apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

For us at least, there are no specific must-haves. How are undies from a specific vendor/brand a "must have"? No other undies will do?

Diapers and wipes of some sort to start, then potty seat and undies of some sort. They're all pretty much the same.

And that puj tub has a pretty hefty price tag and short shelf-life for a "must have."

The Cushie foldable portable potty seat was a must have for our potty-training twins: http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/Cushie-Traveler.html

$99 for a tub that won't last more than a couple months? That baby looks small but like it will outgrow it pretty soon. Also not liking it's made of foam - it doesn't say it's phthalate free....I'll stick to my Spa Baby Tub. Half the price, can be used longer, confirmed safe materials and has been reincarnated as a hamper until the next baby arrives.

Whatever happened to bathing kids in the sink?
The words "must-have" give me hives.
(I have to admit that that tub is pretty cool-looking, though.)

Durrr, okay. Shoulda been more specific. "JUST" in the sink.

I just used the kitchen sink, but some parents freak out over the germiness of it for newborns.

For potty training I think the Bjorn potty is the bomb. Seriously. Crazy well designed.

my son's been using the bjorn potty since he was 5 1/2 months old. (also was bathed in multiple "germy" sinks.)
the ikea one is pretty similar & $10 less. can't be much different.

I've heard really great things about the Bjorn potty trainer and plan on buying it myself:
http://www.amazon.com/BabyBj%C3%B6rn-Toilet-Trainer-White-Black/dp/B0009PAN7Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1237000902&sr=1-2

One less transition to make and one less thing to be stinky and to clean. Works for me!

@saltyc
5 1/2 months old?! I call shenanigans! Come on, that can't be true! What's the secret?

Actually, in the European culture I am from, everyone is shocked that we North Americans do not potty train from the start (e.g., 5 1/2 months -- when a baby can sit). It means babies are put on potties at the general time when they tend to pee and/or poop (kids are usually pretty regular), and then keeping them their until they do something.

Most kids are "toilet trained" by the time they are around 1. However, that does not mean that they are as independent as our conception of toilet training is -- obviously, they need help getting on and off the potty, and must be dressed and undressed by an adult.

It can make travelling and going out with kids a bit difficult, especially when you are out of potty range, and they can't hold it for very long, and refuse to wear a diaper. But hey, it sure cuts down on the laundry (if you use cloth) or lugging home packages of diapers (if you don't).

I second the recommendation for the baby bjorn trainer (at our house we call it "the toilet adapter") Super super awesome - have been using it since my kid was a little over 2. I've also read it can go in the dishwasher - and I did try this recently but with some caution (didn't let the cycle run the auto-dry) and it was fine.

oh this is so so cool

I used a similar toilet seat with both of my girls and found it so much easier, cleaner, and a better transition than for them to use a separate receptacle and then emptying it. Plus they both seemed so proud of themselves to be using the same stuff that the grown ups use.

My 15 year old would kill me for writing that.

@mschatelaine
Thanks for the reply.
I just can't imagine my six month old daughter using a toilet yet! Though she does sign when she needs her diaper changed... I'll have to ask my wife if my little one is regular like you said - I can't say I've noticed any regularity but I wouldn't be surprised since everything she does is on a very strict routine...

When our baby was very little, we used the Summer Infant Deluxe Baby Bather, which is a foldable seat with two recline levels. First it fit perfectly in our kitchen sink. It was so convenient to wash our baby there, because standing up is much easier on the back then bending over a tub! And the seat folds up, dries quickly, and doesn't take up much room. But then we moved and the seat didn't fit in our new sink (it has multiple basins), so we began using it in the tub. When our gal turned about 8 months old, she began wiggling too much for the seat, so we got the Munchkin Inflatable Duck tub, which fits inside our tub. When you press the beak it quacks, and our daughter loves taking a bath now. It's also nice that we only have to fill up the duckie tub, not the whole tub, so it saves water too. And both of these products each cost about $15, so they don't break the bank.

Levmarc--I have the duck tub, and I've been looking forward to using it since my baby shower! (It was a rubber duck themed shower and the bathtub was inflated to hold presents.) My daughter can't sit on her own yet though so we're still using her infant tub. But I know she's going to adore the quacking beak. Her infant tub is OK--I don't remember the brand, it's a folding one that came with a soft fabric reclining rest so the baby feels more comfortable and safe. It doesn't really "fold" it just contracts a small amount, but when you live in an apartment every little bit of space counts.

I used the duck tub from the very beginning, which worked well for us. Now, the little man is 8 months old and usually sits in the big tub (with a non-slip mat) with an inch or so of water while I shower him, or we take baths together.