Pull-ups to the Rescue

My 4-year-old and I recently went to our local retailer to purchase some nighttime diapers. Yes, she still uses them at night. We’ve tried to reduce fluid intake and have her get up at night to use the potty, but it hasn’t worked out yet. Anyway, our retailer was out of her size, so I ran the idea of pull-ups by her. We tried these before and she couldn’t stand them (didn’t like the feel, the girly prints, or the fact they were like underwear), but that was before she knew they had pull-ups with Diego ‘the animal rescuer’ on them.

Though I was happy about her interest in the pull-ups, I was concerned that they would be padded for boys, not girls. Since I couldn’t find anything on the box stating that they were specific to gender (except for the boys on the box wearing them) and the store representative told me they were all padded the same, I went for it. I have to say, it is making my life easier. Now Lilah is happy to put on her pull-ups when she puts on her jammies (since they are like underpants, not diapers). This means we haven’t had any night time accidents from me forgetting to put her diapers on before bed. I used to forget sometimes if she was already under the covers when I went in to read her a book. She has also been more receptive to using the “potty” just before bed for some reason which means we are one step closer to using nothing at all. The lesson I learned is just because it didn’t work in the past, doesn’t mean it won’t work now OR if at first you don’t succeed, wait, and then try another way. Go Diego Go 🙂

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Potty Training Makes for Good Reading Time

My good friend Kim, 29, lives on the beach in Morro Bay, California with her son Max and husband.  You know she is a true surfer gal when potty training started with “naked time” at the beach.  I thought I would share this delightful story of potty training at the beach – isn’t life a beach for Max!  I would love to learn in Central America!

Potty training can be challenging!  This is how we got Max out of diapers and into cotton briefs!  It all starts with lots of  “naked time”.  Last summer we had the opportunity to stay in Central America for two months.  Max was about 19 months.  During this time, we were at the beach or pool with Max and he always went with his diaper off.  By having his diaper off, he was able to see himself go “pee pee” or “poo poo.”  Luckily we didn’t have any accidents in the pool, but he did have lots of poops on the beach.  I remember the first accident he had, he ran too me and said “poo poo” and we ran to look at it. This sounds funny, I know, but this is a way for your child to see what he or she is doing.  After he showed me, I told him, “great job and next time, [he should] tell me and we can use the potty.”  I then scooped it up in a plastic bag – kind of like what you would do when a dog poops – and tossed it in the trash.  After several weeks of seeing himself “pee” and “poo,” we (my husband and I) felt Max was ready to use the potty.  By paying attention to his squatting, we could tell if he needed to use the potty and we would ask him.  Throughout each day we would constantly ask him if he had to go to the bathroom.  Max still uses diapers at night, but rarely uses them during the day.

Since we were in Central America, we didn’t have access to little potties or seat cover potties, so we would just hold Max’s arms as he went on the potty.  After a week or so he would say “poo poo”, and this would mean for us to sit him on the potty.  When we got back to California, he didn’t get as much “naked time,” but he could now tell us if he had to use the bathroom.

Around the house we would leave Max’s diaper off and have his “froggie potty” available to him.  We even put a basket of books next to it!  Just the other day he took of his diaper, (which we still use for naps and throughout the night) and sat on the potty and read a book.  He must have learned that from his dad!  

‘Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.’   –   Emerson”

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