Who Knew the Recession Could Potty Train?

What was once a staple in many households has now become a luxury item thanks to the economic downturn. Over the years, parents embraced disposable training pants because they made life easier, preventing messy accidents as children transitioned from diapers to underwear. Today, many families are abandoning disposable training pants because of their high costs. Parents who typically spent between $30 and $100 per month are now willing to overlook an accident or two in order to save potentially over $1,000 per year.


This bodes poorly for training pants manufacturers. Despite the U.S. birth rate increasing 3 percent in 2006 and 1 percent in 2007, sales of disposable training pants declined 3.2 percent to $731.2 million over the past year. All in all, the number of training pants sold is down 10 percent. This marked decline in an industry that has typically grown steadily for 20 years raises new questions about whether the trend will continue when the economy recovers. The market leader is Kimberly-Clark’s Pull-Ups brand which maintains a 65 percent market share. Sales of disposable training pants rose every year after the company introduced them to the mass market in 1989, even as competition grew. Although they wouldn’t release specific numbers, sales have been soft.


Although training pant companies may be crying the blues, it turns out there may in fact be a silver lining for consumer: most children who don’t use training pants actually become potty trained faster than those do. One mother trained her daughter in a weekend by letting her run around the house naked, an approach she learned from other moms. Similar to just putting kids in underwear, the thinking is that if children wet themselves, they tend to learn quickly that the way to avoid mishap is by using the toilet.


“The big problem isn’t potty training. The problem is the emphasis we place on ‘holding it’,” said Steve Hodges, assistant professor of pediatric urology at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.


Although accidents are prone to happen, and parents will undoubtedly find themselves laundering more underwear, many are saying that it is faster to potty train than simply using Pull-Ups. They are also quick to note that it is still advantageous to have some training pants around for nighttime and for car trips.


Have any of you foregone training pants and opted straight for underwear? We’d love to hear your feedback!


[Image Via: eHow ]