A Gentle Approach to Toilet Training

Toilet training or potty training is something you see come up on facebook and twitter time and time again.  Its like its a magic art, and no one knows quite how its going to work out for them and so they keep asking questions until they come out on the other side.

Apparently there are books you can buy on the topic, strangely by people who haven't had kids.  And the general consensus is that you wait until some magic time, usually after their 3rd birthday, cancel all plans for the week and just take their nappies off.  If they have too many accidents (an unquantified amount), you go back to what you were doing before and try again in another month or two.

I'm writing this post because I would like parents to know there is another way, in fact I suspect there are many different approaches, this is ours.  Through out the whole process, we let Little Owl guide us, and show us when she was ready for the next stage.

I have been told that my Grandma used to sit me on a potty on her lap and read stories to me from a very young age.  And a friend's mum told me that (in her opinion) if you waited until a child could walk, you had left it too late!

Armed with this information, I introduced Little Owl to the potty at around 6 months.  Nothing major, I would just sit her on it when I did a nappy change, while I was tidying stuff away before putting the clean nappy on.  Not every time, just when I was at home and had time.  And more often then not, something would happen.

Little Owl is lucky enough to have a sink in her bedroom, and for a long long time that is where we used to bath her.  So I used to sit her on the potty next to the sink while I brushed her teeth and filled the sink.  Regularly we would have a potty to empty and so this became part of our night time 'routine' before putting her pjs on.  As we used cloth nappies, it really did make a difference to us!

This had become a habit by the time Little Owl turned one.  Shortly afterwards we spent the evening at my brothers house. His children are older and were past the potty stage but did have a toilet seat. With nothing to loose we put Little Owl on the toilet and, well she did what she needed to do!

Brilliant! We could cut out the middle man and pop Little Owl straight on the toilet! We rushed out and bought a toilet seat the very next day!

And that was it.  Little Owl was pretty much clean from that day, it helped that she had just learnt the sign for nappy and could tell us if she wanted to 'go' at another time.  We would have the odd 'accident' in her nappy, about once a month and this was usually linked in with teething.

The last accident happened when we were in India.  We were out shopping one evening, buying saris, and Little Owl became very distressed on my back.  I got her down from the sling and she was all hot and sweaty and obviously upset but I couldn't work out what was wrong.  It wasn't until we got home that night, after dinner, that I realised what had happened.  The poor little thing had been too embarrassed to tell me she had a full nappy.  She hasn't had an accident since.

Little Owl showed signs of being dry last summer too, but as a bum shuffler, I wasn't prepared to let her go nappy free - can you imagine the carpet burn?!!!

But I did invest in some TotsBots training pants.  I've read many comments on Facebook saying that training pants are not worth it and you should go straight to pants, and I agree for disposables as they are just as absorbent as normal disposables and so the only difference for the child is that you can pull them up.  However with cloth training pants they are much smaller than a nappy and only just hold one wee, meaning the child knows if they've gone and the parent does too.  I would use them at home if I was having a lazy day and could do regular potty stops. I took them camping last summer, and I took them to India to save me using too many disposables.  While in India, I noticed that, more often than not, they were dry, and Little Owl was using the toilet.

TotsBots training pants

So at half term, aged 21 months, we stopped using nappies at home during the day.  The potty has become very useful as Little Owl doesn't like to stop the activity she is doing to visit the toilet.   With only one or two accidents over the following 6 weeks, and reports from Little Owl's Grandparents that her nappies were always dry, I decided the Easter Holidays was the time to venture out without nappies.

It did mean that I needed a slightly bigger bag again as I now needed to take a toilet seat (I have a foldable one), spare pants and a pair of leggings with me - its not a lot really and it does fit in my handbag!

That was a month ago, we've only had one accident while not at home which I think it pretty good going.  Already Little Owl is happy to use a public toilet without a toilet seat, so my bag has got smaller again!  She even did her first alfresco wee this week as we were on the beach and a mile from the nearest loo!

The whole process has felt very natural for us.  It hasn't been stressful.  Little Owl hasn't had to 'learn' what to do, as she has always stayed one (or more) steps ahead of me.  She's still wearing nappies at night and currently there isn't sign of that stopping anytime soon, but I'm so glad that she is sleeping, that I don't want to risk that anyhow!

A Guide to TotsBots Nappies

We love TotsBots cloth nappies!  Little Owl tried her first one when she was about 3 weeks old and since then we have been hooked!  However, it can be very confusing at to tell the difference between easyfits, tinyfits, bamboozles, papoozles, V2s, V3s, V4s, training pants, fleece liners, paper liners and wraps.  Seeing as it is Real Nappy Week, I thought I would try to explain!

Easyfits

Easyfits are TotsBots signature nappy and have won them many awards over the years.  Easyfits are an "All-in-One" nappy meaning that you don't need a seperate waterproof cover.  They are also "Birth to Potty" meaning that the poppers on the front can be used to adjust the size of the nappy so it can fit babies from 8-35lb.   They really are easy to fit - they open like a disposable nappy but instead of sticky tabs, they have hook and loop (velcro to you and me but as that's a brand name you can't say it).

TotsBots aren't happy with having created an amazing nappy - they keep working on it, listening to customer feedback and trying to improve.  They are currently on version 4 - called the Binky or more commonly the V4.  As V2s and V3s are still available to buy I thought I would give you a quick overview of them all.

V2s contain bamboo which makes them very absorbent.  V3s are make from minky which is a soft fleece like fabric making the nappy much less bulky and very quick drying.  Generally they are not as absorbent as the V2s and many people find they need to add an additional booster if they are going to be on for more than a couple of hours.  This is easy to do and I found it gave us flexibility depending on what Little Owl and I were up to.  V2s and V3s also come with poppers instead of velcro hook and loop which can be handy in the summer with a toddler who can undo the other type. The V4s are brand new and are a best of both worlds being made from a combination of bamboo and minky making them the most absorbent nappy yet but also dry slightly quicker than the V2s.  I have given our V4 the ultimate test of putting it on Little Owl at night and although her skin was slightly damp around the edges, her clothes remained dry!  Another thing I like about the V4s (other than the amazing colour combination) is that it comes with a pop-in booster meaning that while your little one isn't wetting too heavily you can remove it and save on the bulk. When they grow, you can just popper the booster back in and it becomes part of the nappy.


Tinyfits

Tinyfits are well, tiny!  Designed for tiny babies from 5-12lb.  I didn't use these with Little Owl as when she was born I had no intentions of using cloth nappies, but if we are lucky enough to have another baby, I will be stocking up!


Bamboozles

These are one half of the "Two Part System" meaning you also need to add the waterproof wrap.   The whole nappy is made of bamboo and comes with a pop in booster if you need it which makes them a great night time nappy or for very long car journeys (or busy days). The poppers on the front means it is adjustable and fits from 9-35lbs.

Wraps

Wraps are a waterproof outer layer that need to be worn over the bamboozles.  The TotsBots wraps used to come in several sizes, but if you look at the new stretchy wrap on the right, you can see that it has the adjustable poppers on the front meaning that it can also be used from birth to potty.

Training Pants

I love the TotsBots training pants.  Unlike disposable training pants which are actually just nappies that you can pull up, these training pants are a real step between nappies and pants, even if you haven't used cloth nappies.  They have a thin minky liner in them which will absorb a small accident but allow the child to know that they are wet.  They also have side poppers so if they need removing, it can be done like a nappy without the need to take off shoes and trousers!  I have been using them on and off for about a year, I find them particularly useful when I go away without cloth nappies as they can be easily hand washed and dried - they were invaluable in India and I even took them camping last year!


So there you go, that's TotsBots all wrapped up if you will pardon the pun!

There are lots of offers about this week, but once all the fun of Real Nappy Week is over, the code RH10 will get you 15% off if you order on the TotsBots website (excludes Whats New, Clearance and Potion).

Stinky

It was one of those days with lots of errands, not so much mine but my parents and I'd been ask to act as chauffeur to help speed things up and save them from parking each time.

Stop one was my mum's first errand and left my Dad, Little Owl and I in the car. Little Owl was asleep already after a superb effort at swimming in the morning. Mum gets back in the car and we go to stop two and drop her off before going to stop 3. Stop 3 was a shop - the good news was that we got parked outside, the bad news was it was shut. Still, at least we didn't wake Little Owl up.

Stop 4 was my errand and as I couldn't park I just stopped in the road and dropped my item off before heading to stop 5 to pick my Mum up. Do you see the type of day it is becoming?

On the way to stop 6 I noticed a rather unpleasant smell but chose not to say anything. Stop 6 was my Dad's errand (on behalf of my brother) which he failed to complete and upon returning to the car, he noticed a rather unpleasant smell but again didn't say anything. The smell was getting stronger.

Stop 7 and it was my Dad's turn to stay in the car whilst my Mum and I visited a few shops. The smell was really unpleasant now and as we got out of the car Little Owl woke. My Mum said to me "I think your daughter has done something in her nappy - let's be quick".

Now that thought had just been occurring in my mind - but at 18 months I have only had 5 dirty nappies since Little Owl turned one - the thought of her producing one in her sleep seemed unlikely - but if not - what was that smell?

Stop 7 took longer than expected and we returned to the car to find my Dad frozen and huddled in the front seat - he said he couldn't decide whether to stay in the car with the smell which by this time was getting unbearable or stand outside in the cold. I couldn't take the smell and opened the windows as we drove back to stop 6.

On the second visit, my Dad managed to complete his errand at stop 6 but by this time the smell was really getting strong and the window remained open at stop 8 and then for our return journey back to my parents house.

I was surprised that Little Owl wasn't making a fuss about the stink bomb in her nappy and I braced myself as I got her out of the car and into the house to change.  I really wasn't looking forward to it.... I'd stopped using liners ages ago as there seemed not point and never before had she produced anything this bad.  Not being at home, it took a bit of time to make sure I had everything needed to perform this stinkiest of changes, but eventually I couldn't put it off any longer... I undid her nappy and...

It was empty. 

Nothing.

Lovely white minkee staring back at me. 

So it wasn't Little Owl.

I call to my Dad who then goes on a sniff inspection of our shoes - surely one of us must have trodden in something.

Nada.

Back to the car for a full sniff inspection.

Nothing.

The smell had gone.

Couldn't find it anywhere.

That was until...

we opened the fridge!

At stop 5 my mum had bought....

THE CHEESE!!!

 

The Baby Show with TotsBots

I love The Baby Show, in fact any show, I did the wedding show a couple of times, and have even been to the Knit and Stitch show at Ally Pally, oh - and the Outdoor Show at the NEC.    Actually the first show I ever went to was when I was 19.  It was The Dive Show at the NEC and I was working on one of the stands.  I haven't a clue about diving but I remember a couple got married in a tank and it made the local news!

I like to see all the products at the shows and interact with the people behind them, especially the brands at the Baby Show as I have followed many of my favourites on Facebook and feel like I know some of them well. 

I went to my first Baby Show when pregnant with Little Owl, and have been to two shows since she was born!  As Little Owl is now a toddler, I had thought that perhaps that we had out grown the show and was struggling to justify buying a ticket this year so was over the moon when TotsBots said they would give us a complementary ticket!

We are big fans of TotsBots nappies since Little Owl tried her first one at just 5 weeks old and I was delighted a few months ago when I was asked to become a Fluffragette - a brand ambassador for TotsBots.  As well as entry to the show, the lovely Fiona (founder of TotsBots) treated all the Fluffragettes to lunch.  It was great to meet each other in 'real life' after months of chatting on Facebook, although I felt I knew some of the babies already from their pictures!

After lunch it was time for some shopping, I had written a little list!  First stop was the TotsBots stand of course!  I wanted to buy some more Potion - I just love Little Owl's nappies smelling of Mint Humbug!  I snuck a tub of Parma Violets in too just to see what it was like!

Next on the list was me&i who are a Swedish clothing company with some fantastic designs.  I bought a beautiful dress from them at a previous show, but as Little Owl still hasn't grown into it my aim this time was to buy something in her size, and look what I found!

Little Owl looks gorgeous in it, I shall post a picture of her wearing it soon!

Next I came across the Cheeky Wipes stand, I'm a big fan of their products which means I have everything I need, but I couldn't resist these new Rainbow Microfibre Wipes - they are so pretty!  Luckily there was another Fluffragette at hand to go halves with!

The final item on the shopping list was a new body warmer from Konfidence.  Little Owl is doing so well on her swimming and when she is warm she'll happily stay in the water for ages after her lesson has finished.  Konfidence body warmers do what they say on the label! 

All the shopping completed, we were about to head home when I spotted the Oyster stand.  Although we mainly carry Little Owl, we love our Oyster pushchair for when wheels are needed - such was mammoth shopping trips. 

However, when I put Little Owl in it on the morning of the show I noticed the straps were tight.  As I was passing their stand, I thought I would stop and ask if it was possible to loosen the straps any more then I had.  Apparently I had done all that I could so the lovely man said he would post me some extra long straps - and he did - they arrived two days later!

This time I really was heading for the exit when Little Owl caught sight of a huge bunny on the Aden + Annis stand.

The lovely staff asked if they could take some photos of Little Owl to share on their Facebook page and in return they gave her a Kangaroo.

I like bright colours and so probably wouldn't have chosen this grey toy but Little Owl absolutely adores it!  She cuddles it when she is tired and its the only toy ever to have been taken out in the sling!

So that was it.  Our day out at The Baby Show - thank you TotBots! 

Cloth at Camp

We are a family of cloth nappies.  We didn't mean to be.  I used to scoff at people who thought they would use them and gave up - I mean - why would you when you can just chuck a nappy in the bin?

Then Little Owl was born.

Both Papa Owl and I were horrified at the amount of waste being produced by such a little creature.

And so began our cloth journey.

That's a story for another post.

We use cloth nappies both day and night and well as washable wipes, and a packet of disposables will last us months.

Up until now however, we haven't taken any cloth items away with us - storage and washing have always put me off, but this time we thought we would give it a go.

We took with us a few Totsbots Training Pants.  Little Owl isn't quite ready to potty train but she has been using the potty since she was about 6 months and the toilet since she turned 1.  Little Owl will sometimes sign to us when she needs to use the potty, and so I use the training pants when we are at home near the potty as they are much easier to get on and off.  If Little Owl doesn't sign in time, then the training pants will hold one wee, but not much more so she will know she is wet.

I felt these were good to take on camp as they are small and quick drying and didn't matter if she leaked when on the grass.

I also packed some Cheeky Wipes.  These must be one of the most useful baby items I have invested in.  We have two packs - pink for nappy changes and green for clearing up after meals and general face and hand washes.  These were brilliant at camp as it meant we always had a wet flannel to hand.

Cheeky Wipes come with two boxes, one to store the wet wipes in, and 'mucky' box to store used wipes in.  While at camp I also stored the used nappies in this box.  I washed the nappies and wipes using travel wash and hung them to dry on a makeshift line.