Finally something that I have been asking for years!
Written: Sep 08 '04 (Updated Sep 16 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Child and furniture is kept dry while they can learn from their mistakes. Wonderful!
Cons: High Price and no size options. One size fits most usually doesn't work.
The Bottom Line: Better than pull ups. Child can learn from his/her mistakes while still providing his soft skin protection and outside protection.
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| maglib's Full Review: Pampers Feel 'N Learn Advanced Trainers |
Let's start by saying that I have 3 boys. I have gone through potty training with the first two already and am working with the third. Prior to trying these training pants, my 16 month old was definitely showing interest and had even gone on the potty a few times aleady (definite advantage of being the third and watching his older brothers).
In my town a child must be potty trained to enter the majority of preschools so I had to start my kids by two years old if I wanted them in school by two and a half.
I will write review based on how potty training went with my first 2 kids and how it is going with the third now that these Feel 'n Learn Pampers are available. As Pull Ups and Pampers Feel 'n Learn are in the same category, I think explaining how the same potty training method worked when using Pull Ups and then the Pampers Feel 'n Learn will be helpful.
THE BASIC POTTY TRAINING UNDERGONE BY CHILD I & II
STAGE I:
First each child made their first accomplishments in the Summer time where we just went around the house nude and constantly put them on the potty. Yes plenty of mistakes and lots of accidents but, for the most part we had great success. Within a month of this type of training we achieved a success rate of 90% during the day time. Now comes the next stage.
STAGE II:
My second phase of potty training was always getting the big boy pull ups. These were used day in and day out. We tried to make my kids proud of their new big boy pants and showed them how it was done. First issue is the pull ups are quite cumbersome to truly be pulled up and down by a two year old so they really needed help and they had plenty of accidents when mom or dad wasn't immediately around. Second, as the pull ups kept and made the child feel dry, both of my boys major set backs. They realized it was easier just to sit in it then bother to go to the bathroom. We went back to the home nude time and only wore pull ups when out of the house. Both boys did the same thing, they kept dry about 95% at home but, when outside of the home and in pull ups they only managed to be dry 50% of the time. Is the problem that we are out and they are too busy or is it just that they didn't feel it? Potty training is in large part learning to control ones self and learning by the repurcusions of having a mistake. Pull ups didn't provide the repurcusions. We ended this phase within 2 months as the pull ups were more costly than diapers and the kids both had set backs when wearing them. You think we would have learned with the first child but, no we didn't.
Stage III: Eliminated the pull ups and go to underwear. Yes we went to underwear and both my boys became fully day time potty trained (99% of the time) within a week or two of ending pull ups. Yes we went through the same issues as with nude time (additional issue of lots of laundry and having to carry extra clothing)but, it was worth it. Was it maturity or learning by feeling? I think the latter.
Stage IV: Night time training. We did continue pull ups at night time because changing and cleaning sheets in the middle of the night was just too much. We would wake them up before we went to bed and eliminated after dinner drinking. I truly think night training is a maturity thing and additionally related to how deeply a child sleeps. One of my boys still has overnight issues at six years old (see my review on Drynite bed wetting alarms).
Now that we got through the old ways and how my children potty trained, let's talk about the new way:
When my first two children were toilet training, I wrote letters to several diaper manufacturers and suggested they produce a different kind of training diaper. My kids needed a training diaper that would let them feel the wetness reinforcing the whole point of toilet training and at the same time protecting my home. If a child is dry and comfortable, he won't care about going to the bathroom. Thankfully six years later they are finally here, better than I expected! The new Pampers Feel 'n Learn Advanced Trainers came out in NJ last month.
Notice of these new training pants came through the mail, coupons and through the web site as I am a member of Pampers.com. (note here, as a member there are often valuable coupons and some great information so take the time and join Pampers.com).
Specifications: There is a boy and girl design. The boys design is Spiderman and friends and the girls have a Dora the Explorer design. Fabulous, my son loves Spiderman what a plus! The training pants have a "wet liner" in them which let the child feel the repurcusions of his accident for only a short period of time before it becomes dry. The pants are also typical of pull ups and have a thicker lining with the absorbency and protection from leakage. They have stretchy side, legs and waists. Basically they are pull ups with a little panti liner that gets wet for a few minutes. The wet liner absorbs a small amount of the urine with the larger amount absorbed by the diaper section. The liner only stays wet for a few minutes so it still protects and keeps those baby bottoms dry. Great idea!
ACTUAL USAGE:
Well I have a 19 month old son and he has been showing interest in using the potty since he was 16 months old. He had in fact already gone about twenty times on his own. He one day just started saying potty and I said "what the heck" and got out the potty and amazingly he did #1 and #2. What a benefit of learning from watching his two older brothers. While, he sometimes tells me, he more often says no when I see him grunting! I considered pull ups but, I thought about how expensive they were and how they set my other two sons back. Then I heard about the Pampers Feel 'n Learn and got so excited (being a mom of three and sadly this is what excites me these days).
I got my coupons including a $3 off coupon to try these out. I went to the store and saw them. I went to find his size and my first upset was there was only one size which is claimed to fit size 26 to 40 pounds. My son is skinny and only 24 pounds but, I picked them up any way. I am not sure how these would fit a larger child as I have normally found that my children always outgrew diapers before they hit the upper weight limits. The price? I paid $12 less the $3 coupon for them and there was 40 training pants in the package. There was only one size, 40 count package available. They are expensive but, comparable in price to most higher end pull ups! I will write the manufacturer and make suggestions that they come up with economy packages and larger size variety.
Actual USAGE?
We got home and I immediately stopped using diapers during the day time. The pants fit my son a little saggy (he is two pounds lighter than the suggested weight) but, they did not leak and provided protection for both #1 and #2.
We have had these training pants for two weeks. My son is 19 months old. By the first day, he told me potty but, only after he had the accident. By the second day, he was telling me seconds before he went and it was too late. After the first full week we finally had success and made it to the bathroom 50% of the time and told me too late about 30% of the time. He did always tell me 100% of the time that his pants were dirty (YES, he felt it!)! Pretty amazing I think for a 19 month old.
The issues: Issue one is that he still hasn't mastered the pulling up nor pulling down on his own (as I said before neither did either of his 2 year old brothers master this with the pull ups). I'm sure the pulling up and down is just a maturity thing. Issue two is the pants when they are wet only show a light color from the outside (these turned a pale blue, while most pull ups in this price range have a design that shows more easily when the pull up gets wet). The last issue is the size. One size does not nor can it fit all babies comfortably within a 14 pound range! Otherwise I found no other faults.
Recomendation: Great product. Helps the child learn from his mistakes. Comfortable design just like pull ups with the same outside protection. Great for children learning to go potty. Definitely try them and throw away those other pull ups. The only issue is price. They are more expensive than diapers and of course "au natural" but, your child will learn and you will save on all that cleaning.
Good luck with training your child! I hope you all have as much success as I have had.
I also appreciate all comments on my reviews. I worked very hard at trying to get the consumer to see how these new pants work much better than the old methods.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
maglib
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Location: Marlboro, NJ, USA
Reviews written: 24
Trusted by: 11 members
About Me:
Three gorgeous boys and happily married! No time but a lot of love!
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