Potty Training

I always assumed that Rowan would be a beast to potty train. I don't know why. Perhaps because he is very hard headed (like his mother) and does things on his own time table. Perhaps because he would show interest for a day or two, then he'd cry if you even mentioned the potty. Or perhaps because I know that boys do tend to be more difficult to teach when it comes to potty training.

For us, this round of potty training has been a SUCCESS! Hurrah! The other three times, he just wasn't ready. There was never any forcing, or negativity. But he just didn't feel ready.

A couple of weeks ago (shortly after he turned two and a half), I decided, enough fannying around and half-assing this (on my part, that is!). He was showing signs that he was ready. He was peeing on the potty whenever I asked him to. So out came the teeny tiny underwear (*dead of cute*) again, and we went for it.

This time, he was ready.

Today was the first time that he was away for home for a large block of time without a diaper. And he did not have an accident! I am of proud of him!

We have not being doing a reward system. I know that it works for many children, but for Rowan, a simple hug and a "I'm so proud of you!" was enough. He did get half of a Kit Kat bar after he did his first poop in the potty though ;)

As a career nanny, I potty trained a lot of kids. There was always a sense of pride when they got it. But when it's your own kid, it's different (be prepared to hear that phrase from me a LOT!!).

Here are a few points that worked for us:

• Don't force the issue! That was most important for Rowan. Letting him do it when he was ready was key in his success, I think.
• Let them roam around naked from the waist down. Rowan struggled with getting his underwear down at first. And, while it is adorable to see that little behind in those tiny undies, it needs to be easy for your child to sit down and pee when the urge comes.
• Get a couple of good books about using the potty. Rowan loves Once Upon A Potty and Pirate Potty.
• Don't waste your money on disposable training pants (Pull Ups), especially if you have always used disposable diapers (which I learned as a nanny and stepmother). They feel just like what your child has always worn, and are confusing and, therefore, hinder the process.
• Praise! Oh, praise!!! It goes a long, long way!
• Be prepared for accidents, and don't get upset when they happen. And they WILL happen. Just ask my brand new microfiber sofa.

So, as it stands now, he will be wearing cloth diapers (double stuffed Smarti Pants) overnight for the forseeable future. I don't plan on introducing the concept of staying dry at night until he seems ready. He pees before he puts his night time diaper on and maybe one out of ten mornings, he will wake up dry. I'd love to hear from others about how long it took for their daytime potty-trained toddlers to stay dry consistantly at night. Also, if you have any other tips or ideas to add, please leave a comment!

 

World Breastfeeding Month

As World Breastfeeding Month comes to a close, i wanted to write a bit about my experience as the mother of a breastfeeding toddler. Rowan hit the two and a half year mark in July, and at this point, he is still a nursing fiend.



I always said that i'd at least try to breastfeed for a year, but after a few months of nursing, i realized that Rowan was going to be the type of kid who would wean when he was good and ready. And that I was the type of mother that was not going to force the issue.

He calls it "huckies". It started out as gookies, but has evolved to huckies over the last few months. He likes his huckies when he wakes up in the night, and he likes it when he wakes up first thing in the morning. And if we are not busying ourselves during the day, we'll sit down a few times and cuddle and nurse.

While my milk is no longer his main source of nutrition, it does continue to fill the nutritional gap that is left by his average toddler diet. He eats a lot of fruit and raw vegetables, and enjoys yogurt, cheese, and chicken. So I am sure he would be perfectly healthy without my milk. But that extra bit of insurance on his health and wellbeing is priceless to me. There are a lot of myths about breastfeeding a toddler. The most popular one is that breastmilk loses it's nutrition as the child ages. This is - simply put - NOT TRUE! This is a pretty good graphic to show what 448mls (which is a little over 15 oz) of breastmilk provides for a child in their second year of life.

 
via Dailymomtra.com

But aside from it's nutritional benefits, there is also the fact that nursing is a huge comfort for him. When he's injured. When he's sad. When he is not feeling well. When he feels insecure or worried or just icky. And it makes me slow down and pay closer attention to his needs at that very moment. A few months back, he fell and cracked his head on our tiled kitchen floor. The trip to the emergency room was made a whole lot easier by the fact that I could comfort him in away that no other could.

It's not always a wonderful thing, though. There are times when I just don't want to be touched. Before I as a mother, I had never heard of the term "touched out", but I know it well now. Sometimes I soldier through. Others, I have to tell him to go and play in his room, or cuddle his dad, or I have to offer other ways for us to be together. Being a breastfeeding mother doesn't make me perfect, that's for sure!

Of course, I realize that the time is nearing when he will wean himself. I'm also prepared for the fact that he might keep going for another two years. Both scenarios are ok with me. Infant and toddlerhood are both such fleeting moments in the grand scheme of things, and while I adore the little kid he is now, there's always that moment when we lay down to nurse when I get a glimpse of my tiny baby. And that is absolutely something to cherish.

Introduction

Welcome to my new blog.

It's been a while since I have been able to keep up with blogging. And I have been missing it! I have been thinking about starting again, so here it is.

This will be where I will talk about the following: our son, our marriage, my husband's daughter (and my journey as a recovering overly involved stepmother), attachment parenting, carseat safety, pregnancy, taking the road from hobby photographer into my own business, home preschooling, and everything in between.

I will also be blogging about my attempts at recreating ideas, crafts, and recipes found on my other internet home Pinterest.

So, keep watching :)