Reviews by kriemermann

kriemermann says "A terrific potty training video, starring Elmo!" about Sesame Street - Elmo's Potty Time

kriemermann — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:26:28 GMT

This video has been popular with all the children I know, from those who are trained to those who aren't ready to start. And all ages like it too; they all love Elmo!

This video stars Elmo and the rest of the Sesame Street characters, so kids are already very familiar with the cast. It also takes the approach that everyone learns to use the potty "in their own way and in their own time." This was important to me, especially since my oldest son was a late trainer, and I wanted to encourage him without suggesting that he was doing anything wrong in not already using the potty. Over the course of the video, the characters discuss the process of learning to use the toilet, words people use to describe what they do there, the important steps (use toilet paper, flush, wash and dry hands), and the possibility of accidents. They emphasize strongly that accidents happen to everyone when they're learning and that children shouldn't feel upset or ashamed when it happens.

My then-3-year-old...

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kriemermann says "Works like a dream and doesn't irritate sensitive skin" about Boudreaux's Butt Paste Diaper Rash Cream

kriemermann — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:15:13 GMT

I discovered Butt Paste om the recommendation of another mom when my (4-year-old) son was an infant. He never had frequent diaper rashes, but when he did, the Desitin seemed to irritate his skin; and it was hard to wipe off when it did cause him pain. I noticed an immediate difference with the Butt Paste. The smell is very pleasant, but I don't think the kids notice that. More than that, it's much less irritating to already painful skin. And if I do want to remove it for any reason, it comes off easily. Be forewarned that it's kind of an oatmeal color, so you may open a wet diaper and wonder about the tan color in there! And it's more expensive than some other brands, but well worth it in my opinion. The difference isn't huge, and I don't use it in such large quantities that I'm concerned about a few cents.

The only drawback I noticed recently was that my 2-year-old had a very stubborn diaper rash, and the Butt Paste didn't seem to be helping. I finally tried another...

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kriemermann says "Sam's Club is well worth the price of membership!" about Sam's Club

kriemermann — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:08:38 GMT

We joined Sam's Club when our second child was born. Prior to that, it seemed silly to spend money for the right to spend more money. But with two kids of our own--plus I do child care and therefore feed and diaper several more kids--the savings are well worth the cost of membership. Since I'm a child care provider and therefore a small business owner, we save $5 a year on the cost of membership ($35 a year instead of $40) and we can also shop earlier on most days, during Gold Key Hours. So especially if you're a child care provider, I highly recommend it.

You need to be willing to buy in bulk and have a place to store it (our chest freezer is always full), but we have found that for certain things like diapers, some produce, canned fruits and vegetables, and frozen foods, it's considerably less expensive than the grocery store. So we shop at both places most weeks and have seen a considerable savings in our grocery bills.

They don't accept coupons, which is an advantage and a drawback. ...

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kriemermann says "Not impressed. They leaked every night." about Target Brand Diapers

kriemermann — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:32:57 GMT

I ran out of our usual diapers (Sam's Club brand) and decided to pick up a package of the Target ones. They were fine during the day, although I did have a few where the tabs stuck and were difficult to get started. But every single night, they leaked. I was using them on my almost-2-year-old, who does not usually leak through his diapers; we've never had to use special "nighttime diapers" on him. But these were awful at night. I finally had to go get a package of Pampers so I could use those at night while we used up the Target ones. I have tried a lot of different diaper brands and am not partial to any name brands; I'll use the generic or store brand ones in a heartbeat if they work. But the leaking was bad enough that I'll never try these again!

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