Lifetime Fitness: anti-family fitness center?

 Although you’d expect a large fitness center like Lifetime Fitness to be pro-family, the opposite sure seems to be true. Sure, the facilities have childcare centers but that’s because they operate under the assumption that children should be kept away from the grown-ups. For a place that advocates for fitness, Lifetime Fitness offers very little for kids, and almost nothing for young children.

The Coon Rapids Lifetime has the largest and tallest indoor play maze, but you can't play in it until you are three or older. My daughter was one week from her birthday and they turned her away. Other play mazes are open only when there is enough staff and are often closed abruptly when the staff to child ratio changes.

On weekends, when the child care center is packed, they often spread out into other rooms. In Eagen, they open up this inflatable jumping toy for kids.

Pregnant with my second child, I joined a few months ago. In the middle of winter, I certainly wasn’t getting any exercise but needed an opportunity for it. I planned to take advantage of the Lifetime pool as swimming is such a fantastic, low-impact activity for preggos. I knew it would not only be good for me, but also my 3-year-old daughter. I looked forward to being able to do something active with her. 

The problem we’ve run into is that the various Lifetime Fitnesses in the Twin Cities area offer few family swim hours during the day. Instead, they offer adult-only open swim slots. With a young child, I can’t make it to family swim hours in the afternoons or evenings.  She takes an afternoon nap. When she wakes we eat dinner, and not too long after that, she goes down for the night. That’s life with a small child. 

There are a number of Lifetime Fitnesses in the Twin Cities area, but none with a pool close to our home in southeast Minneapolis. There is a pool at the Target Center downtown but parking is a chore and the water is very chilly. Regretably, the Highland Park location is super close, but has no pool. So, we have to drive out to a suburb: Plymouth, Eagen, Bloomington, Fridley or Woodbury.  Each excursion takes 3 hours, minimum. It’s rather inconvenient and means that we spend plenty of time in the car to get our swimming in.That also affects when we head out, as I’m not going to join the rush hour crowd to get to a pool.

Several of the Lifetime Fitness locations have both a lap pool and a zero-depth entry pool with waterslides and splash features, including Plymouth. However, weekday hours are limited, and the waterslides are only open in the evenings and weekends.

These are the two pools in Lakeville. As with Plymouth and Maple Grove, there are some fun features in the leisure pool, but the hours are quite limited and difficult to take advantage of when you need to get your kids into bed at night.

Each Lifetime Fitness has its own rules and hours, which can be rather confusing. I pay more to be able to go to any Lifetime Fitness location, but the various rules and hours are tough to keep track of. The folks at Bloomington South are always friendly, both the fellow swimmers and staff members, and don’t mind sharing a lap lane during the adult swim hours with a mom and child. However, Eagen strictly forbides it, even when the pool isn’t occupied by others, and they don’t hesitate to kick you out despite having an otherwise empty pool.

Lifetime Fitness offers great programs for adults, but seem to think kids only belong in the childcare center, being inactive. Many of the facilities throughout the Twin Cities have been built in partnerships with cities, such as this location in Lakeville.

I know other (homeschool) moms who are members at Lifetime who want to get exercise for both themselves and their children. They’ve got older kids, around 10. They’re not allowed to use the exercise equipment until they are 12 at Lifetime. That leaves the pool (and the hours for swimming are pretty limited), or the child care center. While it is a great deal at only $5 a month for childcare, the kids aren’t getting any exercise in there. For older kids the only option is to sit at a computer; although some facilities have a play maze (such as Coon Rapids), Lifetime often doesn’t have the staff to keep it open. For those times when the kids are scheduled to hit the gym, adult activities take precendence, and often the kids end up back in the childcare center, being inactive. 

How are we going to raise kids who value staying active and incorporate physical activity into their daily lives if we don’t give them the opportunity to do so at a exercise facility?

I’m curious to hear about other people’s experiences with various fitness centers. How does it work for you? What do you think of the YMCA? LA Fitness? Etc.?

Looking for a baby shower gift?

Here are the things I recommend:

• Healing Body Butter by Olsen Naturals, $15

http://www.olsennaturals.com/catalog/i27.html

I stumbled upon this stuff in the first few months of my pregnancy while browsing through the Mill City Farmer’s Market. I’ve used it for a million things. It is fantastic! It kept stretch marks at bay; I applied it every night when I was pregnant. During those first days of breastfeeding, I used it as a nipple cream to keep from experiencing those terrible cracked nipples (everything is natural so I didn’t have to worry about the baby injesting it). And whenever she got a diaper rash, I put the body butter on. Ingredients include organic coconut oil, organic jojoba oil, organic shea butter, local beeswax and organic cocoa butter.

• Healthy Meals for Babies & Toddlers by Valerie Barrett

My cousin-in-law gave me this book before Josey was born. It empowered me to make my own baby food. Sections cover nutrition, weaning, allergies and introducing new foods. Recipes range from infant rice and first purees to falafel with carrot salad.

• Bath Toys

When we prepared for our first shower, I asked my husband what he wanted to register for. He had only one request: bath toys. Since our daughter was born, baths have always been their time.

• Smock bibs from Ikea, $3.99 for two

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70179754

I’ve written about these before, but I love them so much that they’re on my list of items to give. These smock bibs cover the entire shirt and sleeve. Plus, they have little pockets that catch falling food so that it doesn’t hit the floor. They work great from baby to toddler.

• Go Fish, “Party Like A Preschooler,” $10

http://www.gofishguys.com/cms/pages/the-music.php

Go Fish keeps our family sane. Josey loves their music, and it doesn’t drive me crazy like a lot of other tinny kid’s songs do. Party LIke A Preschooler is a collection of many well-loved kids ditties, such as Do Your Ears Hang Low, 5 Little Monkeys and Pop Goes the Weasel. Buy one album online for $10 and then all the rest are just $5. That’s a deal.

• First Aid/Choking/CPR Chart, $2.95 each

https://www.nfaap.org/netFORUM/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?webcode=aapbks_productdetail&key=d4c5689a-b05b-4806-ab79-c964dacf35db

This chart from the American Academy of Pediatrics should be hung up in every child’s bedroom. The quick guide helps folks respond quickly in an emergency. Topics include burns, scalds, fractures, sprains, head injuries, poisons, skin wounds, stings and bits, as well as infant/child CPR. The chart is 11x17 inches.

I'm about to - gulp - start potty training

Today, I’m reading up on potty training. I am going to start soon, really I am. My mom thinks its definitely about time. Josey has been two for two months now. Apparently, I’m behind schedule. However, all the books I have been reading lately tell me it’s perfectly fine to wait — and I should if my toddler is going through major changes or is in a negative period. That’s my excuse for not getting to this before she was two: We remodeled a house. Then we moved. Things were pretty unstable for awhile there.

Anyway, I’ve been preparing by reading up on potty training. I plan to put it on my To Do list for next week — or maybe the week after that. Or maybe the week after that. It depends on the weather, quite frankly. I’ve decided to do a big immersion for one to seven days. We’ll have naked potty days and hang out in the yard. I figure that’ll be the easiest way to keep the mess down. She can pee out there without it being a big deal. I hope that way she starts to recognize what her body is doing. A friend pointed out that some kids learn to potty train naked, but then can’t translate it to going potty with clothes on. I guess we’ll see if that happens and deal with it if it does. (Please, God, please don’t let that happen.)

I also want to get her one of those dollies that pees. I’ve been weighing the pros and cons of that for awhile. Potty Patty isn’t cheap; she’s $40. But given how much my little girl LOVES dolls, and the way she “cares” for them (feeds them, changes their diapers, rocks them to sleep), I think that a potty doll will be a way to make potty training (potty learning as the books stress these days) more fun for her.

I’ve been reading three books, off and on. Mostly they say the same stuff. Today, I read most of Elizabeth Pantley’s The No-Cry Potty Training Solution (she also wrote the “No-Cry Sleep Solution” which is a good book to read if you’re having trouble in that area), and got some good ideas. I loved the three-page Quick Guide she has at the start of the book.

STUFF I LIKE:

• Don’t ask if she has to go to the potty.

I’ve made this mistake a lot lately as we ramp up for the Real Deal. Instead, make it a statement: Let’s go sit on the potty now. To keep your kid interested in the whole thing, offer choices. Do you want to use the upstairs potty or the downstairs potty? Do you want to run to the potty or walk to the potty? Do you want to use the big potty or the potty chair? What do you want to do first, get dressed or go to the potty? (page 77-78)

• Make it a game.

When kids are having fun playing, why would they want to interrupt stuff to go to the potty? To counter this thought, make potty training fun. Start a Potty Train ritual. “Announce its arrival with a loud ‘Choo Choo,’ and call ‘All Aboard’ to your child encouraging him to follow you. Chug around the room a bit and end up at the potty stop,” Pantley encourages. If the train loses its appeal, switch to an airplane or a circus. (page 78)

• Create a custom potty book.

Josey loves to read the potty books we got from the library for her. So, I think that making one about her going to the potty will be a big hit. Pantley recommends taking photos of your child at each step of the pottying process. “The first photo should be of your child playing with toys, so you can explain that he must first identify the urge and stop what he’s doing. The second will show your child’s trip down the hallway, and the third is your child entering the bathroom. This sequence of photos will continue right up to the final hand washing and drying and leaving the bathroom afterward with a look of pride. Yes, a picture of poop or pee-pee in the potty will make a gleeful addition to your homemade book! And happy Mommy and Daddy faces are a good ending,” Pantley says. (page 80-82)

• Make a potty poster.

This is similar to the potty book idea. Place photos of your child or cut-outs from a magazine on posterboard. Illustrate the steps you want your child to include in the potty process. Number the actions from start to finish. Then hang the poster at your child’s eye level in the bathroom. Use the poster to help teach your child the steps involved in pottying, and to remind him/her what to do each time he is there. (page 84)

• Use stickers.

Make the above potty poster or another chart special by allowing your child to add a sticker each time she uses the potty. You can either create a blank space for stickers or let her put them wherever she wants, says Pantley. Stickers can be a great incentive for kids. It’s the small things, right?

Stickers on a chart can apparently motivate a child during potty training.

• Fill up a Potty Prize Treasure Box

Prizes can be a powerful motivator for kids. I hesitate using food treats (although I might use cheese). This treasure box idea could work well. The idea is to buy about 30 inexpensive little prizes, the sort you can find in the toy store’s party favor aisle or at the dollar store. The key is to wrap each gift seperately in colorful wrapping paper. Then put the prizes in a clear plastic bowl on the bathroom counter. Allow your child to select one prize each time he potties. (page 91-92)

Every few pages, Pantley reminds parents to Be Patient. Expect accidents. This sounds like so much fun. Uh-huh.

Rescued by Go Fish

Car rides with my 2-year-old are only manageable with the help of Go Fish, the acapella group that switched over to doing kids music in 2003. Before I added Go Fish to the car, the 1-hour rides to Cambridge once a week for my job were a nightmare.

The Go Fish guys have saved me from a screaming 2-year-old.

I packed her snacks. They ended up strewn all over the floor and crushed into her car seat.

I packed her toys. I discovered the dolls on the opposite side of the backseat.

I made sure she had three nuks. She could never find them. So we had to stop so that I could point out they were stuffed between her leg and the car seat side, easily within her reach.

I tried the radio. I tried ignoring her. I tried talking to her.

The only thing that would stop the shrill screams and rolling tears was if I sang every song I knew. And the only song I could remember in those situations was “Itsy, Bitsy Spider.” Yeah. It’s her favorite. But really how many times can you sing that 25-second song before you want to rip your own vocal chords out? I typically could make it just a few miles and then my attention span went kaput.

Finally I thought to bring along the mixed CD my friend had given me months prior, the one I had shoved aside thinking my baby was waaaay too young for.

Turns out she’s not. She’s already a music lover. A very opinionated music lover. The only music she’ll listen to is Go Fish. No Big ‘N Rich. No SHeDAISY. No, not even Led Zeppelin will satisfy her. Go Fish or nothing.

I’ve tried other kids music, such as the Philadelphia Chickens, Suzi Shelton and Mothersong Santa Cruz. For awhile she was okay with the Beach Boys. But now I get a very insistent “Uh, Uh, Uh!”

So, we listen to a lot of Go Fish. Thank goodness I’ve always been a fan. I remember the guys from my college days. Earlier albums included “Infectious” and “Parade” along with two great Christmas ones (“More than a Story” and “Snow”). They rocked the Excel once while I was in the audience with that great drum solo Jamie does to “The Little Drummer Boy.” Gosh, that was cool! I volunteered at numerous shows in Cambridge at the Hardy Center over the years too, getting to chat it up with Jamie Statema, Jason Folkmann and Andy Selness backstage before I introduced them. I have to confess that I was never too thrilled when they started singing the kids music during the concerts. I was in my 20s and didn’t have kids. I didn’t get it.

Now I do.

When you’re listening to the same music over and over and OVER with your kids, you really will go crazy if it isn’t good music. Go Fish prides itself on music that won’t drive parents bonkers. They succeed.

They’ve got six kids albums:

• Splash (2003) — Find out why Ladybugs should wear sunscreen, learn what would happen if kids ran the church, and hear all about a funky fish named Frankie! Among the selections are This Little Light of Mine and The B-I-B-L-E.

• Superstar (2004) - The Ten Commandment Boogie, Superstar, Lord I Lift Your Name on High, and Jesus Loves Me…need they say more?

• Snooze (2005) - Songs that are great for settling kids down. You’re My Little Girl, Catch a Falling Star, and Welcome to the World.

• Snazzy (2007) - Learn all the books of the Bible in three minutes, get funky while putting on your jammies, and get ready to start a mosh pit with David and Goliath. Includes the hits American Kid and Love Like This.

• Party Like A Preschooler (2008) - With Itsy, Bitsy Spider, this is my 2-year-old daughter’s favorite album. Selections include Do Your Ears Hang Low, 5 Little Monkeys, and Pop Goes the Weasel.

• Kickin’ It Old School (2010) - I didn’t know until today about this album, but I just ordered it. According to their web site, this is the album that proves your grandparents’ music is cooler than you think. Featuring songs like Blessed Assurance, Old Rugged Cross, and This Is My Father’s World.

• Groovy (2011) - The guys started recording this album with Denver & the Mile High Orchestra last month. I can’t wait until there’s another album. The guys could come out with another every few months and I wouldn’t complain.

Go Fish also has a couple DVDs and VBS curriculum. If you’ve get a chance to bring the kids to one of their shows, I recommend you go. Expect a great light show, kids bouncing in their seats and lots of energy. It’s a blast.

Find out more about Go Fish at: gofishguys.com

Jamie’s blog is at:

http://gofishguy.typepad.com/jamie_the_go_fish_guy/

Check them out on Facebook for the latest news.

Thoughts from the dentist’s chair

I found myself in the dentist’s chair the other week wondering how I am going to instill good dental habits in my daughter. I have to confess I don’t have the best flossing habits, as noticed by my dental hygienist. “How often do you floss?” she asked me. What’s the best way to answer this question, I wondered. “I have ups and downs,” I responded. Meaning: I floss a week or so after my dental cleaning and then don’t again until two days before my next dentist appointment.

Then I really got to thinking as she got down to scrubbing my teeth and I couldn’t open my mouth to say anything anyway. I don’t have a good flossing habit — and I blame my mom. I really do. She made us brush our teeth two times a day, and I do that religiously. I can’t live without brushing my teeth two times a day. But I almost never brush more than that, and I know of some people who absolutely have to brush after lunch too. And I don’t floss. Almost ever.

Will my daughter be blaming me for her poor dental habits in another 30 years?

Will she be blaming me for other annoying habits, like leaving her water glasses all over the house, vacuuming only when it’s really dirty and being late to everything? Will she blame me for other things? Like smothering her or getting after her for stupid, little things? Will she review her life and blame me for not being able to communicate her thoughts and feelings to the man she loves? Just what will my failings be as a parent?

How can I avoid them?

Is there any way to avoid them?

I wish I could be that perfect mom, but the simple truth is no matter how hard I try I'm pretty sure I'll never be that person. (And I'm pretty sure she doesn't exist anyway.) But how can I minimize the damage? The answer to that might take longer to ascertain than I have dentist appointments for.

Cloth diapers

I love cloth diapers. I don't understand why everyone doesn't use them. They're better for the environment. They're easy to use. And they're oh so cute!

If you're going the cloth diaper route, here are a few things to consider:

Get a diaper sprayer. It's a must have! We bought the one from Bum Genius, but I think a few others make good ones too. My husband first tried to make his own sprayer, figuring it would be cheaper. After spending about the same on supplies as specific diaper sprayer costs, he hooked it up, we tried it and noticed a puddle on the floor that didn't go away. So, it was off to shop online and we ended up with the Bum Genius one. It was easy to install and has worked great. It's so easy to spray out the gunk with one of those. I don't know how people do it without a brush. I have a plastic garbage can with a lid next to the toilet. I spray out the diaper and into the bin it goes. I wash diapers about every 2/3 days.

I've used a bunch of different brands in my quest to find the best cloth diaper for my chunky-legged monkey. I wasn't thrilled with the Bum Genius diapers.They were hard to clean. I used the all in ones and the insert didn't come out. It got stained pretty quick. They also take a long time to dry because of the insert -- they're so thick.

The diapers I REALLY love are the Thirsties. They come in the cutest, brightest colors, fit well, and wash really easy. But these days my favorites are the basic white Motherease. We add an insert and they work great overnight. Others may be cuter, but these ones just work well.

Stay away from Kushies from Walmart - they NEVER come clean, and don't keep stuff IN very well either. I've got lots of Kissaluvs - they come so soft and adorable, but quickly get worn out and lose the softness.

Instead of using wet wipes I bought a bunch of baby wash clothes (20 or so) and a wipe warmer. Keep the washclothes wet in the wipe warmer (add water every day). They're warm. It's Josey's favorite thing about diaper changes! She's never been a baby who disliked the diaper change and I think that's because she loves that warmness on her butt!

A MUST is Biokleen Bac Out. I love that stuff. After I spray the diaper clean with water, I spray it with the Bac Out. It smells like lime and helps keep the wet diaper bin from smelling up the bathroom. It works so well. You can buy it at any Coop. After I decided I liked it, I bought 4 gallons off Amazon to save $ and avoid running out. I was using a bottle every other week, but the four gallons have lasted me a year.

The easiest way to whiten a diaper is just to dry it in the sun. Hard to do in the winter. I'm waiting for that sunlight to come back to get mine back to beautiful. I was AMAZED at how fast and easily that worked. A few hours and presto. White.

If you notice your diapers start to smell, most likely you're using too much soap when you wash them. Use only about a teaspoon of soap. The soap builds up easily and stops the diapers from doing their work; they can't absorb anymore. And yeah, there's the smell issue. I usually wash with a second rinse. Every few weeks I wash them 1/2 more times in just water to keep the soap from building up. That's actually been the most troublesome part of the cloth diapering system for me. I've been searching for a good laundry soap too, but haven't found one I'd recommend yet.

A great resource for mothering stuff is kellymom.com. She does alot on breastfeeding, but also cloth diapers and other issues.

Temper tantrums and discipline the Sears way

My 15-month-old throws temper tantrums already. Apparently, having a stubborn father and mother resulted in a pretty stubborn toddler. Given that and her hatred of sleep, I’ve been feeling frustrated lately. But after reading “The Disciple Book” by William Sears and Marth Sears, I feel better — and I’m only into chapter 3.

I’ve been a fan of the Searses since I got pregnant and a friend lent me her “The Pregnancy Book”. Since I’ve read that one, “The Birth Book”, “The Baby Book,” and “The Vaccine Book” (written by Martha and William’s son). I recommend them all. What I love most about these books is the common sense of the authors. They don’t recommend “crying it out” or making sure you deny your child just to prove you’re not spoiling him/her. Instead, they suggest you consider the world from your kid’s perpective. Recognize the current development phase of your kid. Baby-proof your house instead of constantly fighting about whether she’s going for your breakables. They recommend classic toys, like blocks and puzzles, and suggest you forego things with batteries and noise. My kind of people!

Their books help me take a deep breath and relax about parenting.

I love lines like this: “Kids do annoying things — not maliciously, but because they don’t think like adults. ... Instead of first considering your own inconvenience, immediately click into your child’s viewpoints” (page 38 from the chapter “Understanding Ones, Twos and Threes”).

“Understanding why your toddler says no helps you not to be threatened by this toddler behavior. Your toddler is not actually being defiant or stubborn. He is not saying ‘I won’t’; rather, he is saying ‘I don’t want to.’” (p. 54)

“Your child will be as obedient as you expect or as defiant as you allow. When we ask parents of obedient kids why their children obey, they all answer, ‘Because we expect them to.’” (P. 11)

I appreciate that the Searses tailor their advice to age groups. For example, they point out that children under age 18 months can’t follow verbal warnings unless they are accompanied by action. So, you can’t simply shout “Don’t pull the cat’s tail”; you need to get off your butt and show the child how to pet the cat nicely. Also, kids under 18 months can’t generalize concepts. While you may get her to understand that your own stove is hot and dangerous, the child won’t connect that to grandma’s stove being also hot and dangerous. Babies don’t think before acting until they between 18 and 24 months. This stuff is so GOOD to know.

While advocating attachment parenting, the Seares don’t shy from setting limits and disciplining. But they do focus on positive reinforcement ad redirection, instead of simply saying “no” to your kid. They point out that kids need to explore and make a mess sometimes in order to learn how the world works; good parents don’t take that away from their kids but instead use it as a learning tool.

I love that the Searses recommend attachment parenting and establishing a connection with your child. They encourage breastfeeding and babywearing, as well as sleep-sharing. Coming from a doctor and professor, and a registered nurse, I think that’s pretty enlightening.

See more at http://www.askdrsears.com/

Breastfeeding on Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers

Great videos I just had to share.

SESAME STREET

MR. ROGERS

Other diaper tools

If you do opt to use cloth diapers, here are a few other 'tools' I've found helpful.


Make your baby happy by buying a wipe warmer. I know some people say not to do it because then the baby hates when you're out of the house and have to use cold wipes. While that may be true, the happiness a warm wash cloth brings to my baby is worth it! Diaper changing time is her favorite time. All crying stops when she's on her diaper changing table. We don't use wet wipes, but instead fill the warmer with baby-sized washclothes. I fill it up with water every day (even though the package said it would only need filling once a week. Yeah, right!).



Connect a sprayer to your toilet. It makes clean-up so much easier. We decided at first to do it ourselves, so we trotted off to Menards and dropped over $40 on supplies. My husband spent the better part of a Sunday afternoon connecting the sprayer up. The next day we discovered a puddle on the floor; it had a slow leak. After looking it over a bit, my husband decided to give in and purchase the ready-made package from Bum Genius for $40. It was easy to install and works great. I love it.

To keep the odor down between washings and to get the diapers cleaner, I spray each with Bac Out after I spray it out. You can purchase Bac Out at natural food co-ops; I stocked up by buying 4 gallons off Amazon.com. It has a fabulous lime scent that I love.

Not your momma's cloth diapers

Cloth diapers aren’t what they used to be. I know what you envision when you think ‘cloth diaper’. You picture a white square and sharp safety pins. Well, think again!

Today’s cloth diapers are actually oh-so-easy to use. Think velcro and fleece. Plus, they’re actually adorable! Picture Dr. Suess and frog prints.



Today’s cloth diapers consist of an inner layer of cotton or fleece and an outer layer that is waterproof. Pop the diaper on and then put the cover over it. Others, known as all-in-ones or AIOs, have both the inner and outer parts in one diaper. I prefer those for use when I’m not at home. Daddy also prefers those and thinks they’re easier.

I began my quest for cloth diapers by visiting Pea Pods (www.peapods.com) on Snelling in St. Paul. I wanted to see and touch. I spent $100 and got a variety to test, including Bum Genius, Bamboozle (made of bamboo!), and Kissaluvs. I figured after I had tried them I could then order seconds off Craig’s List. The nice thing about cloth diapers is that although they are not cheap to buy new, they do retain their value very well.

Here’s what I’ve learned after three months of use:



My favorite diapers are Thirsties, and they’re not easy to find used. Thirsties are made of soft fleece and have velcro. They resist staining the best. And they come in great colors: bright orange, melon green, hot pink and more. The accompanying covers have gussets around the legs, which work well for my chubby-legged daughter.



I also love Bummies covers. They are great! The Bummies Super Brites also have gussets, but the regular have worked just fine for us. I love the frog print the best. Oh so cute!



The diapers that leak every time for us are the Kushies. Although they are the cheapest, and easily available at walmart.com, I wouldn’t recommend them. The triangular shape doesn’t keep anything in; it all seeps out around my daughter’s legs.




Although many rave about Bum Genius, I am not part of their fan club. They’re not terrible diapers by any means, but they’re not the best either. What I dislike most is that they are hard to get clean. With the Thirsties, the poo practically rinses out. The Bum Genius require scrubbing and whitening in the sun.



Kissaluvs are my second favorite. We actually started with about 20 used Kissaluv newborn diapers. They lasted my 9 lb, 12 oz baby only 2 weeks, but they worked great. The snaps are nice and make it easy to adjust for a tight fit around baby’s waist. Kissaluvs tend to be on the lower end of the price range for cloth diapers.



I also have about five AIO Bumpkins. They come in great designs. I use these most when I’m out of the house. They are Daddy’s favorites because they take just one step to put on.

PRICES:
Bum Genius 3.0 One Size Pocket Diaper $17.95
KIssaluvs pre-fitted $12.95
Thirsties Fab Fitted $14.25
Kushies: $49.95 for five
Bumpkins AIO: $24.95 or 6-pack bundle for $109.95

Bummies Super Whisper Wrap $12.25
Thirsties diaper cover $11.50

SIZES
Thirsties: XS 10-15 lbs, Sm 12-19 lbs, Med 14-22 lbs, Large 16-25 lbs
Kissaluvs: Size 0 - 5-15 lbs, Size 1 - 10-25 lbs, Size 2 - 20-40 lbs
Kushies: 10-22 lbs
Bumpkins: Sm 6-12 lbs, Med 12-22 lbs, Large 22-32 lbs, XL 32-42 lbs, Youth 42+ lbs
Bum Genius: one-size; adjust the snaps to lengthen