Potty Training in Paradise

After what seemed like the longest 6 months of my life, my 3 year old is finally mostly potty trained. I say mostly because he definitely wets at nighttime, and still has an occasional accident here and there. Our potty training journey began when my sister came to visit last September. EB {my youngest} was only four months old and I was resistant to any talk regarding potty training. I was still trying to adjust to splitting my time between two children and recuperating from our very recent move from the mainland to the islands. The only steps I had taken at the time were setting the little potty out for LA {my oldest son} to familiarize himself with and of course purchasing a Costco sized jar of chocolate covered raisins to reward him {me} with. I was waiting for that perfect weekend to set everything aside and devote the time solely to potty training with total success in 48 hours, as promised to me in a book I read. And that book is now in the trash. Nevertheless, staying true to the bossy, older sister stereotype, my sis decided that it was indeed time to lay down the law! How could I refuse when she had so graciously lugged an enormous box full of Fuzzibunz for both boys?! {Large FB's for LA and OS FB's for lil’ EB} Guilt got the better of me, and I watched as she set about prepping the diapers all the while attempting to hype LA on this potty training thing.

She gathered a library of books and small toys in a basket to set by the potty. I was parked on the couch feeding EB silently wishing her the best. I knew that LA had a history of being impossible. I have to admit, I was glad that she was taking this task on, and even more glad that I was soon going to be able to taunt her with "I told you so's".

I anxiously listened for celebratory sounds to drift down the hall, but all I heard was a Veggie Tales songbook that I knew was soon going to become a problem. "God made you special and he loves you veryyyyyyyyy much!" I could tell from the look on sis's face that she was beginning to regret that this book had somehow managed to make its way into the potty library. Oh well, there was no going back now. LA had developed a fondness/obsession with this book that required it to be made available immediately upon his entry into the bathroom. He was like a king on his newly acquired throne. We learned many things from LA during those early days of potty training. He educated us on where babies came from, where food went after he ate it and he even counted what was left of the magic beans (choco raisins) after his Momma {myself} and Tia {my sis} had self-medicated throughout this whole potty training process. The number he came up with has no relevance....times were stressful for this Momma and her sis!

So, LA took immediately to his new size large Fuzzibunz diapers. They were slightly big for him, thanks to his chicken legs. However, this made it quite easy for him to pull up and down all by himself. That was key in those early days, and in fact still is! They are really soft and he still wears them at nighttime. Honestly, these diapers are really reliable and absorbent; I don't know that he has ever leaked out of them.

Now, let's fast forward a few months here. Grovia delighted the world of potty training mothers when they decide to add trainers to their repertoire. The Grovia My Choice Trainers are really versatile and have these fantastic elastic side panels that unsnap when nature unexpectedly calls and a change is necessary. The panels also help make those potty training slip ups much more bearable to clean up because they can be unsnapped at the sides just like a diaper. They also have snaps on the front so that you can adjust the rise to coincide with ‘overnight’ growth spurts. I really love the gender neutral gray color. Grovia trainers are extra special, because they contain a hidden layer of hemp built in underneath a soft lining that reminds me of basketball shorts, this keeps them trim, yet absorbent. The bonus here is that they have a pocket, which you can stuff with whatever liner you choose to gain the absorbency needed to keep up with your little one. This is what makes them great for nighttime, nap time and those first outings before you trust your little one to "hold it". We use them for long car rides and play dates {when for some reason he has lost all ability to stop playing with enough time to make it to the restroom}. He never fights with me to put them on, I tell him they are his big boy underwear, he thinks they are cozy; it's a win-win. They go on and off the same as his underroos. In all honesty, we have had a few overnight leaks these. However, they are almost always because someone {me} decides in poor taste to give in to LA's thirst plea right before bedtime. I am convinced that nothing can soak up the repercussions of that witless decision.

We also use Super Undies. These are super cute and super absorbent. The actually look like underroos and have the familiar "s" tag on the front that boys instantly recognize from birth. They are bright red and have white stretchy panels on the sides. They are a bit bulkier than the Grovia Trainers, but foot the bill if you want something that really looks like underwear for your little one. These are most like traditional training pants, however, much more reliable! These will save you from puddles on the floor during playtime and nap time battles when your child refuses to put a diaper on. Also, you can sneak in a liner by way of the hidden pocket in the crotch. Sneaky, sneaky.

In case you don't know, we live in Hawaii, and we sweat, a lot! Both of these trainers {GroVia & Super Undies} take it like a champ, and wick the moisture away from him and keep him dry and rash free. All of this without smelling like a locker room, which is a total bonus for me as I endure more than my share of smells already, living with 3 boys. My DH has taken no issue with cloth training pants and rather likes that he can just toss the soiled pant right in EB's diaper pail and his job is done.
So, if you are past cloth diapering and are fed up with plastic, disposable training pants and expensive pull-ups, that leak, stink, and itch your little one, then make the switch to cloth! It will make the transition from diapers to undies so easy and will save you from many a night time battle from the older preschooler that is too old to wear diapers! They can be passed down to younger siblings, friends, or resold. One last thing, I read somewhere that the majority of kids are still not potty trained through the night until the age of 5. Even if you are not a math whiz, I am fairly certain that you get the point, when you consider the ridiculous cost of one small bag of pull ups every other week, for the next 2-3 years.

Aloha and happy potty training to you and yours!
~Nina~