Home With Mommy: Bye Bye Diapers/Squirrel/You Found What Where?

Bye Bye Diapers

It's official, as of Saturday, Sept. 2, 2011 he's not even sleeping in diapers. Parent's of kids ages 1 - 4 all ask me how I did it. First they ask his age then ask how I did it. I have blogged about it before so here is the quick summary to successfully potty train starting at 19 months (for us). Of course the diaper money now is added to the grocery money just in time for him to be eating more.

Step 1: Have the child sit on the potty during diaper changes (after being cleaned) for as long as they are comfortable. While there, explain what pee pee and poopy feel like and that soon they will put their pee pee and poopy in the potty instead of the diaper. At this time switch to Easy Ups/Pull Ups all day and night, including sleeping.

Step 2: Kids are used to the diapers so you'll have to take a "don't get up until you go" approach when they are starting to communicate their need for the bathroom (for Zach this was 1/2 way through his 20th month in mid-February right after he put all his dirty diapers in the adult toilet). Zach started sitting on the potty for 30 minutes for me one day before he went. If you give in, they will never go in the potty since they can ware you down. Start by letting the child go completely bottomless at home allowing a quick run to the potty when needed. There will be accidents so after the accident put them on the potty for a little bit and communicate (the way the individual child understands the most) what your expectations are and how they could do it. The most important part with this is using a comfort object to help deal with the newness of it.

Step 3: Once the child has gone at least a month without an accident at home go diaperless away from the home. You can also choose diaperless at nap time too (Zach made that decision on his own) or you can make that a separate step. Make sure they go before you leave home and when you've been out a while.

Step 4: When you start diaperless during the day make sure the child uses the potty before getting into bed (in our case it's pee, books, bed). Once they can go through the night without wetting a diaper for two weeks (Zach did it but use your own judgement), you don't need diapers anymore.

I know not all kids will cooperate with this but you have to be stubborn in the beginning of potty use. The early potty exposure takes away the fear of the potty. Leaving them diaperless means it's one less step to worry about. He originally only went for Josh until that stand off, then he went for me no problem. Kids don't like change so expecting them to just sit and go is mostly unrealistic (but it might happen sometimes). It's tricky to tell stubbornness (like Zach) from unreadiness. In our case Zach was sticking his head between our legs when we used the bathroom and starting to tell us "potty" when in diapers. That started during step 1. That's when we knew he was ready for step 2. He prefers the freedom of underwear and likes not sitting in his own stuff until someone smells something or checks since it had been a while. I think most kids prefer underwear but the transitions are rushed. Zach took 7 months to reach this stage. Most parents try to rush it more.

Squirrel

I came across the cutest squirrel, his name is Zach. That's his Halloween costume. We have the sweats for a base and my dad and I are brainstorming the tail and ears part. Black eyeliner will be the whiskers and nose.

Last year he was a leaf pile. The cutest leaf pile ever. My dad made that costume too. His first year, as a baby almost 5 months old, we weren't going to do a costume but Babies R Us had the cutest Scarecrow costume for a great price. I know this is my last year choosing the costume. Next year he might want to be a PBS character like Super Y, Elmo, Bob the Builder, or Thomas the Train. Maybe he'll want to be an athlete or generic superhero. All common and age appropriate. I like the creative stuff. Clearly, I'm sticking with a Fall theme.

You Found What Where?

The what is my cell phone. I have been having issues with a JC Penny order and needed it while on the chairs last Thursday night. I thought it was on my dresser ..............................................................

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I could have sworn it was on the dresser ..................................................................................................

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..................................................I really wish it was on the dresser ..........................................................