Saying goodbye to diapers

Warm and sunny days are coming. For most parents of young children, this is the time they associate with the long-planned ‘goodbye nappies’ campaign. Indeed, from my own experience, I can say that potty training a child is easier to do in the summer than in the winter, if only for logistical or, let's call them technical, reasons. Firstly, when it is warm, we dress our children in fewer clothes. Secondly, if we have fewer clothes, we have less to undress and wash. Unfortunately, laundry is a side effect of teaching children about hygiene. Not all toddlers announce to their parents that from now on they are grown up and will wear pants instead of nappies. Some need a few days of what is often referred to as potty training.

Regardless of how our child copes with potty training, we should remember one key rule – do not force them. It is possible that our child is not yet ready to say goodbye to nappies. In this case, putting pressure on them may have the opposite effect, the child will become discouraged from independence, experience stress, and we will experience great frustration and disappointment, because how could it not work? It is also important not to decide on such a big change when something special and new is happening in the child's and family's life, such as moving house, the arrival of a sibling, starting nursery or kindergarten, or a change of carer. As always, we strongly encourage parents to familiarise themselves with the idea of introducing Natural Baby Hygiene (NHN).

Among our closest friends, we see how different ages children stop using nappies. There is also no rule when it comes to siblings. Even if one of our children was ready to use only a potty on their second birthday, the other may not show the same readiness until around their third birthday. And there is nothing wrong with that, it is not our negligence, let us remember that children are so beautifully different. We should support our children in their pursuit of independence. There are many ways to do this, just as there are many incentives and aids that we can offer our children.

First, the potty

The potty was an important piece of bathroom equipment when children approached their first birthday. Initially, however, it was not used for sitting on, oh no, that would have been too simple. A child who masters the ability to move vertically, whether with the help of furniture or on their own, will not stop in their rush for freedom and independence. Sitting on a potty at this age caused great resistance, as it was restrictive and unpleasant. The potty was then used as a toy by children. They sat their teddy bears and dolls on it, put blocks inside it, and often put the potty on their own or my head. When it comes to potty training, there are two schools of thought – either we sit a child who can already sit up on their own on the potty, or we wait until the older child sits down on their own. Each method has its opponents and supporters, and it is up to the parent to choose the solution that is most convenient for them and their child. Another important issue is what to buy – a potty or a toilet seat attachment, and if a potty, then which one. Again, the choice depends on whether we have older siblings and, consequently, what associations the baby has with using the toilet, how much space we have at home, and what we decide ourselves. However, it is important that the potty or toilet seat is easily accessible and ready to use for the child.

It is important that your child can quickly and comfortably use a potty when away from home or travelling. I will share with you my method for family trips. I always carried a potty in the boot of my car, and whenever I heard the cry of ‘Wee!’, we would stop within seconds and my child would use the potty in the car. However, there are situations when the only reasonable solution is a travel potty, such as the very popular and recently introduced disposable and biodegradable Tron.

Secondly, the right nappy

Potty training can be accelerated by using reusable nappies that allow the child to feel when they are wet. This helps them understand their needs more quickly. It is very effective to use nappies tailored to the child's size, made of delicate and absorbent bamboo. Bamboo nappies with colourful trim do not have a microfleece layer inside, so the child immediately feels that the nappy is wet and then cold. In addition, bamboo is extremely absorbent and delicate, so we highly recommend it for older children who are already walking.

If we want our child to learn to recognise their needs, we put a nappy and a swaddle on them. If it is very warm or even hot, and the child is in the garden or taking an afternoon nap, we can put them in just a nappy, without a swaddle. This allows the child's skin to breathe, and thanks to the nappy, changes in hygiene routines are introduced gently and gradually. When the child sleeps without a swaddle, it is worth additionally protecting the mattress with a waterproof and skin-friendly changing mat. It will also work well on walks and during travel, when the child sits without a nappy in a car seat.

Thirdly, appropriate clothing

If your child is already wearing only knickers or a nappy cover, you have to take into account that in the first few days or weeks they may have difficulty recognising their needs and may not make it to the potty in time. The amount of laundry will increase noticeably. You will also have to take into account the need for more frequent cleaning. When potty training my children, leg warmers or leg protectors proved to be very useful. These are knitted leggings without feet or a nappy section. We use them for a variety of purposes – they replace shorts on days when it is not yet warm enough to wear shorts in the morning, and my daughter wears them over tights in winter when she does not want to wear trousers from her winter suit. When I carried my children in a sling and an ergonomic carrier, I put them on as soon as it got a little cooler. My latest discovery, however, is using warmers when potty training.

The advantages of warmers, not only when potty training, are as follows:

• – when running to the potty, the child does not have to take off their trousers and then their nappy first, so they can sit on the potty much faster
• – the child's feet do not get cold if they decide to read a few or a dozen books, because they had the opportunity to do so and sat down voluntarily
• – if we have a smaller child, we can change their nappy without having to take off all their clothes below the waist
• – we have less laundry and it dries faster when the baby doesn't make it to the potty in time
• – leg warmers are small and we can always carry them in our handbag or rucksack, making them more convenient than a spare pair of trousers
• – they can replace not only tights and long trousers, but also a long-sleeved blouse
• – they protect the knees of a crawling baby
• – they grow with the child, initially covering the entire legs, then only the legs from the ankles to the knees
• – you can also dress dolls in them, which my daughter does with astonishing regularity
• – they are simply pretty and very practical :)

And perhaps one more issue that seems so obvious that it goes without saying. Potty training a child and starting toilet training involves a change in clothing habits. Potty-trained children wear ‘grown-up’ T-shirts, and bodysuits only get in the way.

Fourthly, and perhaps most importantly, our attitude

Let us always remember that our child is still very young and certainly has time to learn. Let us allow children to develop at their own pace, respect their needs and support them in acquiring new skills.

We must be prepared for a lot of laundry and cleaning. Remember that we should not assume that we will only be washing children's clothes, but also carpets, bedding and possibly upholstered furniture. Contrary to appearances, our pessimistic attitude is contagious; the child will immediately know that instead of becoming independent, an unpleasant adventure awaits them.

Due to the likelihood that not everything will go our way, we need to arm ourselves with a great deal of patience, understanding and empathy. And also with a bucket of water, a mop, spare clothes and, ideally, a good mood.