For the lack of a better title..:)
Woww!! We are in the 6th month of 2010..technically half the year is over:)or is it?
I know last month,at the beginning of the month,I promised to announce a giveaway..I haven’t been able to do that.The month just zoomed by..Winter blues affect all of us..but,sadly,its affecting my little star too!
Every afternoon,at nap time,she fights..well,thats not new,but these days,the fights are different.Her voice has an edge to it…I asked her one day…whats wrong?don’t you want to sleep?She said,she wanted to …but she didn’t want her good day to go away! Awww..I knew it then:) It was the winter blues.She doesn’t like the darkness that falls,early evening.Every day,after she wakes up,from her nap..she frets..and whines and cries..”I dont want my good day to go away..I dont like night..I am scared.I want my good day back!”How do I bring her good-day back?
So,we have set a new winter routine..we are out in the mornings..almost every other morning we are out-from morning to noon…playgroup,story-time,play area at the mall and school!So,atleast 3-4 days in a week we spend the morning outside.Somedays I pack a lunch for her,some days,we come home and eat it.But all these going out,means my house work,my craft,everything takes a back seat!My oven is cold:( The day we dont go out,she is upset…but I need a break too!
Speaking of breaks,the one thing that NEVER takes a break is the Diva’s mouth..She is big chatterbox..her mouth opens before her eyes do,REALLY! And from that moment on,nonstop she talks-when I am walking,when we are eating,when she is in the toilet,when I am in the toilet..you get the idea.
Oh about the toilets,she doesn’t need our help any more.She goes on her own and when she comes back,she tells me,”Mumma I went on my own..now you say,Good job!” The only time she needs me,is when she is doing the big job,even then the talking doesn’t stop…”Mummmmaaaaa,I am doing potty..don’t come here and bother me..Mummaaaaaaa..come here,ek baat toh suno..When I finish I will call you..Mumma can you close the door,nahi toh,I will feel shy….blah blah blah..”I am telling you she doesn’t stop talking!
Today,I told her woww..Aadya,Its the first of June..and thats all she needed,she started”June..achcha,my Papa’s Bday comes in June and your birthday comes in February and my birthday is on March 30th and I am three!!” I said,hmm..And to that,I got told off,”Mumma dont talk like that..say it nicely,say very good Baby!”
God!this feels good..This meaning,blogging again!:) I feel so happy after writing..DH is sitting across from me and wants to know,whats making me smile..well its writing this post..anticipation of hearing from you:) There is so much I want to write and share..I hope I can write everything before I forget..
We have been “crafting” a lot.. at the playgroup sessions,during story time,in school and at home..I will share all the crafts,here this month.Now,about the giveaway,I am going to announce it tomorrow..and I think it is going to be something handmade!! so,don’t forget to check back tomorrow.And if you think,handmade is not your thing..you can say so too!
Hope you have all been good,sorry,I havent blog-hopped lately..will be over at your blogs,soon.
More later,my lovelies..
Category: toilet training
She is but a baby…
…I need to remind myself.
Aadi is getting so advanced in most of the day-to-day things,that its easy to forget,that she is just a little girl,about to turn 3. And no I don’t mean it in the bragging way..I say it in the most matter-of-fact way.She understands our coded talks,she associates people and places,even if she has just met them once..
She started feeding herself,when she turned 10 months old.She was being fussy,when I was feeding her lunch and on her pediatrician’s advice,I started leaving the plate on her high-chair tray and she enjoyed eating on her own.Sometimes,now when she wants us to feed her,we get irritated..but then,realise,she is doing what a normal toddler would..and are grateful for the opportunity to baby her.
The reason for this post is something that happened today.I am trying to toilet-train her.She has been diaper-free for more than 6 months..both during the day and at night.But she still needs the diaper to go potty.I try to put her on the toilet almost every time,she asks for a diaper to go potty.Sometimes,I just give in,without a fight.The fact that she is going to start school once a week,next month..when she is going to be away from me,makes me want to hurry up with the last step of toilet training.
yesterday again I put her on the toilet and she just had to go..but for some reason,she is scared of going potty in the toilet.She started crying..not the whining,not the tantrum..but real crying like her heart was breaking and she couldn’t help it.I relented and put the diaper on and told her that she could have the diaper,but she had to stay in the bathroom.That brought about a fresh round of tears. But,she stayed in the bathroom and she cried some more,and called me after she finished.
I kept thinking about it..She needs her privacy to do her big job..she goes to an empty room and stays there till she is done.Or she hides in a corner of the living room,from where she can watch TV.I think it was being confined to a space not of her choice,is what made her upset.May be she likes the fact that she can choose,where to be and whom to keep out..But she likes this bathroom..Its nice and roomy..and when I say Roomy..it is.May be I should post a picture sometime.Anyway,she stayed in the bathroom,yesterday and I think something hit home.
Today,when she wanted to go potty,she asked me to take her to the toilet..on her own.I was surprised but,played cool.She sat on the toilet and tried to do her business.I mean she really tried..and then,looked at me and said,sadly,”I don’t know how to do it..Mommy,I am scared..” It broke my heart…It made me feel like a parent who had let down her child,by expecting too much,unreasonably.I picked her up,hugged her and told her,I was proud of her,for trying and we could try again,tomorrow. And she was happy.I put the diaper ON and left her in the bathroom.This time she didn’t cry,just asked me,”Why do I have to be in the bathroom?”,with a childish pout,that we have come to associate with her questions. I told her..”Because you go potty in the bathroom..” and she accepted it..”Ok,Mom..”
She stayed in the bathroom and called me when she was finished.Alls well in Aadyaland..atleast till the next time we try toilet-training again..but I had to write this post,to remind myself to be patient ,to not push her before she is ready.
I had to write this post to remind myself that she is just a baby..and thats the way she should be….
Its all about staying dry
Naren’s mommy,Shobana and SS asked me how I trained Pipette to stay dry at night..
Before I begin,let me just say,that this is what we did instinctively….no books were read..so,it may not be the best approach..but,what the heck?It worked!
When Aadya turned 14 months,we started toilet training.We went and got her one of those fancy potty-seats from Safety first.The ones that came with a sticker sheet.She wasn’t
particularly impressed.But she did pee in it whenever I took her.But,it was too tedious,keeping track of time.And she didn’t have enough bladder control and sometimes was going as
often as every ten minutes and sometimes,once in thirty minutes.
Then,the big move happened and Aadya was too baffled and refused to go anywhere else,but in her diaper.We tried again at 18 months. This time,we just got one of those rings,that you can
fix on the toilet seat.I was bright red with Dora all over.The first time she sat on it,she looked down and started crying.She was very scared,every single time.My aunt told me that may be she was scared because her feet didn’t touch the floor..and to give her some time .We tried again after 2-3 weeks.This time,I got a $10 dollar potty from ToysRUs.The only thing it did was-play music when it got wet.
I took off Aadya’s diaper one morning and told her to tell me,when she wanted to pee.There were many many accidents.The first few times,I got mad.But that scared Aadya off.So,I tried to be patient and not yell.
Then,I tried something different.I kept the potty in the passage outside the bathroom.And told Aadi to sit on it,when she wanted to do su-su.It worked,sometimes. She sat on it,peed,listened to the music,and we all cheered.When she didn’t get to the potty in time,we just tried again.
The night-time training also started simultaneously.For the first few days,I just observed her.I gave her milk,at least half an hour before bed-time.
Our bed-time ritual was- Milk,story,sit on the potty,put on fresh diaper.
It worked for us that Aadya’s bed-time was later than most kids.I mostly wake up once at night,around 3 am,to drink water or go to the loo myself.I started checking her diaper at that time.It was mostly dry.Aadya woke up every morning at 6.30 to drink milk.Her diaper would be dry,even then.And around that time she would pee.So,I started propping her on the potty,before giving her the bottle.And then,she would stay dry for another 3-4 hours.
Once we figured out this,we got a mattress protector,and let her sleep without the diaper.She was still sleeping with us then.So,we would just move her to the corner,after she fell asleep.I was started propping her on the potty as soon as she woke up.Sometimes she overslept,or I overslept and she wet the bed.But S & I nonchalantly changed the sheets,changed her clothes and asked her,if she wanted to sit on the potty.
Slowly,I started keeping her diaper-free,all day long.She pooped in the potty once,but,was scared.And she asked for a diaper immediately.She still needs a diaper to poop.But she doesn’t like to be in the messy diaper one minute longer than necessary.
I took pointers from other mommy bloggers and keeping her diaper free,helped her realise the nature call.She started telling me,when she wanted to pee or poop.At first she would barely make it to the potty.But,now she is a pro.One time we went for a long drive.
And neither of us,checked if she had a diaper on.Sometime later,she said,”Mamma ,Su-su” thats when we realised that she wasn’t wearing a diaper.S started looking for a toilet..and the little champ,waited patiently.Finally 10 minutes later we found a toilet,I took her there and she relieved herself.I was so proud.
As for the night-training,since Aadya was sleeping with us,whenever one of us woke up,if she woke up,we put her on the potty.We kept the potty,just outside the bedroom door.If she didn’t,we took her first thing in the morning.And I think,a few accidents is all it takes for the child to know the I-wanna-pee feeling. But patience and consistency is important.The first few times,when Aadya wet the bed.First thing I did was check the time.The next night,I set the alarm,for five minutes before that time and put her on the potty.Slowly,she got used to staying dry.After about 2 weeks,she would wake up,if she
started peeing,in her sleep and wake me.Then,I kept the potty,next to the bed.I would prop her on the potty,praise her for being the good girl and then,we’d go back to sleep happily.
After a few days,she started waking up,just when she wanted to pee.Again,having the potty,right there,helped.Once she started waking up,regularly,to pee,I moved the potty,back to the bathroom.
I think,it must have taken a little over a month,or may be more..but,now,she understands,nature calls perfectly.She asks us to take her to the toilet,all the time now-during day-time,at night,even when we are outside.At night,she calls us,even in her sleep,waits till we put her on the commode.
She asks for a diaper,when she wants to poop-she goes into the other room and poops.When she is done,she comes and tells me to change it.I try putting her on the commode,when she asks for a diaper,once a week.If she resists,I don’t force her.Oh whatever,she’ll get it right..no one went to college,in diaper..hai na?
Shobana,SS,hope that helps.Feel free to email me,if you want to know more.
15 Marbles 