Potty Training Tuesday #13

The Beginning

Liam has finally started to show and interest in potty training.  Suddenly, about two weeks ago, he asked to sit on the potty at daycare AND actually wanted to sit!  Before this, he refused to sit on the potty.  He talked about it, said he wanted to, but when it came down to it, he refused.  But this time, he actually wanted to try.  And it continued all week.

On the weekend, we got out the potty at home.  He sat on it, playing with a spray bottle, a hair brush and brushing his teeth for a LONG time, probably close to 20 minutes!

And when he got up, the potty was full of PEE!!!!!!  We'd had our first success!  

And he was not happy about it!  He was quite upset that the potty was full of "eww!"  And even more upset that I didn't have a race car sticker to give him.  (Totally mommy fail, I know!)  So, I broke one of my own rules and gave him a lollipop!

Monday at daycare, after nap, he sat on the potty and peed again!!!

And again, he was not happy about!  He was throughly disgusted (and cried) that the potty was full of "eww!"

It's been a week now, since our two successful potty times and we haven't had anymore.  Liam does often sit on the potty at home and at daycare, but hasn't put anymore "eww" in it yet.  

He has learned (most of the time) that his penis need to be pointed into the potty.  He calls it his peenie.  And makes sure to tell all the other kids at daycare who are sitting on the potty (girls included) to put their "peenies in the poddy".

I am very please that Liam is starting to show an interest in potty training and that he has had a little bit of success.  But I am finding it harder than expected to follow my own potty training suggestions.

I am not being anywhere near as consistent as I should be with getting him to sit on the potty when we are at home.  

I am having a very hard time not insisting that he sit on it when he is resistant.

It is amazing how much harder it is when it is your own child.  And it is making me realize that I need to be a little more understanding of daycare parents.  I often push parents (politely of course!) to be more consistent at home.  I am now realizing just how difficult that can be with everything else that needs to be done after coming home from work.  I will continue to suggest consistency at home but will try to be more understanding of the people who just can't do it.

Liam has also reminded me that you NEVER, no matter how many kids you've had a hand in potty training, know what to expect.  in over 12 years of toddlers and potty training, I have NEVER had a child cry when they pee in the potty because it is "eww!"

Stay tuned for more tips, tricks and advice every Tuesday!  And please do share your own experiences!  I am always looking for ways to make potty training easier for myself, not only at work, but also at home as I will soon be jumping in head first to potty train Liam!

Potty Training Tuesday # 12

Taking A Break - Knowing When To Take a Potty Training Break

There often comes a point in the potty training journey where a parent or caregiver has to decide if it is worth while to continue full out potty training or if they need to step back and take a break.  

Taking a break is not a sign of failure on anyone's part.  It is just simply pausing until your child is really ready.

Just because your child has displayed the initial signs of readiness, doesn't mean that they are 100% ready to be potty trained.  

Here are some signs that it may be best for you and your child to take a break from potty training:

-You child is having very little of no success on the potty.

-He or she gets very upset by accidents

-Your child has become scared of the potty.

-He or she is showing a decreased interest.

Your child is completely oblivious to accidents.

Taking a break is not quitting or giving up.  It may be frustrating to have to take a break, but it is very common.  Many kids make numerous attempts before they really get it.

You don't necessarily need to quit completely to take a break.  You can still encourage your child to sit on the potty when you are changing their diaper and to tell you when they have to pee.  This lets the child know that even though you have taken a step backwards from underwear back to diapers, potty training is still a priority while eliminating the mess and stress of frequent accidents.

If you are taking a break due to decreased interest, you need to use your break to build up your child's interest again.  Talk about friends and family who use the potty.  Talk about wearing big boy/girl underwear.  Model using the toilet.  Anything you can think of that might boost their interest without causing a lot of pressure is good.

If you child has become afraid of the potty, take a few days to try and eliminate this fear.  Have the potty somewhere that it is visible more often.  Encourage them to sit on it, even with their clothes on.  If their fear seems to lessen with this, try to keep on potty training, if not, it is time to take a break.  Pushing a child to do something that they are afraid of can be very traumatizing.

When to start again?

Knowing when it is a good time to start again is much the same as deciding to start in the first place.  Watch for signs and take it step by step again - sitting on the potty regularly but still wearing diapers; wearing underwear/taking your child to the potty often to develop a routine and pattern; to finally having your child ask to go potty and eventually go on their own

Potty training is always more successful when it is done at the child's pace and comfort level, not yours!

Stay tuned for more tips, tricks and advice every Tuesday!  And please do share your own experiences!  I am always looking for ways to make potty training easier for myself, not only at work, but also at home as I will soon be jumping in head first to potty train Liam!

Good-Bye February . . . Hello March!

There is no question in my mind, I do not enjoy the month of February.  It is cold, it is dark, it is dreary, it is wintery, it brings the anniversary of my grandfather's death.

Sure, it has Valentine's Day, but that doesn't do much for me and never really has.  Family day is a nice added touch, but not enough to make up for all of February's shortcomings.  And don't even get me started on the silliness that is Groundhog's Day.

And what makes it even worse, is that despite it being the shortest month,  February always feels like the longest.  I find myself counting the days until March arrives.

March . . . warmer temperatures, melting snow, sunshine, longer days, the excited anticipation of spring.

But this year, I have to say, WOW!  Where did February go?  It seemed flash by in the blink of an eye.  It was over so fast I almost didn't have time to start despising it.  And I hardly got to complain about it!

Not sure why it went so fast.

We had Liam's birthday party on February 5th.

The dog and cat had a scramble and the cat ended up with a broken leg and jaw during the Family Day long weekend.

This past Sunday we went to the Museum of Science and Tech for the afternoon.

Other than that, we went to work, went grocery shopping on Fridays and spent the weekends hibernating, wishing winter would take a hike.

And now, February is done, history, finished.  March is here.  The end of winter is finally in sight.  We will have survived another cold, snow-filled season and soon we will be BBQing, camping and gardening instead of hibernating.

Forgotten

Today was Thursday.

Today was payday.

I got my pay cheque this morning.

As I always do on payday, I walked to the bank on my lunch break.

I got in line and waited.

I checked my e-mail, facebook and twitter on my iPhone as I waited.

When it was almost my turn, I put the phone away and started to prepare for the teller.

I got my bank card out of my wallet.

I reached back into my purse for the envelope containing my pay cheque.

Nothing.

I looked in my wallet, thinking I had taken it out of the envelope and put it away.

Nothing.

I stuck my hands in my pockets, checking frantically for the missing piece of paper that was needed to pay our mortgage and truck payments.

Still nothing.

Then it hit me.

Damn it.

The pay cheque was still in the envelope, sitting in my locker where I put it when I received it.

I had picked up my purse and my iPhone but not the envelope.

I walked away cursing silently to myself as the teller looked at my and said, "Next Please."

I probably looked as stupid as I felt.

Back to work I rushed.

I wasted my 30 minute lunch break, waiting in line to do nothing.

Well, I guess it wasn't completely wasted.

I did get a little bit of fresh air and exercise.

But that doesn't make me feel any less stupid!

So, after work, I went back to the bank.

This time, I made sure I had my pay cheque in my purse before leaving work.

I swear, I would forget my head if it wasn't attached.

(Not) Potty Training Tuesday #11

Sorry about the lack of a Potty Training Tuesday post last week.  I had good intentions, but it takes more than good intentions to write a coherent post!

As promised, here is an update on my potty training with Liam.  Or as you may have guessed from the title,  how I am not potty training Liam.

I thought that when he started telling me that he had pooped, that we were getting close to ready for potty training.  Then he started to tell me when he had peed in his diaper.  And most recently has come the realization that his used diapers are "eww".  Woo Hoo, potty training time!

WRONG!!!  Liam has absolutely no use for the potty as anything more than a chair.  And that would be fine as a starting off point, except that he refuses to let me take his diaper off to sit on it.

He just has absolutely no interest whatsoever in potty training right now.  I thought that he would see his friends at daycare sitting on the potty and follow along, but no!  I thought that maybe he could be enticed with stickers, but again, no!

I've even tried just taking the diaper off and putting him on the potty.  And let's just say, the temper tantrum was not a pretty sight!

So, we aren't potty training yet.We are in the "asking and talking it up" phase.Every diaper change I ask, "Liam, do you want to sit on the potty?"  Which is always answered with a  "NO!"I remind him one by one of all his friends at daycare who sit on the potty.To each name, he responds "yep."  He knows they all sit on the potty.My final question is always, "Are you going to sit on the potty today?"The response again is always, NO!"I smile and say, "Maybe next time."

What am I going to do about this, you ask?

NOTHING!

There's not a thing I can do about it.  If I force the issue, it is just going to make him mad and more resistant.  And it is going to cause everyone a whole lot of unwanted stress.  I have enough stress in my life without this!

The time will come, and until then, we will keep asking, encouraging and someday, he will sit on the potty!

Dear Blog

I know you are feeling very neglected and unloved right now.  

I am sorry.

I don't mean to neglect you like this.  

You are very important to me.

You are very much needed to help me keep what's left of my sanity.

However, for the past few weeks, I've been dealing with a sick boy as well as battling a sinus cold myself.

Unfortunately, I have not found the button to pause the rest of my life while I deal with these things, so I have found myself more sleep deprived and mental exhausted than usual.

Many times over recent days I've sat down with the intent of writing a blog post only to find that I couldn't even compose a coherent tweet or facebook status.  When I couldn't coherently compost a 140 character thought, it was quite clear that there was no point in even attempting a blog post!

Please, my dear blog, remember that when you are neglected like this, it is for a good reason.  And that I will always come back to you.  (Unless I have been committed to an insane asylum without computer time.)  My sanity depends on my time spent with you.

Love Me.  xoxoxox

Potty Training Tuesday #10

Boys and Aim

Moms, do yourselves and your future daughter in laws a favour and teach your son to aim from the beginning.  Unless you want to spend the next 18 years cleaning up pee off the floor and listening to your daughter in law complain about it for the rest of your life!

For some little boys, this isn't really an issue, they just naturally seem to know where things need to go. 

 For others, a few simple reminders:  "Point your penis down" or "Put your penis in the potty" does the trick.

Still others, need constant, repeated reminders to keep things in the right place.

And then there are others who need physical assistance each and every time.  If your son is one of these children, I suggest taking his hand and using it to hold/place his penis where it needs to be.  This not only gets things in the right place, but should teach him how to do it himself!  And hopefully, keeps your fingers out of the line of fire!

And finally there are the ones who can't keep their hands off it.  Little boys often seems to think that potty time is "play with my penis time".  And although this is a perfectly normal, natural exploration of body parts, if he happens to pee while exploring, it's going to get messy!

Another tidbit of advice, (that yes, I have learned the hard way) is that until you are 100% confident that your son has mastered the aim issue, don't stand in front of him while he's on the potty.  Stay off to the side to avoid a shower from the waterfall that is bound to happen from time to time.  

You really would be surprised how far that pee can fly!  Somehow, the laws of gravity do not apply to penises and little boys pee!

If you aren't having any luck with getting the pee in the potty/toilet with your son sitting on the potty, you can try standing up.

The best way that I have found to do this is to have him stand on a stool, facing the toilet, lean forward, putting both hands on the toilet tank and let gravity to the rest.  I know, I just said that the laws of gravity don't apply to little boys and pee, but there are exceptions to every rule!

All in all, find a way that works to teach your son the importance of getting the pee IN the potty not AROUND the potty will make your bathroom cleaning a lot easier!!

Stay tuned for more tips, tricks and advice every Tuesday!  And please do share your own experiences!  I am always looking for ways to make potty training easier for myself, not only at work, but also at home as I will soon be jumping in head first to potty train Liam!

Tune in next week to hear about where we're at with Liam's potty training journey.