Well I was right. There was pee on my couch *sigh*. It's okay. I expected it. I better make sure those towels are on there real good! We actually might put each cushion in a garbage bag. Anyways, I didn't let that ruin my day. Today was pretty much the same as yesterday. I set the timer for every 20 minutes and he was really good about going. There were, of course, accidents. I would be more surprised if there wasn't! He still isn't telling me he has to go potty. I just take him to try when the timer goes off or I ask him if I think he's showing signs of needing to go (he tells me no though).
Unfortunately, the dreaded happened. As I knew it would. I tried to put him down for a nap and he really tried to go to sleep. He just wasn't tired since he slept in so late from waking up during the night. I told him it was okay and that he needed to play in his room for a few minutes because Mommy needed to each lunch and have a break. He accepted that a lot better than I thought he would! I enjoyed all of 15 minutes to myself. I headed to his room to let him out. I opened his door and that's when it hit me. I knew that smell. I hate that smell. I closed the door to sigh and compose myself. I didn't want him to see me frustrated and I didn't want to yell at him. By the way, not freaking out and yelling is so hard! I cleaned him up and calmly explained to him that it was yucky and smell. I asked him where he should go poopy. He told me he should do it in his underwear (he's fresh). I said "Nooo where should you go poopy?" He responded correctly and went on his way.
Night #2 without a diaper was a huge success! I think it's due to the fact that he's been waking up at night anyways and when he does I make him go on the potty. Let me tell you this folks, if you think getting your toddler to happily potty during the day is tough, try it at 1AM. It's a HUGE test of my patience but staying calm and positive will have a significant impact on your child's success. I let him yell at me and throw his usual tantrum. However, while he was doing this, he was also doing everything he needed to do. I just sat on the edge of the tub and continued to cheer him on. He was happy as a clam after he got his M&M and went back to bed both times. With that said, he stayed dry from when he fell asleep at 8PM until 5AM! So proud! Don't get discouraged if this isn't happening for you right away. I know it's a fluke and I know it's because he gets up anyways lately. If he was still sleeping through the night like the sweet little angel I know and greatly miss, he would be waking up drenched.
I will post more on the car potty kit and travel potty kit I made another day. Right now here are a few helpful tips I've learned the past few days:
1. Buy a LOT of underwear. Every character they have, buy it. My son LOVES to pick out which one he will wear.
2. Place a little basket on the bathroom floor with all of the underwear. Having it in the bathroom makes life so much easier. Even though his bedroom is right next to the bathroom, I found doing this is just easier! It's better for him as well.
3. Buy several mattress pad covers and sheets. I also put garbage bags between his sheet and the mattress pad. I even started having him lay on a towel on top of his sheet. It's easier to yank off than his sheets!
4. Have several blankets ready to go. He usually sleeps with 3 little blankets. I explained to him that it's better if we just use one so if it gets wet we have other backups that he loves.
5. Be consistent. The potty routine and reward should stay the same so that your child knows what to expect.
6. Allow them to be independent. It takes my son FOREVER to wash his hands. It drives me bananas. I want to scream and wash them for him but alas, I cannot. It also takes him forever to pull down his underwear. He's finally getting the hang of it but it still takes longer than I wish it did!
7. BE PATIENT. I don't care how bad your day was. I don't care how tired you are. I don't care if you are running late for something. You need to be the grown up and stay calm and positive. Your child needs that. And guess what? This is the hardest part for you. But suck it up. It'll be worth it!>
To be continued!
No comments :
Post a Comment