The Cost Savings of Cloth Training Pants and More

• Do cloth training pants really save money?

Yes they do. How much savings depends on the length of time it takes to complete toilet training. We all know that cloth training pants are better for the environment, but lets consider the following scenario:
Say it takes little Hortense six months to toilet train from start to finish. You find disposable training pants on sale for $15.99 for a package of 44. Little Hortense uses 3-4 per day. Over a six month period, you will spend $265 for disposable training pants. On the other hand, if you go with cloth and purchase 10 pair of BubbyBums cloth training pants, 3 pair of waterproof training pants, and a 5 pack of booster pads for extra absorbency, you will spend a total of $86.95. That's a savings of $178!

Three years later and you're toilet training Hortense's little sister, Moonlove, reusing those hand-me-down training pants...unbeatable savings over disposables.

• But what about the "ick" factor?

If you are a cloth diaper veteran, you know all about it and have adjusted by now. If your child wore disposable diapers, it's not that bad. For poop accidents, just shake the soiled training pants into the toilet to remove the soil. Rinse well in cold water, then launder as usual.  For the sticky stuff, it would be best to invest in a diaper sprayer. Back in the bad old days, all you could do was dunk them up and down in the toilet until it was all off. Sprayers make it so much easier and the yuck factor decreases exponentially.

• Do children who wear cloth training pants train faster than their disposable wearing peers?

Possibly. It really depends on the child. Some children do not like the feeling of being wet and soiled which hastens the process for them. Then there are other children who could be sopping wet and keep on playing. I've experienced both extremes.

• Do girls train faster than boys?

Nope! It's all individual.

• Will I survive toilet training?

Yes and you will have some glorious tales to tell afterwards! Be patient and consistent. No punishment for accidents. This is one area where you as a parent have no control. Hang in there....just like poop, it does pass!