# How soon are they out of diapers?



## MedSailor

For years our departure date for our big, multi-year trip has been "two kids, both out of diapers." Our plan remains the same, and what's changed is that kiddo number 2 has now arrived!

Horray! New crew! 

So I now have 2 boys, and we have no plans to make or aquire any more. So, if I were to know how soon they'd both be out of diapers, I'll know our departure date for our big trip. My oldest boy is 2 years old and doesn't show any real interest in potty training. I also understand that boys still wet the bed for several years after giving up daytime diapers. That's okay with us, we'll still untie the lines with bed peeers. 

Any thoughts, predictions, or tips from the more seasoned? 

MedSailor


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## MarkofSeaLife

Just head off now and go cruising! Your kids can learn potty stuff whilst they are trying to find you.


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## smackdaddy

My own two boys are now 10 and 14. The older one's feet are now as big as mine. Go as soon as you can. It goes by WAY too fast.


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## bobperry

Smackers:
You are sooooo lucky. And I know you know that.


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## deltaten

Congrats on the "new crew" !
Ain't it grand? 

All four of mine were potty-wise by about age three. My son was ready to leave diapers behind at 3 plus a.month or so, and never went back.

I had the thre eldest out in the sailing dink at 5 , threeand a half and near three(age approx.. as we had three within thirty months!). no one pee'd. themselves!  Other than the logistics of diapers aboard; I see no problems. 

Go F'rit


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## JonEisberg

MedSailor said:


> For years our departure date for our big, multi-year trip has been "two kids, both out of diapers." Our plan remains the same, and what's changed is that kiddo number 2 has now arrived!
> 
> Horray! New crew!
> 
> So I now have 2 boys, and we have no plans to make or aquire any more. So, if I were to know how soon they'd both be out of diapers, I'll know our departure date for our big trip. My oldest boy is 2 years old and doesn't show any real interest in potty training. I also understand that boys still wet the bed for several years after giving up daytime diapers. That's okay with us, we'll still untie the lines with bed peeers.
> 
> Any thoughts, predictions, or tips from the more seasoned?
> 
> MedSailor


Congrats on the new addition, wonderful news...

I'm far from seasoned, buI suspect Charlotte of REBEL HEART probably has it about right, that it's silly to go cruising offshore with kids younger than about 3... Of course, she probably should have heeded her own advice... 

Perhaps it's just me, but I'd probably be forever a bit miffed at my parents, if we had sailed to a place like the South Pacific when I was still too young to have any real memory of it...


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## MedSailor




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## smackdaddy

bobperry said:


> Smackers:
> You are sooooo lucky. And I know you know that.


Thanks Bob. You're right.

I need to remember that.


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## smackdaddy

MedSailor said:


>


Booyah!!!! Congrats dude. I'll send out a small BFS onesie.


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## MarkofSeaLife

Congratulations!


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## SHNOOL

Congrats, and I'd say 3yo is safe.


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## TomMaine

We found them easy on the boat even as babies but once they start getting around on two feet, there's no better place for you all to be than on your own boat. They flourish on the water. 

You'll miss a lot of that if you wait for diapers to go away. 

Congratulations, beautiful baby boy.


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## flandria

As a grandfather - 3 kids of my own and 5 grandsons - I predict all will be well not later than the 3rd birthday, possibly as early a 2 1/4 for some, but be "conservative" and leave room for an early departure.


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## MedSailor

A BFS onsie? That would be cool! 

Thanks for the advice so far. The diaper timeline is the one we've had for years bit there are several factors that we're looking for that all seem to converge at the same time.

Basically we want them to remember the trip and be old enough to swim really well and have some self preservation instinct.

Our oldest is 2 and we do plan to sail with him but for long term sailing we'd like them both to be past the "terrible twos". 

Of course as we gain more real experience actually sailing with the little critters we may move the time line closer.... not likely we'll move it much farther out though. Daddy doesn't want to wait forever!


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## Don L

smackdaddy said:


> My own two boys are now 10 and 14. The older one's feet are now as big as mine. Go as soon as you can. It goes by WAY too fast.


yeah, but are they out of diapers yet


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## MedSailor

Don0190 said:


> yeah, but are they out of diapers yet


Better question; is SMACK out of diapers yet?


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## T37Chef

MedSailor said:


> Better question; is SMACK out of diapers yet?


:laugher


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## Whitebread117

Just to play devil's advocate a bit, both my kids (boy and girl) showed ZERO interest in potty training until they were nearly 4 years old. If the kid is at all receptive you can nudge them along, but if they are not at all receptive (exactly my case) there is nothing you can do until they decide they are ready.

Trust me we attempted all the "tried-and-true" methods, positive reinforcement, any gimmick you can think of, and they weren't having it. Sent them to grandma's for a couple weeks each time because grandma was certain she could get them taken care of. Each time they were sent back without success. Then about the 3.5 to 3.8 year old stage they both decided to take an interest and it was no big deal all of a sudden.

I guess what I'm trying to say is make your plans and hopefully it works, but that's no guarantee as it's all up to the individual kid. 

And as a side note, no way I'd go cruising with a kid in diapers. Sure you could, but it's SO much less hassle if they can go to the bathroom on their own.


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## JonEisberg

Whitebread117 said:


> And as a side note, no way I'd go cruising with a kid in diapers. Sure you could, but it's SO much less hassle if they can go to the bathroom on their own.


I'll bet the 4 Air National Guardsmen who spent a few days aboard REBEL HEART would second that opinion...


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## Whitebread117

JonEisberg said:


> I'll bet the 4 Air National Guardsmen who spent a few days aboard REBEL HEART would second that opinion...


Lol, well yes there is that anecdote isn't there


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## flandria

I think you are considerably upping the ante when another lowest common denominator is the ability of your children to swim. I don't believe you are talking here about survival swimming, since few of us are ever up to that, but swimming near the boat or at a beach with minimal supervision... That can easily add 3 years to your departure, assuming your youngest child can achieve such independence by age 5. It would be much better to proceed with donning mandatory life jackets at all times until they are truly ready...


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## MedSailor

JonEisberg said:


> I'll bet the 4 Air National Guardsmen who spent a few days aboard REBEL HEART would second that opinion...


Maybe I'll just go now but be sure to take 2 sat phones each from a different carrier. Whaddya say John, good plan?


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## bljones

MedSailor said:


> So I now have 2 boys, and we have no plans to make or aquire any more.


Have you figured out the cause yet?

Dock Six Chronicles: Scribbles: Snip!


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## miatapaul

bljones said:


> Have you figured out the cause yet?
> 
> Dock Six Chronicles: Scribbles: Snip!


Now that is funny! You really have a way with words. I was laughing out loud at the sample mix up.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk


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## MedSailor

bljones said:


> Have you figured out the cause yet?
> 
> Dock Six Chronicles: Scribbles: Snip!


I figured it was from the toilet seat or something.

Of course we were both sitting on it at the time... hehe


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## Minnewaska

Congrats Med !! Ours are 26, 22 and 19 right now. Except for driving , every year is a great milestone.

One big advantage of middle age is I have no recollection whatsoever of when diaper stage ended with any of them. 

A "trip", however, is not a trip. Bringing young children for a daytime, coastal, fair weather sail is not terribly difficult, even in diapers. I could spend a couple of years doing so on the East Coast, by being very particular with daytime weather windows. 

However, being offshore, with the likelihood of more than one "all hands on deck" situation, would be extremely stressful with children that were not self sufficient. I support each parent's right to make this decision for their own family. For me, when I need my wife on deck immediately, I would not want to wait for her to help the kids don their pfds or be distracted by wondering if they are secure and safe down below by themselves, or have either of us worrying if they will get to the deck safely by themselves. Just food for thought.


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## engineer_sailor

Med

We finally have both kids, two boys now 4 and 2, out of diapers. Glorious. Almost threw a party to celebrate. Both were potty trained right around 2. The second was earlier, right before his second birthday. He seemed more interested as he wants to be like his big brother. The younger one still has a few accidents every now and then.

We had great success with the potty training "bootcamp weekend method". Will caveat this with the fact that both kids showed interest before we tried it and all kids are different. There is literature out there but essentially spend a weekend with the little one running around with no pants or diaper. As soon as there is an accident or hint of action you take them straight to the potty. The keys are no diapers, immediate response, and not reverting to diapers after the weekend even if accidents occur.

I have to give my wife credit as I didn't believe the method really worked until I saw it work twice and when the boys were young.

Made weekends on the boat much nicer when both kids could finally use the head. 

Good luck

Josh


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## Pamlicotraveler

If you wait too long you'll be in diapers. And then,well, it just might be too late.


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## miatapaul

> How soon are they out of diapers?


Seems like within hours of buying them! Especially when you buy the expensive ones. Buy the cheap diapers and they seem to last for ever.

I believe my boys were around 3 or so. We at one point had 2 in college and 2 in diapers, well almost the older boy was just out of diapers when the youngest girl left for college. My youngest is now 16 and oldest is 35 so I have not changed a diaper in a long time. If I could only get some grandchildren!

Congrats on the crew, may they grow and do well. That is really all we can hope for.


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## Atlas

Not diapers, cloth is the way to go. Lots of little sails to bend on


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## Minnewaska

Atlas said:


> Not diapers, cloth is the way to go. Lots of little sails to bend on


Assumed this would eventually come up. While old school and more environmentally friendly, there is a reason disposables became so popular. Cleaning a dozen dirty cloth diapers per day on a boat would be a special kind of miserable.

I actually wondered if you could put them in a mesh bag and drag them behind the boat for a long while to help clean. Probably violates discharge laws. You would also need to figure out how to rinse well and soften before use again.


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## JonEisberg

Minnewaska said:


> Assumed this would eventually come up. While old school and more environmentally friendly, there is a reason disposables became so popular. Cleaning a dozen dirty cloth diapers per day on a boat would be a special kind of miserable.


What's the problem?

Hell, just wash them in the galley sink, as was done on REBEL HEART...

)


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## bljones

JonEisberg said:


> What's the problem?
> 
> Hell, just wash them in the galley sink, as was done on REBEL HEART...
> 
> )


and we see how well that turned out.


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## MedSailor

Minnewaska said:


> Assumed this would eventually come up. While old school and more environmentally friendly, there is a reason disposables became so popular. Cleaning a dozen dirty cloth diapers per day on a boat would be a special kind of miserable.
> 
> I actually wondered if you could put them in a mesh bag and drag them behind the boat for a long while to help clean. Probably violates discharge laws. You would also need to figure out how to rinse well and soften before use again.


I think you'd be ok because the discharge laws weren't creative enough to cover, well... crap like that!

Saltwater sores on the little one's bottoms would be a guarantee that youd be at least as miserable as the kids!


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## joelpackard

In my experience three is about the age both my boys were potty trained. Good luck. Go sail!


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## SimonV

Go now, do not wait. you will soon find there is a lot of young families sailing the world, some even get larger on passage. It does seem those with babies and very small children, tend to buddy boat with others in the same boat(pun intended), as we bump into the mob occasionally.


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## bones92

The younger ones tend to emulate the older siblings. The trick is to make using the toilet an incentive. We used to reward them for using the toilet, little things like a small piece of chocolate, etc, but there are many other options. Put their potty by your toilet and demonstrate that it's no big deal. You may still need diapers at night but they become self sufficient in short time for daytime purposes. Keep a potty handy (i.e., in the cockpit ) so they do not hold it too long because they may not want to go to where the potty is located.


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## Don L

MedSailor said:


> I also understand that boys still wet the bed for several years after giving up daytime diapers.


I worry that if I wait too long it will be me peeing the bed or wearing the diapers. :crying


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## aeaston

Minnewaska said:


> Cleaning a dozen dirty cloth diapers per day on a boat would be a special kind of miserable.
> 
> I actually wondered if you could put them in a mesh bag and drag them behind the boat for a long while to help clean. Probably violates discharge laws. You would also need to figure out how to rinse well and soften before use again.


I can tell you the mesh bag trick didn't work for us when we tried it. The thought was to get the brown stuff off without having to scrub the diaper by hand. What DOES work is a pressure saltwater washdown pump for your anchor. Our washing routine was rinse the physical bits off with salt water, then wash in salt water with dish soap. Then rinse in heated fresh water. Wring out, and hang on the lifelines.

We used reusable diapers on two trips with our two month old. One trip was about a week long, great weather, and so they were able to dry after cleaning. It was oddly relaxing to get up in a calm secluded anchorage in the morning while mom and baby slept and do the diapers. Not even joking!

The other we were living onboard cruising for about a month, and 4-5 days in, we realized it wouldn't work. Had a huge backup of diapers that wouldn't dry as the weather didn't cooperate. At one point, they were strung on lines inside the salon. Fortunately we had a supply of well over 100 disposables stashed on board.

Not sure what we'll do this summer. Little guy will be just over one. Probably try reusables if the weather cooperates, and switch out when it doesn't!

Attached an obligatory pic of our boat Devoceans under sail with diapers up the backstay and on the lifelines in the cockpit.


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## capta

MedSailor said:


> I also understand that boys still wet the bed for several years after giving up daytime diapers. That's okay with us, we'll still untie the lines with bed peeers. Any thoughts, predictions, or tips from the more seasoned? MedSailor


My oldest was born to the boat and spent the first 12 years adventuring on various boats with me.
Loosing the diapers didn't make any impression on me, so I don't remember when it was, but the bed wetting had me at my wit's end.
On some island in the Pacific I happened to mention it to a local lady and she replied, "If there no water in the tank, she won't leak. Silly man!." No fluids after say 5pm, if bed time is nine, and the problem was solved in one night! For future reference.


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