It’s potty learning time here at CSFTL. We have a little handful of kiddos who turned two this past year and new potties and undergarments abound. I’ve never thought much about it in the past, we’ve just made do with the other kids. Having gone through three car seats in one week with my last child during this period, I’m determined to keep that from happening to my precious Foonf. Our review on the Clek Foonf touches on how fun it is to disassemble!
Let’s start with the easy stuff. Have a Diono or Britax? Lucky you. Both of those companies make a seat protector just for such occasions that are tested with their products. I found two other similar products but neither are approved for use with ANY car seat or booster; the pads would be great to use in strollers or high chairs though. We all know accidents during this time are not limited to cars!
Britax has the Seat Saver Waterproof Liner that is approved for use with Britax seats and only Britax seats. The Britax website has this to say:
“The BRITAX Seat Saver Waterproof Liner is designed with deep sides to fit securely into the seating area of your car seat to contain liquids and crumbs and keep your car seat clean. Perfect to protect from diaper leaks, potty training accidents, and wet bathing suits, the waterproof design is made out of EZ-Dry wicking fabric to pull moisture away from your child and to keep the seating area dry and comfortable.”
Diono has the Dry Seat Car Seat Protector that is approved for use with Diono seats and only Diono seats (and any Sunshine Kids seats that aren’t expired yet). Again, this is not approved for any other seat brand. The Diono website has this to say:
“Softly padded, waterproof protection that keeps car seats and strollers dry. Whether it’s a wet swimsuit or a toilet training accident, Dry Seat makes travel more comfortable and stress free for everyone.”
Now, let’s say you don’t own a Britax or Diono seat. What do you do? It’s time to get a little old-school with the water proofing. We probably all wore them as children, and fortunately, rubber pants are still available from some retailers. While
they’re not the most comfortable thing in the world (they don’t breathe at all, obviously), if placed on immediately before the trip and removed immediately thereafter
, it’s a tolerable solution. Bonus: not only is the seat protected, the child’s outfit is protected as well.
Another easy trick may involve using something you all ready own, particularly if you’ve used cloth diapers. Any PUL diaper cover can be used without an actual diaper; just snap it over the child’s underthings. Bonus: the outfit remains protected and they are not nearly as hot or sweat as old fashioned rubber pants.
3 year old Huggable Images doll wearing a diaper cover to protect a car seat during toilet training
Things NOT to do:
- Use a non approved seat liner for your car seat
- Spray your seat with fabric protector, water proofing spray
- Add thick padding under the child to absorb accidents
- Use puppy training pads/chux pads
- Improperly clean your car seat after an accident
The final product is a toddler who is diaper free and a car seat that can withstand most little accidents that happen along the way. We all know accidents still happen and we’re not going to use some method of leak proofing forever. If you do get a little surprise one day in the car seat, we have a great post on how to safely clean your car seat. No worries. Happy potty learning!
