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)