Potty Diaries: Day 3

 

Dear Diary,

Today was kind of disappointing; Nico experienced regression for the first time, which is completely normal, I just didn't expect it to happen so soon. At this age toddlers are learning how to express themselves. Nico goes through periods where he really wants to please me, and phases where he could care less whether I approve of his behavior or not; I call those, "Rough Days." 

Today was a Rough Day.

Nico defiantly used the floor when he went pee-pee, alerting me each time after he was already finished. And the times when I took him to the potty he refused to use it even when he was reminded of his potty reward, which is okay. To me, the most important thing is that he feels comfortable with going to the bathroom; it is not the time or place for strict discipline in order to avoid tears and outright refusal to even sit on the potty.

The one time he did use the potty was when I caught him in the middle of doing a number 2 on the floor. I carried him running to the potty where he finished! Afterwards, I cleaned up the mess with toilet paper and put it in the potty to show him that numbers always go in there.

3 Things I learned about Nico and Potty Time:

1. He likes to pee on the floor (I assume this is true of most boys when they start)
2. Regression is normal
3. He enjoys the Potty Song I made up to go along with Number 2's

Though I was a little discouraged to discover that he enjoyed peeing on the floor, and was tempted to give up and put him back in a diaper, I stuck it out until bath time, which is when we put his diaper on for the night.

 At the end of the day, it helped to focus on his small accomplishment, rather than dwell on the things that were out of my control. 

Sincerely,
Sabrina (aka The KUL Mom)

Potty Diaries: Day 1

Dear Diary, 

Today was a very exciting day for Nico! He was thrilled to discover that he didn't have to wear his diaper at all, and happily ran around the house in all his naked freedom. 

Then, he had his first accident. He came to me saying, "Nico pee-pee!" And I was excited, until I found a small yellow puddle on the tiled playroom floor. I calmly told him that we pee-pee in the potty, and had him bring me paper towels to help me clean up, which he was very happy to do. 

The second time he had an accident, I caught him, and was able to get him to stop midstream, a thing that is difficult for him to do at this age. We ran to the potty where Nico finished his number 1! We sang a song, and I gave him lots of high-fives and endless praise. 

When it was time for his nap, we visited the potty again, though he didn't use it. It is unreasonable to expect these little ones to stay dry during nap time, or to be able to wake up and alert their parents if they need to use the potty; so, I put a diaper on him to avoid a smelly disaster. When we went to the potty after nap time, he successfully made another pee-pee!

We visited the potty several more times that day. Before and after lunch, snack, and dinner, without much luck. I was careful to not show disappointment when he didn't have to go, so that he wouldn't associate potty time with guilt. However, when he made a number 2 on the floor, I made sure he knew that it was not okay. While he helped me clean the mess again, I sternly but kindly told him that we must use the potty next time so that we can keep the floor clean.

3 things that Reassured me that Nico was ready for potty training:

1. He was able to tell me when he was finished using the potty
2. He knows the difference between going number 1 and going number 2
3. He recognizes the sensation and tells me either before or after he does his business

Overall, the first day of potty training went better than I had excepted!

Sincerely, 
Sabrina (aka The KUL Mom)

Potty Diaries: Introduction

Nico has always been a very intelligent and strong willed little guy. Once he decides he is ready for something, there is no stopping him. Though I have never wanted to rush him through milestones, I was not surprised when he took his first steps at 10 months, when he started climbing everything in sight at 12 months, or when he began to take an interest in the potty at 15 months. He began following my husband and I to the bathroom, flushing the toilet when he thought no one was looking, and telling me all about the contents of his dirty diaper. Though experts say these are all indicators of potty readiness, I still felt it was too early, and I didn't want to push my baby to grow up before his time. Instead we decided to take pre-potty steps. 

A potty seat was the best option for our household because Nico was eager to sit on the toilet like mommy and daddy, and because we live in a single story house with easy bathroom access. I also liked the other benefits of the seat such as, portability, easy clean up, and space-saving storage. Each day, or maybe every other day, I would sit Nico on his potty seat (fully dressed) to get him used to the idea that one day he would be doing it all by himself. 

Little did I know that day would come sooner rather than later. 

Nico decided he was ready all on his own. At about 18 months, he started taking off his diaper during nap time. Sounds innocent enough, right? There is no harm in being silly and or figuring out how to work the tabs on a diaper, unless there is something in that diaper. Imagine my shock and disgust when I walk in on my 1 and a half year old happily smearing his feces all over himself and his crib. Unfortunately, this was not a one time thing. Over the next couple months, Nico continued to make monumental messes, no matter what my husband and I did, and he was beginning to do it more frequently. I began asking the older mothers in my church when they started the potty process and they all advised me to waited until Nico was ready. 

Well, when you know, you know. 

I still had my doubts since Nico was still 22 months old, not even 2 yet, but I couldn't take another nap time nightmare. 

So, I made a potty plan:

1. Stay home as much as possible during the day. 
2. Let Nico walk around with no diaper, and no pants. BIRTHDAY SUIT! 
3. Begin using undies when he has at least 2 days of no accidents in a row (this hasn't happened yet)
4. Take the potty seat out with us when he finally does make the transition to undies.

Over the next few months I'll be writing a little series called Potty Diaries that will highlight misadventures of a first time mommy in Potty Land. 

Follow us through all the ups and downs, and #1's and #2's!

Potty Diaries: Getting Started

To potty or not to potty?

It seems that's the next big question as our little ones make the transition from toddlers to big kids. And everyone has something to say about it. With half of your friends and family telling you to wait and the other half telling you it's about time you got started, it can be hard to know if or when your baby is ready. 

The main question on my mind was, at what age is it appropriate to start toilet training

my son? After many hours of research I finally found my answer.

Despite what you may have heard, I found that there is no exact age to mark the beginning of the potty days; it all boils down to your baby. Is he or she ready? I found a POTTY READINESS QUIZ on pediatrics.about.com that might help you figure it out. 

The next question is, are you ready? To begin the potty process you'll need a few supplies:

Potty Time Tools

A cleaning spray (maybe 2, for the accidents)

A large pack of paper towels

Potty seat or potty chair (pro/con list for both)

Baby wipes (for cleaning up beginners) 

Training pants or undies 

 Diapers (yes, you'll still need diapers. our little ones still cannot be expected to stay dry at night or during naps)

A potty book for parents (optional but extremely helpful)

 An online forum to turn to when you're at your wits end (no matter how calm you are when you start the process, I guarantee mild frustration on your part at some point. Knowing that others are going through the same things may help you feel a bit more relaxed and will motivate you to be patient and to not give up) 

A few more things that experts suggest are videos and books to help your baby along. We decided to skip the videos, and although I originally planned to buy potty books, they didn't get there in time. So speaking by experience, I'd say it's okay to start without those as long as your little one understands what the toilet is, what it's for, and what to do on it. 

Follow Nico and I as we take our first steps towards his childhood! 

And I wish you the best of luck on your own Potty Journey!