As a parent, you’ll go through many phases with your child. It can be monsters in the closet, sleeping troubles, and issues with hitting. But what you don’t realize is that diapering is just a phase as well. Sure, it’ll be a phase that lasts up to three years, but a phase nonetheless.

Transitioning from a cloth diaper addict to a potty training mom can be difficult. I’ll admit…. Bai is potty trained during the day and only wears diapers at bedtime. And I bought the new Bumgenius print- Martin. She may only wear it once or twice but the cloth diaper addiction is real. I’m in a place where destashing needs to happen, and it is! But there’s still a new diaper coming in every week or so. A step is a step… right?

So, as the addiction of buying cloth is still very real, the amazingness of not having so much diaper laundry is settling in. Sure, I’m washing more big girl panties, towels, and bed sheets, but the greatness of no more diaper laundry is astounding. You don’t feel like it’s a big deal when it’s a part of your life for so long but once it starts disappearing, it’s phenomenal.

I will say that there are many days that I want to stick a diaper on this kid. She has accidents like every other potty training toddler. But I hate having to take her to the bathroom in public restrooms. Little ones just don’t understand germs and yuckiness. They just want to touch everything! If I could throw a diaper on her and make her pee in the diaper, I’d be happy. But instead, she’s a big girl and will throw a holy fit if I bring a diaper near her bum other than before bedtime. Heck, even getting her diaper on for bed is a struggle.

Along with transitioning from diapers to potty training, we’re going from “baby” to “big girl.” This is something that has been super hard on me. She wants to do EVERYTHING herself. There’s no more allowing mommy to put on her pajamas. Mommy isn’t allowed to help her wash her hands. “I do it! I’m a big girl,” is the new slogan in the house. It’s mentioned at least a hundred times a day, sometimes more. Independence is awesome, but such a pain in the bum. I will admit my patience level can be low and waiting the extra 45 seconds for her to do it herself can get annoying. But then the excitement she gets from doing it herself sets in, and it makes my heart skip a beat.

Transitioning from cloth diapers to the potty training days means going through more phases and growing together – as parent and child. Good luck mama. The days will be long. The months will be short. Your baby will grow up and learn with the blink of an eye.