A few things that we’ve learned, now that we’ve been through this with three children:

1. Use cloth diapers for training pants.  We were primarily using disposable diapers on Number Three so the switch to cloth diapers was a big deal and exciting to her.  We just leave the snaps or velcro done up and slip them on and off like Big Girl Underoos.  We’ve come to appreciate the extra absorbency that these offer on more than once occasion and it’s a great way to extend the use of cloth diapers!

2. Keep a potty in the car.  Maybe you’ve seen us in the Ikea parking lot?  Yeah, that was us standing in front of the open hatch while our two-year-old had her undies around her ankles, having one last pee before entering the fray.   We love our own version of the port-a-potty!  It makes running errands a bit more streamlined, without having to run around looking for a public washroom.  Chances are it’s cleaner too… we just keep a squeeze bottle of water, vinegar and Castile in the car, along with some TP and we’re good to go!

3. Keep a sense of humour.  Potty training requires an extra level of patience, right at the time that our toddlers really begin to express their opinions (which in our house tend to be “NO!” more than anything else!)  We’ve done a lot of hopping to the bathroom like frogs, crawling to the bathroom like cats and when all else fails, offering a stamp on a hand, foot, belly button or knee for a job well done.

And despite our personal aversion to licensed merchandise, we are so proud of our little girl who uses the toilet like a big girl that we caved and bought her some Cinderella panties.  Because the third time around we’ve also learned that one has to be a bit flexible with one’s ideals now and then.  We’d like to invite you to celebrate Number Three’s success with us and enjoy 25% off of all cloth diapers and potties in stock!  Simply enter coupon code pottyparty between now and December 31, 2011 to redeem.

We’d love to hear what works (and what doesn’t!) for you and your kids so please drop us a line and let us know what you’ve learned along the way!

Given the nature of our business, we are lucky enough to be able to test out a wide variety of products. Only those that we love pass the test and make it onto our site. One such brand is Sweet Pea Cloth Diapers.

I tested these out shortly after Josh was born and really liked them. In fact, I liked them a lot better than the Sckoon diapers. Why, you ask? Well, the one-size-fits-all first of all! I like to reduce my baby’s “bumprint” as much as possible and having to buy three different sizes of diapers means using more precious resources. Not to mention the fact it leaves me with a whole lot of diapers to try and give away when we are done with them. I can atest to the one-size-fits-ALL claim. My kids should be the poster children for this. These diapers are so adjustable (length and width) that they fit my skinny mini 2.5 year old girls and my MOOSE 10 month old son.

What else? The pocket! Pocket diapers were a new concept for me. What I like about this is that there is no cover needed for the diapers and the insert is super absorbent. I haven’t had these leak yet. The other thing is that the insert is so absorbent that it soaks up all the moisture inside and leaves the fleece that is up against your little one’s bum dry. I can actually reuse the diaper by simply changing the insert if it isn’t too wet. Less laundry!

So the question remains, why didn’t I switch over to these diapers after the test? I have no idea! It could’ve been the fact that I have three kids 2 and under and the thought of ANY extra work was too daunting. Maybe it is also that I love Earth’s Best Tendercare diapers.

What led me to switch to these fabulous diapers were two events. The first was garbage day. In our house that is my domain. One horrible, rainy morning, as I dragged three heavy garbage cans to the curb, I looked down our lane only to notice that we are the only ones on the block to put out so much garbage. Granted we have 2 suites on our property, but so does everyone else. How embarassing. And ironic since our neighbour’s kids call me Mrs. Green.

The second was Alicia’s sensitive skin. With the cold weather, her eczema is pretty bad. Diapers make her itchy in general so she was going out of her mind (so was I). In desperation, I grabbed my two sample diapers from our test and put one on her. She was instantly happy and not complaining. A miracle in my books.

So after these historic events we haven’t looked back. We use cloth 80% of the time on all 3 kids. I’m not sure why I thought it would be more work. It really isn’t. I’m constantly doing laundry anyway so I haven’t noticed a difference. I highly recommend you give these a try. They come in great colours and will last you through your child’s entire “diaper-hood”. If I can do it, so can you!