Dry Like Me toilet training pads are innovative, but best for older children rather than those just embarking on potty training.
When I first saw a box of Dry Like Me, I laughed out loud. Essentially, they’re panty liners for kids – and I can’t actually believe no one’s thought of them before.
The idea of using Dry Like Me for potty training is either totally flawed or complete genius, and to be perfectly honest, I’m still sitting on the fence.
Developed by two mums who’ve been through the joys of toddlerhood themselves, Dry Like Me were brought out to help parents manage the stress and mess of toilet training, catching small accidents without soiling clothes and creating the minimum amount of waste. And the stats certainly stack up – Platypus Research conducted some trials which resulted in 43% less accidents within one week. That’s pretty impressive stuff.
My little girl is 2 years old and we’ve got all the potty training paraphernalia dotted around the house. I’m encouraging her to go on the potty every day and although she does, so far nothing but air has come out.
My daughter does, however, love the idea of wearing knickers and being like mummy. So when I got hold of Dry Like Me, we immediately went shopping for underwear and I let her wear her first pair of pants with a pad inside.
There was success and failure. Success in that my toddler absolutely loved wearing the knickers and I felt much safer letting her wear them knowing there was a Dry Like Me inside. But failure because she had a wee wearing them and then didn’t think it was a big deal because the pad soaked most of it up.
What we love
The idea is so simple and it is reassuring for parents to know there’s something in the underwear that means the carpet’s going to take less of a hammering during toilet training.
Dry Like Me also pretty cheap. It’ll cost you £3.49 for a box of 18, which includes a plastic travel pouch – very handy if you need to change one when you’re out and about and there’s no bin in sight.
The fact they can be used as children are growing up, for accidents that might cause embarrassment to the older child, gets a big thumbs up from me. Kids can be picked on for having to wear nappies or pull-ups when they’re older, but these are much more discreet.
What to watch out for
I read the box from front to back but was still unclear about how you’re supposed to insert the pads. At first I thought it was telling me I needed to put two pads into Rosie’s knickers, but then I opted for one and couldn’t work out which end is supposed to go to the front. Having read the website, it’s easy to see why this is - you can literally wear them any which way. At the front to capture wee, at the back to catch a poo, both ways together or layered up to increase the surface area.
There’s also a warning about only using with well-fitting underwear, as this will obviously help the pads stay in the correct place. It makes total sense but my daughter’s 24 months and I’ve got M&S knickers for her in a size 1.5-2 years. They don’t sit particularly snugly against her bottom but if I bought a smaller size still, I don’t think they’d be especially comfortable. She’s a very average-sized child and if anything, her bum’s probably big, rather than small, for her age (she has my genes!). I wouldn’t want to buy underwear a year too small in size just so the pads would fit better. But, perhaps if I did, when she had a wee wearing them, it would have all been captured, because as it was, the pad got wet, along with my kitchen floor.
There’s also the debate that if you’re putting anything in your toddler’s pants to soak everything up, surely she’ll be in less of a hurry to get on the potty. If your toddler’s just wearing pants and has an accident, she’s going to know about it instantly. In a Dry Like Me, Rosie happily carried on playing, not worried that she was a little bit wet, because the pad had soaked it up.
Who are Dry Like Me toilet training pads best for?
Older children who are having accidents, who want to avoid embarrassment when they’re out and about.
MadeForMums verdict
Dry Like Me toilet training pads are a great idea, but perhaps not at their best for encouraging potty training. They help to catch mess, but you could find the absorbent pad means your toddler doesn’t mind when they wet themselves.
