New To Bum Essentials Winning Essay

New to Bum Essentials

I have two sons (ages nine months-i.e “Little Man,” and almost three- .i.e. “Big Boy”). I first started exploring the idea of cloth diapering when “Big Boy” was born, however, when he was nine months old (the same age “Little Man” is today), we got the heart-wrenching news that he has Hypotonic Cerebral Palsy, and cloth-diapering fell by the wayside. Although his disability is mild, it affects his motor control thus making it hard for him to potty train.

Fast-forward to Little Man’s birth, and EVERY kind of disposable was giving him rashes. This was just the push I needed to get BOTH of my boys in cloth! Currently, we use primarily pocket diapers for Little Man and Big Boy has some Gro-Via as well as cloth trainers, however, we are looking to try something more absorbent for when he starts preschool. I LOVE how absorbent pocket diapers are, but they can get quite bulky. I LOVE the trimness of the Gro-Via products, however, I’m not sure that they will be absorbent enough to get him through his two and a half hour preschool sessions (after drinking his morning breakfast orange juice). It seems that the Bumbino will be a perfect match for him- trim, yet absorbent, with the front gussets being especially awesome for boys, and also organic which is an added bonus as I try to keep his life as natural as possible. It seems like when your child has special needs natural living often is pushed aside by doctors that only know the medical model and how to prescribe medication. My feeling is that children with special needs can benefit the most from not adding any chemicals into their everyday life!

About six months ago (before we made the total switch to cloth), we were at a playdate with one of Big Boy’s friends. The friend innocently commented that Big Boy was still wearing a diaper (he was already potty-trained). I could tell it really embarrassed my son. Although is motor control is affected, he is a bright and sensitive boy, and really took that comment to heart. He immediately came home and wanted to try to use the “Big Boy Potty.” God love him, we have been trying for the last few months , but although he is willing, he just doesn’t have the ability to potty train at this time. This was another jab at me to get him into cloth full-time. We told him that his Gro-Via diapers are his “big boy pants,” and since they are cloth, they don’t stand out like disposables. I LOVE the solid, bright colors of the Bumbinos and think that Big Boy would be proud to strut around in them.

Finally, the Velcro closure on the Bumbinos will allow Big Boy to be able to remove his own diaper to be able to try to sit on the potty (he lacks the fine motor ability to undo snaps). And the user-friendly AI2 diaper will be acceptable by his preschool teachers.

If we were to win, I would have enough Bumbinos to put Big Boy in full-time until he is able to potty train (and for overnight with the great ability to snap on more bum pads as needed for absorbency) and then I could hand them down to Little Man! I love that they are One-size and able to be shared between children of different ages!