Do toddlers potty train sooner in cloth nappies.

[Woodentopper]

Title says it all really.

I've heard some mums say the child feels wetness better in cloth nappies and usually train sooner, what do you think?

Is later training of toddlers encouraged by the makers of modern disposables and pullups just a ploy to get us to buy nappies for longer?

Mine were exclusively in cloth nappies. My eldest was out by 2 years and 2 months, my middle at 21 months and my youngest at 23 months. I don’t know any friends using disposables who had anything near to that age, usually it was just before they turned 3.

I think it’s a bit symbiotic, I was sick of nappies so when they showed some awareness I pounced and got it done.

Regardless the waste and pollution created by disposables is shameful and cloth is so easy now.

I think so but I'm quite old and it doesn't seem to be a popular opinion now.

I didn't find it happened earlier. My oldest was in disposables, he was toilet trained at 2 yrs 9 months. My second has SEN so he wasn't trained till he was 5 (but was in cloth nappies till he was about 4 then got free disposables) My next two were in cloth and trained at 2 yrs 9 months.

My youngest was in cloth for a year until it caused horrendous nappy rash (I tried everything and only disposables stopped it) and he was 3.5 when he was toilet trained (undiagnosed SEN though)

I’m making my place as curious myself dd is nearly 2 and in the eco Disposable ones.

I think yes, but i don't think it's some capitalist plot, i think it's because modern disposable nappies are super absorbent so kids don't realise they're wet so theyre ready for potty training later.

I used disposables for DS1 and washables for DS2. DS2 was trained almost a whole year younger than ds1. But he did a lot of things younger than DS1 so it may or may not have been related.

I agree. Mine were in cloth and i couldn't wait to get them in proper pants! I think the nappy marketing team hit the jackpot with 'wait til they're ready', SN aside of course.

No I don't think so.
By 2.5 years old they're all out of nappies (disposable)

@EatTheHamTina

No I don't think so. By 2.5 years old they're all out of nappies (disposable)

I disagree. Alot of my friends kids were 3 almost 4.

I think it alot depends on the child. I have child who was in cloth he has sen though and went into disposable at age 4 and hes out of nappies and on a toilet schedule hes not toilet trained as such though.
My youngest was in cloth till he was 1 then went to disposable. He was fully toilet trained at Age 2years 2 months.
My eldest was in disposable he had really bad eczema so the doctor at 18 months told us he needed to come out of nappies he took to it easy and was dry day and night by 19 months.

All four of mine were weeks either side of 2 years, depending upon where half-term fell. I was teaching and chose a week I could be home and give them my full attention. All wore disposable but once we decided to give up, we did. We didn’t use pull ups etc when going out and about.

I don't know if it's as easy as cloth v disposable.

My understanding is that cloth nappies were less comfortable. But also they were more of a faff for parents, adding motivation to train earlier. Especially when people had more children, and closer together.

Also I think children who were "trained" younger often had a lot more accidents because they werent really ready. Whereas training later, children are a bit better at knowing when they need to go, communicating that need, doing their own pants and trousers etc.

Also nurseries have a lot to do with potty training now, as that's where many children spend most of their time. So it might be influenced by that and the convenience (or not) of it all.

My DS was trained just after 2 because we were in lockdown and had bugger all
Else to do! Plus he seemed (and was) ready. I had a number of friends who all did it at the same time, so maybe time and convenience was a factor.

Pull ups are great for wriggly toddlers! As long as you don't convince yourself that they're somehow "different" as part of potty training. They're not, they're just helpful nappies.

Eldest in disposables, trained at nearly 4, youngest in washables trained herself just after her second birthday.

Used reuseables and potty trained at 2 exactly because I was fed up of nappies in general. Had tried earlier but it didn’t work. My friends who use disposables tried to potty train at a similar age but all went back to disposables quite quickly. Others had to wait because their nurseries suggested waiting until they were 2 1/2 and were in the next room.

DS was in cloth (apart from overnight) and despite him wanting to wear pants instead of nappies he didn't manage to stay dry til nearly 3 and a half. We attempted several times at his instigation. When we finally went for it he was clean and dry in 3 days flat.

Night time was a different matter.

We used cloth nappies exclusively. DD was potty trained at 27 months, DS at 24 months.
Friends with kids in disposables all potty trained at 3+ years.

I guess the next thing will be the lockdown means people stockpile on disposables and others will have no choice but to use cloth !

Mine were in cloth nappies and trained at DD 22 and DS 26 months (when the summer hit) and it took DD 1 week and DS 3 days. Never used nappies again after that first day, other than at night. Everyone else in my circle was about age 3 and in disposables. I therefore believe cloth equals earlier toilet training but I haven’t researched beyond my immediate group to verify my ‘theory’!

I think it’s backwards. People with babies in cloth tend to encourage potty training earlier and stick with it more.

I had three in cloth. Two were trained at 26 months. The third failed multiple times and I’ve now switched to disposables as I don’t have big enough cloth that aren’t worn out. Keeping a 3yo in cloth nappies was too much hard work and extra expense.

All ours were in Terries but were far from early to become reliably dry in the day - they were clean far sooner. They ranged between 30 and and 40 months coming out of daytime nappies - we'll leave night time out if it!! I do doubt however that comfort has much to do with it or that disposables are actually more comfortable. When we used disposables for our eldest on holiday he complained that "proper nappies were much more comfy". He pulled at the plastic parts of the nappy which were not padded but close to his skin saying that they were sticky and hot. (Night temperatures in Cyprus were hot.)

I planned to use cloth with DS but he kept getting nappy rash so I didn’t persevere. I did however potty train him successfully at 18 months and doubt he’d have managed it any sooner if he’d been in cloth. Totally agree that the disposable manufacturers have created the whole “wait til they’re ready” crap. We don’t wait until a child is ready to sit down at a table and eat a 3 course meal with cutlery before weaning them!

I think it's the opposite. My child was in cloth, and I think it meant she got used to the idea and feeling wet. It took us a year of wearing underwear before she was reliably dry in the day. I think I started too soon, but like others have said, the motivation is high when you have the faff of washables.

@Changethetoner

I think it's the opposite. My child was in cloth, and I think it meant she got used to the idea and feeling wet. It took us a year of wearing underwear before she was reliably dry in the day. I think I started too soon, but like others have said, the motivation is high when you have the faff of washables.

I can agree they can be a bit of a faff to use but they do seem to be working quite well for us so far :-)

DS trained just after age 2 and DD was 2 year 4 months. Like others on this threads, most of their contempories in disposables were much closer to, or older than 3.

I wouldn't say particularly that I had a motivation to train my children earlier. I do however know plenty of disposable users that definitely trained their children later because disposables were easier than potty training.