bribe (er, reward). Yeah, no amount of bribing could make either of my kiddos give up their pants-in potty. The kids seemed really excited and willing until it was time to visit the bathroom. Then they became stubborn and backed out on our previous deals.

Yes, I set timers. I set timers upon timers and found myself losing days and then weeks. In the end the kids broke me. I dreamed of what I would say to their 1st grade teachers about their training pants. I sweated it every day until it was finally over.

Something clicked for both of them. I don't know what or why, but they just started doing it. I gave them praise, we celebrated, but it happened so quickly and quietly it almost didn't seem real. It was their choice. Albeit I pushed and prodded, but they humbled me. My husband was fed up and I was resigned, but in the end it all worked out. My daughter is not without occasional accidents, but I know the days for even those are numbered.

This is what gets me about parenting. It never works out like an episode of Leave it to the Beaver. As a parent, I don't have all the answers. My kids teach me to be patient everyday. And life shows me that things work out in their own time. This was our unsung victory. A quiet and beautiful change of life that took me out of the perpetual frustration of diapers with a big kid. If I could write a note to myself to open 3 years from now, when my unborn baby is nearing this stage,  it would read:

Be patient and stay calm. It will all work out.