Potty Training: Where Everyone Wins

Your toddler just came running into the kitchen hollering something only he understands with a look of joy on his face, not to mention his brown war-makeup he has smeared on his forehead and cheeks. You smile and reminisce the days when you were a child, reveling in the joy of watching your children grow and experience life. Then you suddenly realize where did he get that brown stuff from? OH NO! He is playing with his poopy diaper again.  Further investigation leads you to all the other wonderful activities he has been participating in while using his poop. It might as well be in your new furniture or rubbed into your shag carpet.  Maybe he hid it in your pillow! Toddlers have great imaginations and little to no discretion. If you have reached this point, then it’s definitely time to potty train. 

Everyone has an opinion on this topic and anyone who has gone through it will be more than willing to share their experience with you; maybe even try to convince you that their way is the best way to teach potty training. There is no perfect way of teaching potty training. Kids are very flexible and will respond to multiple different methods, you just need to find one that works for you and your child.

When do you start teaching them? You can start anytime you like. The real question is "When do you finish?" The answer is: when they have it down pat. Remember, the earlier you start the more likely it will take a longer time. Kids grow and develop at different rates, so you can have greatly different results from child to child. Some mothers choose to use the no-diaper-method. The theory is never put them in a diaper and they will never want to sit in their own poop. Yes this has been proven to be effective, but this method may not suit your family or your willingness to scrub and disinfect.

I like to wait until they are around the age of 2. It’s important that they can tell you when they need to use the bathroom by saying words like pooh-pooh, pee-pee, or toilet. Do they look at going potty on the toilet as a big kid thing that they want to do too? Being able to pull up their underwear and put their pants or shorts back on helps too, but this is not absolutely necessary. Also very important, can they recognize when they need to use the potty chair? I loved reading to my children from birth, if you do this, buy a children's book about being a big kid and learning to potty train. They even have books that make flushing noises.

So you are ready to start! Now start browsing online for a potty chair for your child, and a toilet adapter for the big kid toilet. Make sure your child feels welcome at either chair. It’s important to give them the freedom to choose, it helps them grow-up to be self-reliant and confident adults. You can also buy a stool to help them get up to the toilet and have something to balance their feet on while they push, it makes pooping a lot easier not having your feet dangle. While you are shopping online, invite your child to look at the different options, maybe they will find a toilet that they like and will be more excited about starting potty training.

Your child should be familiar with seeing you use the toilet so it is not a foreign concept to them. The boys need to see how daddy does it and the girls need to see how mommy does it. Kids will mimic their parents and siblings for better or worse. This can be a great tool for you in most things in life if you are setting a good example.

For the first 3-5 days clear your schedule and be in the same area that your children are in so you can help them at a moment’s notice in case of any near misses. The first day is the most important; you need to stop using diaper/pull-ups altogether. If you are going to cut off a dog’s tail, it hurts a lot less if you do it in one big cut rather than piece by piece. Let your child use a diaper when they sleep and then bring them to the bathroom as soon as they get up in the morning. You will learn their habits and if you should give them 5 or 10 minutes when waking up before bringing them to the bathroom. At first I recommend just letting them run around the house without anything on in the downstairs region. Some kids love this. Keep the potty chair in whatever room they spend most of their time. Make sure you are in that room too. Remember, you can't teach if you aren't present. 

You are probably like me and have places to go and errands to run. You can't always be at home waiting for your child to go pee. So put that potty chair in the car and use it when you arrive and leave places. This will help reduce any anxiety from your child, and leaving the house won't be such a gamble.

Practice sitting on the potty chair. Let them get comfortable sitting in that position. Boys need to learn sitting before they practice standing; the same way you have to learn to crawl before you learn to walk. This helps avoid the fire hose effect all over the floor and walls. Even if they don't go, don't make them feel pressure. At first, every 30 minutes let them sit for a minute or two so they can try and pee or pooh. This will assimilate them to the chair and it won't seem like a stressful new concept. Never show them disappointment because they didn't go, tell them it’s ok and they can try later.

Praise! Praise! Praise! Jump for joy when they go in the potty chair. They need to see how pleased you are. Even act a little over-the-top excited. You may feel stupid but they won't think so. They will only think how happy it makes them to know that mommy and daddy are proud of them. This positive response will encourage them to go potty in the chair again and again.

Every time they go pee or pooh, give them a reward. I gave my toddlers a gummy bear. If you are the type to not let them have sugar then use a cracker or something that they consider a treat. But if I may, a little candy goes a long way and it won't hurt them...it just motivates them and you will be happier because of it. There are all sorts of reward systems that you can use, so choose whatever works for you.

If for some reason you try and find potty training to be too stressful on your child then stop and try again in a few weeks, maybe they will be ready then. It should be a fun experience that the child considers a game to get the reward. 

Molly Minks

http://www.thecribhub.com/

Twitter @mollyminks

Early Signs You Might Be Pregnant

Most women these days are busier than ever and have a lot on their daily plate. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and not realize that you might be pregnant. There are even TV shows telling the tales of unsuspecting mothers-to-be that have simply ignored the signs of early pregnancy to find themselves about to have a baby and be totally unprepared.  Don't be one of those ladies!  There are obvious and not-too-obvious signs that let your body know when you might be expecting a new member of the family. If you are asking, "Am I pregnant?" then maybe you should go down to the dollar store and test yourself.....just wait until you get home because you don't want the big reveal to be in the 99 cent store bathroom.  Also, you might want to upgrade to a name brand pregnancy test at a reliable drug store to make sure you don't have any false positives.  You wouldn't want to spend a bunch of money on baby items that you don't quite need just yet.

For the record, just in case you are having any of the following symptoms, it does not mean that you are for sure pregnant.  Like I said before, the pregnancy test is the only way to be absolutely positive little Jimmy is on the way.  You can pee on a stick, or even go to your doctor and have them order an HCG quantitative blood test to calculate how far along you are.

Early Pregnancy Tell #1:

Once that egg becomes fertilized he is going to find a home on your uterine wall just a few days after conception. This implantation process can cause spotting and cramping.  Usually a little bleeding is not a horrible thing especially throughout you pregnancy.  It can happen and women often times end up in an emergency room in the middle of the night or at their OB's office thinking they have lost their baby.  You can never be too cautious so never hesitate to call your doctor.  There are some women that will mistake implantation bleeding and cramping for the beginning of their period. 

Early Pregnancy Tell #2:

Ok ladies, so your spotting and cramping...can you add milky white discharge to the list too? You see, once the implantation occurs, your vaginal walls start to thicken which produces a proliferation of cells that line the vagina.  This is what is causing that discharge.  Unless this is causing itching, burning and/or a foul odor, no reason to worry because this can happen throughout your pregnancy. Oh, and if you are having those awful problems, call your doc because you don't want a yeast or bacterial infection.

Early Pregnancy Tell #3:

I bet you are saying to yourself, "Why do I sense my progesterone levels are so high?" No? Well how about, "Why do I feel so tired?" Early pregnancy can make you feel like you just don't have the energy to be superwoman anymore because of those darn progesterone levels. Of course there are other reasons for fatigue such as increased blood production, low blood pressure, or even low blood glucose levels.  Be aware that just because you had a big lunch and you feel like a little nap at 1:30 in the afternoon doesn't mean you are pregnant, it means you ate too much.

There are so many other reasons why you might be feeling tired, pregnancy is not the only one.  Maybe you are sick, have a cold, too much stress, or just ran a marathon....26.2 miles is a long way!

If you are feeling tired and pregnant, make sure you eat well, rest and take good care of yourself along with following the advice of your doctor.

Early Pregnancy Tell #4:

Talk to a thousand women and get a thousand stories.  Every woman that has experienced being pregnant can give you an earful on morning sickness, even if they never had morning sickness. Not everyone feels the same and to suggest that it only happens in the morning would be misleading.  Morning sickness can happen at any time of the day.  Nausea is the real culprit when referring to morning sickness.  Also, food cravings or food aversions can and will be overwhelming.  We all know that girl who loved dipping pickles in mustard with raisins, but couldn't stand the site or thought of good hamburger.  Nausea is great if you want to ruin your day, but don't worry because by weeks 12-15 of your pregnancy those symptoms usually weaken or even go away all together. Nausea is a result of hormonal changes.

Early Pregnancy Tell #5:

Don't call your plastic surgeon just yet to cancel any post-pregnancy consultations.  Those newly busty boobs are just signs that you might be pregnant.  Trust me; you are not the only one who notices.  Changes in your breast size along with feeling sore, tingly, and tender to touch are early pregnancy signs.  You may also notice your nipples getting dark. 

Early Pregnancy Tell #6:

There is one symptom that might have you running down to your local drug store to shell out a few bucks for a pregnancy test: missed period. Don't feel bad if your body fools you.  Lots of women have irregular menstrual cycles and have an off-month.  There can be other reasons for missing a period.  Dramatic changes in your weight can make you miss a period.  Tension, stress, hormonal imbalances, or fatigue can also cause you a lapse in menstrual cycles.  Stopping your birth control pills often times causes you to miss your period. If you have any doubt, just get a pregnancy test and save yourself the suspense.

Early Pregnancy Tell #7:

Early in your pregnancy you may find yourself having to go pee more and more often. That is because your bladder is getting pushed on.  You might have some reprieve from urinary urgency during your second trimester, but as your child's head grows and sets on your uterus during the third trimester, expect your bladder to be less tolerable of all that new weight sitting on it.  So try going pee before you get in bed and expect to get up during the night to pee again. Don't worry, pregnancy doesn't last forever....the baby will eventually come out experts say.

Early Pregnancy Tell #8:

Ok, so you are newly pregnant and don't yet know it.  You start to notice that you are feeling short of breath.  That could be from the little boy or girl whom is growing inside of your uterus taking up extra oxygen from you blood.  As you progress in your pregnancy, you will find your shortness of breath getting worse. Be careful not to confuse this early pregnancy sign for something even worse, so talk to your doctor if your shortness of breath is caused when not exerting energy or gets worse when you lay down.

Other Early Pregnancy Tells:

Constipation can arise from those elevated progesterone levels since it can cause food to move more slowly through your intestines. Drink plenty of water, exercise, and introduce plenty of fiber in your diet to avoid those long sit-ins on the throne. 

Go easy on your mate, your mood swings might be at all time highs. Feel free to blame mood swings on those crazy hormone levels that happen during pregnancy. You might also experience frequent mild headaches and chronic back pain, if this happens consult your doctor on what pain meds are safe to take.

Dizziness and fainting have been known to visit us during pregnancy. Your blood vessels tend to dilate which could cause lower blood pressure and you may find yourself passed out on the floor.  Passing out is also caused by low blood sugar.  Passing out is always a bad day.

After reading all of this you may be thinking, I should have just bought a puppy.  I love puppies too but I love little babies even more.  Of all the pain and suffering that a woman will endure throughout pregnancy, it is all worth it in the end when you have that little you nestled in your arms.

Molly Minks

www.TheCribHub.com

@mollyminks