Cloth trainers make sense and save cents over disposables!

Seems like common sense to me, if you want to potty train your little one and get them used to wearing underwear wouldn't you want them to be wearing training pants that look and feel as much like real underwear as possible? 

Disposable trainers make no sense at all.  Just because of the faux underwear print do they think the child will understand that they're supposed to be "big kid" underwear?  No!  If your little one is used to disposable diapers then they're going to think disposable trainers are one and the same, after all they look about the same, feel about the same and they can see you getting them in the same plastic packaging from the store, just like baby diapers.

Luckily cloth diaper companies have come to your rescue and provide you with some cloth alternatives to disposable trainers.  Trainers that are made to look and feel like real underwear.

One of our favorite brands of cloth trainers is Little Beetle Learners!


Little Beetle Learners provide a wonderful way to welcome your little one into the world of potty learning! 

Pull on, snap off. What could be easier? 

Two layers of our favorite fair trade organic velour cotton, with a third layer tucked into the wet zone and hidden by some very sporty stitching! Our Learners are 100% natural fibers, that means no PUL or other waterproofing layer. (couple with a wool soaker short for heavy duty needs). Designed to catch an small accident or miss while headed to the potty, the fit is trim yet contemporary. Surprisingly enough, we find these to be almost as absorbent as our diapers and thus can serve double duty if you like (for use as a diaper, add a doubler and wool soaker short)  

 

Not only are cloth trainers much more comfortable for your little one, they save you a ton of money, they're better for the planet and they can be saved and used when your next child is of potty training age!

MISSION: Potty training twins! Almost complete.

Phew! It literally feels like I began potty training my twin sons a bajillion years ago! I told myself when we started that I wasn't going to stress out because there's nothing more frustrating than trying to potty train little ones who aren't ready. Little by little they showed signs of readiness like taking their diapers off right after they peed, wanting to be changed immediately after pooping, and they showed a lot of interest in peeing outdoors in the grass and such whenever they were diaper-less! (I guess that's a boy thing!)

So we got a small potty. I tried it in the bathroom but that didn't work because I keep the bathroom door closed so they won't go in there all day and mess around. So we put the potty in the kitchen where it was more visible and accessible to them and they began to use it much more.

We finally got to the point where they were in underwear all the time at home. So I took the plunge and started putting them in underwear for short car rides. Well, they weren't ready for that. Every time they would just pee in the car seat, regardless of whether they had just peed or not. So we went back to diapers when we were out.

Eventually we tried underwear in the car again recently and they have really taken to it. I do remind them constantly "don't pee in your underwear" and they have really seemed to get it this time.

Now our last and hardest phase is getting them to not pee during the night. Mason has been waking up dry every morning and even wakes up at night to use the potty if he needs to. Spencer on the other hand pees throughout the night and if I don't wake him before his morning pee then he leaks all over the sheets and wakes up because of it.

So far we've tried everything. The latest is keeping him in an overstuffed Duo Diaper and making sure to wake him before he wakes up on his own. I also think I need to cut back on how much liquids I give him the evening before. They both literally drink ALL day long.

Anyhow, it's been a long road but I think we're almost there. They will be 4yrs old in October and by then I am sure they'll be fully trained. (knock on wood)

How's it going for you all? Any advice? I've always heard it's harder to potty train boys than girls and I think that's proving to be true for us.

Just Julie: Can't they just wear cloth forever!?

Well my twins boys are about to turn 3yrs old and I think it's finally time I try and take potty training a little more seriously. I've been attempting it for quite some time but find myself saying to myself "oh they just aren't ready yet" but maybe I am the one who's just not ready. I go to reach for underwear and they say "diaper!" I am much too eager to oblige.

In a way I feel like I've just learned about cloth and now my days of cloth diapering babies is going to be over. I regret not having tried it or at least looked into it when my daughter was little. She would have looked so cute with a fluffy bum, instead our family album is filled with photos of her in disposables which I find quite embarrassing, especially since I sell cloth diapers! Now that my sons are in underwear most of the day I regret not having taken more photos of them in cloth, maybe I should have had their portrait taken with cute diapers on....oh, isn't hindsight 20/20!?

I'm so thankful to have become as passionate about cloth as I have become, to have fulfilled my dream of owning a business, and have actually tried something that I would have never imagined I'd love so much. With my daughter I can honestly say, the thought of cloth NEVER crossed my mind.

So I guess it should come as no surprise to me that I would be sad at the thought of never putting another cloth diaper on my sons, never having to fold diaper laundry, no longer needing to covet the latest and greatest diaper other than as stock for my store. I can tell my sons are close to being ready and if I stick to my guns and stay committed to following through they'll probably be potty trained in no time. Then there will be no turning back.