Trouble with Potty Training? Try Cloth Diapers.
Potty training? Depending on the child it can be an extremely frustrating period for parents if you have a child that doesn’t want to make the transition from diaper to toilet.
I know from personal experience just how challenging this period can be as a mother of three. For my middle child, potty training just seemed to come naturally. When she was a little over 2 years old, she already wanted to be a big girl and use the toilet. Honestly, I don’t think I could have stopped her from using the toilet if I tried.
My first born was not very difficult to potty train either. Like many first time parents, I took the easy way out and used some good old fashioned bribery to encourage potty training. Candy and gifts were used for the first couple months and it worked out pretty well for our family after we weened him off the treats every time he went to the bathroom.
The Final Challenge
When my husband and I brought our third child into the world I thought we had conquered potty training. Unfortunately, our youngest named Elizabeth had other ideas.
When Elizabeth reached the age of about 2 and a half I knew it was time to start pulling all the stops and make a big push to get her potty trained. For the first month I tried bribery just like I did with my oldest. Candy. Toys. Bribery just didn’t seem to work with this one.
I started going to the library and surfing the internet to find creative solutions from mothers who had successfully potty trained their children in the past. I didn’t have a problem finding unique solutions that’s for sure. One mother had encouraged her child through some education videos. I spent $35 on the instructional DVDs, but Elizabeth didn’t make the connection from film. My search continued.
Finally, I heard about a mother that had used cloth diapers with all of her children. This mother had a theory that cloth diapers encouraged her offspring to potty train faster because they could feel the wetness and see the effort their mother put into cleaning the cloth diapers. I was very skeptical about this story, but figured I didn’t have anything to lose. Also, I was getting a little desperate.
I only purchased 3 cloth diapers initially to be safe. I purchased ones in small sizes, however, I learned these products are also available in adult sizes. Elizabeth was about 3 years old when I ordered these.
The Solution?
Much to my surprise it only took Elizabeth about 3 months of wearing cloth diapers to start using the toilet. Was it due to the diapers specifically or was she just ready? Honestly, even I’m not sure. All I know is that the tactic seemed to work for me.
If you’re a mother that’s getting frustrated with a child in the potty training phase switching over to cloth diapers could be a possible solution if you’re desperate like I was at the time. If you’ve tried everything else without success this could be the unique potty training solution you’re looking for.
The process of dealing with an out of control child can be tiring and yet cathartic in some instances. You have to understand the reasons behind the child’s behavior instead of concentrating on their actions. Sometimes it is a call for attention. In teaching your children to cope with stress or disappointment, you must create allowances for the fact that they are individuals with different personalities. Some people are quiet and reserved while others are overtly expressive of their feelings.