For the record - since my brain will fuzz over and I won't be able to recall these things...
At 11 months old, PJ's schedule is something like this:
Wakes up around 6:30 - I nurse him and he's back in bed...usually up for the day around 7:30
Breakfast around 8:30
Down for a nap around 10:00 - usually sleeps 1 and 1/2 hours.
Lunch at 12:30
Nurse and down for a nap around 2:30 - usually sleeps 1 and 1/2 hours.
Snack around 4:00
Dinner around 6:30
Bath, nurse, down to bed between 7:30 and 8:00
At 3 year and 4 months, LJ's schedule is something like this:
Wakes up around 7:00
Breakfast around 8:30
Lunch at 12:30
Down for a nap around 1:30 - sleeps/rests/reads until 4:00 (I'll let him go as late as 4:30)
Snack around 4:00
Dinner around 6:30
Bath and to bed by 8:00
Monday, March 31, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
PJ - Cruisin'
We think PJ will walk any day now! Yesterday, he cruised most everywhere he wanted to go - and he's good at walking a couple of steps to bridge the gap between furniture. He walked a good 5 steps to get to me, so I think he's figuring it out.
I cannot believe that he will be 1 year old next month - crazy!
I cannot believe that he will be 1 year old next month - crazy!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Success!
To catch you up (and then we'll cease with this topic unless something note-worthy occurs)...
On Saturday, LJ had a bit of a set-back...he tried to make it to the potty for "#2", but didn't make it and had messy underwear...twice. This was a set-back, but we did not make a big deal out of it...we just reiterated that we don't like messy pants anymore than we like wet pants, etc. In a day filled with playing outside with his cousins...he didn't have any other issues.
On Sunday, LJ went into the bathroom on his own accord and called out for me to tell me that he had gone "#2" in the potty...all self-initiated! We are very pleased! Also, during church, LJ told me he needed to use the potty, so I took him and all went well. Once again, we were very pleased. In fact, LJ went the whole day with dry pants and was very happy to take James (his new Thomas train and the reward for making it a whole day with dry pants) to bed with him!
We are going to give it a full-week to make the final analysis, but this method has yielded success in our book. This time last week, LJ didn't want anything to do with the potty and now he takes himself sometimes, but has no problems with going when we tell him to go. He is self-sufficient...he pulls his pants up and down, gets on the big potty, and flushes all by himself. He has done a very good job at learning a tough skill and we are super-proud of him!
On Saturday, LJ had a bit of a set-back...he tried to make it to the potty for "#2", but didn't make it and had messy underwear...twice. This was a set-back, but we did not make a big deal out of it...we just reiterated that we don't like messy pants anymore than we like wet pants, etc. In a day filled with playing outside with his cousins...he didn't have any other issues.
On Sunday, LJ went into the bathroom on his own accord and called out for me to tell me that he had gone "#2" in the potty...all self-initiated! We are very pleased! Also, during church, LJ told me he needed to use the potty, so I took him and all went well. Once again, we were very pleased. In fact, LJ went the whole day with dry pants and was very happy to take James (his new Thomas train and the reward for making it a whole day with dry pants) to bed with him!
We are going to give it a full-week to make the final analysis, but this method has yielded success in our book. This time last week, LJ didn't want anything to do with the potty and now he takes himself sometimes, but has no problems with going when we tell him to go. He is self-sufficient...he pulls his pants up and down, gets on the big potty, and flushes all by himself. He has done a very good job at learning a tough skill and we are super-proud of him!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
The Day After T-Day
We consider yesterday a total potty success! LJ had 2 "accidents", but we wouldn't even call them that. Twice he bolted to the bathroom and pee-peed, but when told me that us underwear was wet and he needed new underwear. Well, his underwear was barely wet - so, we're pretty sure he started to pee-pee, stopped and ran to the bathroom to finish...pretty good, we think. We did have to tell him to go potty, so it still was not initiated by him - except those 2 times. He did wake up from his nap wet. RJ and I went to check on him before we went to bed - his underwear was wet, but not his sheet. He got up and went potty. Then, RJ had him get up at 1:00 (PJ is being a pill at night again...he's getting over a cold...so RJ was up anyway) - his pants were dry, but RJ had him go potty. Then, this morning - around 7:00, we heard LJ talking in his room, so RJ got up and had him go potty...his pants were dry!
Seriously, this potty training technique has been wildly successful for us and we cannot believe that LJ is in underwear 24/7 and really seeing so much success! Some of his cousins arrived for the Easter weekend - Uncle R was here when LJ woke up, then MawMaw came over, then his cousins came back from their shopping trip...with all of this excitement and distraction, LJ did not have one accident.
He did have one sad thing the first night in his new bed - remember we (RJ) took the front rail off of his crib. Around 1:30 in the morning, we hear LJ crying...we go in to find him in his bed, but he said he'd fallen out. He is about 1 foot above the floor, so no big deal, but he did have a little scratch on his leg confirming his story. I felt sad for him - but last night - he managed to stay in his bed!
Seriously, this potty training technique has been wildly successful for us and we cannot believe that LJ is in underwear 24/7 and really seeing so much success! Some of his cousins arrived for the Easter weekend - Uncle R was here when LJ woke up, then MawMaw came over, then his cousins came back from their shopping trip...with all of this excitement and distraction, LJ did not have one accident.
He did have one sad thing the first night in his new bed - remember we (RJ) took the front rail off of his crib. Around 1:30 in the morning, we hear LJ crying...we go in to find him in his bed, but he said he'd fallen out. He is about 1 foot above the floor, so no big deal, but he did have a little scratch on his leg confirming his story. I felt sad for him - but last night - he managed to stay in his bed!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
T-Day, Part 2
LJ has been successful several more times!!! But, things have become a little more tense - not from the parents, but from LJ starting to say "no" more and not wanting to sit on the potty, but he does go get on the potty (rather easily), he just says "no, I don't like it" on the way. We think he's 1) getting bored with it and 2) getting tired.
As you may know, LJ is still in his crib. He actually really likes it and does not climb out, so up until now, we've left good enough alone. We've decided that he will not wear pull-ups - he's going to be in underwear from here on out. So, we took the front rail off the crib (it is not a convertible) and he is napping in his underwear. We've told him he can get up to go potty and nothing else until he sees the 4 on the digital clock (we have the minutes taped over) - if it is 4, he can get up and come find me. If he he has dry pants when he gets up at 4 - he gets a prize...if he needs to get up and go to the potty to keep his pants dry, he needs to do that.
I'm expecting to have to wash the sheets 2x a day for a while.
I think we are miles ahead of where we started this morning, but I think we have many "accidents" in our future...and I'm hoping I don't have to hear NOOOOOO too often! Only time will tell.
As you may know, LJ is still in his crib. He actually really likes it and does not climb out, so up until now, we've left good enough alone. We've decided that he will not wear pull-ups - he's going to be in underwear from here on out. So, we took the front rail off the crib (it is not a convertible) and he is napping in his underwear. We've told him he can get up to go potty and nothing else until he sees the 4 on the digital clock (we have the minutes taped over) - if it is 4, he can get up and come find me. If he he has dry pants when he gets up at 4 - he gets a prize...if he needs to get up and go to the potty to keep his pants dry, he needs to do that.
I'm expecting to have to wash the sheets 2x a day for a while.
I think we are miles ahead of where we started this morning, but I think we have many "accidents" in our future...and I'm hoping I don't have to hear NOOOOOO too often! Only time will tell.
T-Day, Part 1
I fed the kids breakfast while RJ reviewed his procedures and got all of the supplies set up and then PJ and I left the house and RJ and LJ began to teach baby Joe how to use the potty.
PJ and I did some shopping - which resulted in some buying, so this toilet training cost us a little bit of money! LOL. We stopped to return some stuff to Bed, Bath and Beyond and then headed to Target. While in Target, I got a call from a very excited LJ telling me "MAMA - I PEE-PEED ON THE POTTY" - to which I replied with how happy and excited I am to hear that and how proud I am of him and how I'm sure Daddy must be so proud too! All in the most excited voice I have. I'm sure anyone who overheard me thinks I'm a total fake.
Then, PJ and I headed to Kohls. That store is evil and I cannot go in there very often. They have everything and it seems like the prices are so reasonable that I can easily rationalize buying. While in the shoe department, I got another call from a very excited LJ telling me "MAMA - I PEE-PEED ON THE POTTY" - once again, I was all EXCITEMENT! LJ then wanted to tell PJ, so I put the phone in PJs hand and he put it up to his ear (PJ pretends everything is a phone and babbles).
Alas, it was 10:15 and PJ was very sleepy for his nap, so we can home and I darted in to PJ's room to get him down for a nap. LJ was in the midst of wiping up an accident (his first). The book calls for having the trainee use a towel to blot up the accident as you want them to learn that 1) it is no big deal, but 2) you need to clean up after yourself (a great lesson for a boy to learn and I think many boys do not - judging from what I see sometimes). After the accident, LJ did his practice runs to the bathroom - from different parts of the house, he walks to the bathroom quickly, pulls down his underwear, sits on the potty, gets up, pulls up underwear and repeats from another location - 10x total.
LJ has now pee-peed on the potty about 7 times, has had dry pants and the "dry pants check" about 10 times, has had tons to drink, has had snacks, and has 3 matchbox cars for filling up parts of his potty chart. RJ is starting to phase out the "let's go sit on the potty" talk and is phasing in talk that isn't a command, but serves as a reminder - like "what do you do when you need to go potty?" The only real discouraging thing is that LJ just said, "if I pee-pee I can get another car" - which is showing a cause and effect, but one that we don't want dependence on. It was bound to happen, but I'm sure we can phase that out by the time he goes to college.
PJ and I did some shopping - which resulted in some buying, so this toilet training cost us a little bit of money! LOL. We stopped to return some stuff to Bed, Bath and Beyond and then headed to Target. While in Target, I got a call from a very excited LJ telling me "MAMA - I PEE-PEED ON THE POTTY" - to which I replied with how happy and excited I am to hear that and how proud I am of him and how I'm sure Daddy must be so proud too! All in the most excited voice I have. I'm sure anyone who overheard me thinks I'm a total fake.
Then, PJ and I headed to Kohls. That store is evil and I cannot go in there very often. They have everything and it seems like the prices are so reasonable that I can easily rationalize buying. While in the shoe department, I got another call from a very excited LJ telling me "MAMA - I PEE-PEED ON THE POTTY" - once again, I was all EXCITEMENT! LJ then wanted to tell PJ, so I put the phone in PJs hand and he put it up to his ear (PJ pretends everything is a phone and babbles).
Alas, it was 10:15 and PJ was very sleepy for his nap, so we can home and I darted in to PJ's room to get him down for a nap. LJ was in the midst of wiping up an accident (his first). The book calls for having the trainee use a towel to blot up the accident as you want them to learn that 1) it is no big deal, but 2) you need to clean up after yourself (a great lesson for a boy to learn and I think many boys do not - judging from what I see sometimes). After the accident, LJ did his practice runs to the bathroom - from different parts of the house, he walks to the bathroom quickly, pulls down his underwear, sits on the potty, gets up, pulls up underwear and repeats from another location - 10x total.
LJ has now pee-peed on the potty about 7 times, has had dry pants and the "dry pants check" about 10 times, has had tons to drink, has had snacks, and has 3 matchbox cars for filling up parts of his potty chart. RJ is starting to phase out the "let's go sit on the potty" talk and is phasing in talk that isn't a command, but serves as a reminder - like "what do you do when you need to go potty?" The only real discouraging thing is that LJ just said, "if I pee-pee I can get another car" - which is showing a cause and effect, but one that we don't want dependence on. It was bound to happen, but I'm sure we can phase that out by the time he goes to college.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
The Countdown Continues
I spent the "found" free time I had yesterday (due to not having a meeting, but having a Jfer here) gathering up the supplies we need for "T-Day". T-Day will be this Thursday. I don't have class and will take PJ out of the house until his morning nap time so that RJ and LJ will be able to focus total attention on the task at hand.
I like this method because it acknowledges that there are really many things for a toddler to learn in order to be self-sufficient at using the potty. He has to learn how to pull up and down his pants, how to get on the potty, how to know when to go, how to use TP when necessary, how to wash his hands...and this method teaches all of that.
Supply List:
Variety of drinks - the method calls for frequent drinking (so there is frequent need to go) and to encourage this - have a variety on hand. For LJ, who seriously only drinks milk and water, this means we have milk and water. I have some chocolate syrup to make chocolate milk - which is a treat LJ has rarely. I also bought some Capri Sun as LJ has had one before and he drank it. He thinks soda tastes "yucky" and he "does not drink juice".
Variety of snack rewards - Successfully teaching Joe how to potty gets a treat. Successfully pulling down his own pants gets a treat (in the beginning). Each time he has dry pants and the dry pants check (which come every 2 minutes at the beginning) he gets a treat. Each time he pee-pees in the potty, he gets a treat. Once he is successful with a step without needing help or prompting - you phase out the treats for that step. For LJ, we have snack packs of Skittles, snack size Twix, cheese/crackers, mini-chocolate donuts, and gummy bears.
Chart - I made a chart (on orange card stock because orange is his favorite color) and each time he 1) is dry at the dry pants check, 2) pee-pees on the potty, 3) poo-poos on the potty, or 4) went potty without help - he gets a sticker. 5 stickers in any of the above gets him a matchbox car.
Underwear - I bought tighty-whities in the size he might wear (but he's on the small end of the size spectrum) and one size bigger - which should be huge. The method says that when training, use underwear that is all but falling off so he can easily get them up and down.
Pants - I bought a few pairs of bigger pants (one is sweat shorts) so that he can get those up and down easily. It was a bit difficult to find pants that have an elastic waist in the bigger size. I think they think if you are wearing pants this big you can snap and zip.
Prizes - once he goes a whole day without an accident - he gets James - from the Thomas trains. I went ahead and bought it because TRU was having a "buy one get one 1/2 off" sale yesterday. Once he goes a whole week with no accidents - we get to all go ride on this steam train that runs between some towns that are about 2 hours away - LJ is looking forward to this, so I hope he can make one week with no accidents rather quickly.
The training itself - which lasts as long as 5 hours, but ends when he goes pee-pee on the potty without being reminded or prompted - whichever comes first...is a bonanza of postive reinforcement...candy, drinks, prizes and praise. But, once he masters the individual tasks (ie does them by himself without being prompted) thus ends the candy and prizes...praise lasts forever! I think LJ is actually going to have a lot of fun. Hours with just daddy, prizes and happiness - I imagine him really having fun. We'll see...
I like this method because it acknowledges that there are really many things for a toddler to learn in order to be self-sufficient at using the potty. He has to learn how to pull up and down his pants, how to get on the potty, how to know when to go, how to use TP when necessary, how to wash his hands...and this method teaches all of that.
Supply List:
Variety of drinks - the method calls for frequent drinking (so there is frequent need to go) and to encourage this - have a variety on hand. For LJ, who seriously only drinks milk and water, this means we have milk and water. I have some chocolate syrup to make chocolate milk - which is a treat LJ has rarely. I also bought some Capri Sun as LJ has had one before and he drank it. He thinks soda tastes "yucky" and he "does not drink juice".
Variety of snack rewards - Successfully teaching Joe how to potty gets a treat. Successfully pulling down his own pants gets a treat (in the beginning). Each time he has dry pants and the dry pants check (which come every 2 minutes at the beginning) he gets a treat. Each time he pee-pees in the potty, he gets a treat. Once he is successful with a step without needing help or prompting - you phase out the treats for that step. For LJ, we have snack packs of Skittles, snack size Twix, cheese/crackers, mini-chocolate donuts, and gummy bears.
Chart - I made a chart (on orange card stock because orange is his favorite color) and each time he 1) is dry at the dry pants check, 2) pee-pees on the potty, 3) poo-poos on the potty, or 4) went potty without help - he gets a sticker. 5 stickers in any of the above gets him a matchbox car.
Underwear - I bought tighty-whities in the size he might wear (but he's on the small end of the size spectrum) and one size bigger - which should be huge. The method says that when training, use underwear that is all but falling off so he can easily get them up and down.
Pants - I bought a few pairs of bigger pants (one is sweat shorts) so that he can get those up and down easily. It was a bit difficult to find pants that have an elastic waist in the bigger size. I think they think if you are wearing pants this big you can snap and zip.
Prizes - once he goes a whole day without an accident - he gets James - from the Thomas trains. I went ahead and bought it because TRU was having a "buy one get one 1/2 off" sale yesterday. Once he goes a whole week with no accidents - we get to all go ride on this steam train that runs between some towns that are about 2 hours away - LJ is looking forward to this, so I hope he can make one week with no accidents rather quickly.
The training itself - which lasts as long as 5 hours, but ends when he goes pee-pee on the potty without being reminded or prompted - whichever comes first...is a bonanza of postive reinforcement...candy, drinks, prizes and praise. But, once he masters the individual tasks (ie does them by himself without being prompted) thus ends the candy and prizes...praise lasts forever! I think LJ is actually going to have a lot of fun. Hours with just daddy, prizes and happiness - I imagine him really having fun. We'll see...
Monday, March 17, 2008
The Day is Coming
LJ *MUST* pee-pee and poo-poo on the potty. Enough is enough. So far, we've been VERY relaxed and he has been able to "not want to use the potty", but no mas. The end. Many people have told me that "when they're ready, they'll do it and it'll be no problem"...well, *we're* ready and LJ seems no where near "wanting" to do it.
There are no more diapers, he's in pull-ups and that too is about to come to el fin. Every so often someone on my mommy message board will tentatively ask if she is the only one who has a child who is no where close to using the potty. Turns out, she is not the only one - not even close to the only one. While I don't usually participate in those threads, I do glean bits of information from them. One lady mentioned a book that she found helpful, so I checked into "Toilet Training in Less than a Day" - read the reviews on Amazon and went and bought it. It sounds very promising. With the kind of all-out blitz this book's method promotes - I do think it might work. Plus, it takes like 5 hours or less. Terrific. Even more terrific is that I work in the mornings, so this will really be up to RJ. Frankly, he is better suited to handle this training. He has the capacity to be much more patient than I am and I think LJ is interested in learning from Daddy. We (RJ and I) have settled on the bonanza of food, drink and prizes needed to accomplish this 5 hour blitz and then DH needs to drill a hole in Joe's (LJ's doll - we gave him to have when he learned PJ was coming) bottom and mouth - so LJ can teach Joe how to pee-pee on the potty and we are pretty close to good to go! I need to buy a few other supplies like a better toilet seat (the one we have makes the "hole" too small for comfort), a bigger stool for LJ to use to get onto the potty, bigger underwear and pants so LJ can get them up and down more easily...things like this.
We have Thursday slated as "T-day". I don't have class, so I'll take PJ out of the house so there are no distractions and we'll see if this "nothing (and I mean NOTHING) but potty for several hours and tons of positive reinforcement" works.
There are no more diapers, he's in pull-ups and that too is about to come to el fin. Every so often someone on my mommy message board will tentatively ask if she is the only one who has a child who is no where close to using the potty. Turns out, she is not the only one - not even close to the only one. While I don't usually participate in those threads, I do glean bits of information from them. One lady mentioned a book that she found helpful, so I checked into "Toilet Training in Less than a Day" - read the reviews on Amazon and went and bought it. It sounds very promising. With the kind of all-out blitz this book's method promotes - I do think it might work. Plus, it takes like 5 hours or less. Terrific. Even more terrific is that I work in the mornings, so this will really be up to RJ. Frankly, he is better suited to handle this training. He has the capacity to be much more patient than I am and I think LJ is interested in learning from Daddy. We (RJ and I) have settled on the bonanza of food, drink and prizes needed to accomplish this 5 hour blitz and then DH needs to drill a hole in Joe's (LJ's doll - we gave him to have when he learned PJ was coming) bottom and mouth - so LJ can teach Joe how to pee-pee on the potty and we are pretty close to good to go! I need to buy a few other supplies like a better toilet seat (the one we have makes the "hole" too small for comfort), a bigger stool for LJ to use to get onto the potty, bigger underwear and pants so LJ can get them up and down more easily...things like this.
We have Thursday slated as "T-day". I don't have class, so I'll take PJ out of the house so there are no distractions and we'll see if this "nothing (and I mean NOTHING) but potty for several hours and tons of positive reinforcement" works.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Surprise!
I'm kind of glad that Daylight Savings Time is ending (or beginning - whatever) this weekend. These kids are waking up 5 minutes earlier than the morning before each morning this week. On Sunday morning - that will be 7:35 - 7:30 - 7:25, etc. instead of 6:35 - 6:30 - 6:25... If it weren't for the beginning (or the end - whatever) of DST, I fear we'd be into the 5:xx's soon...not good. This morning it was "good" that LJ woke up early because it was SNOWING outside. Snow is unheard of here. I think it snowed in 1984, but not again since then. We get an ice storm every 3 years or so, but never snow. It did not accumulate, but we all got dressed and went outside. We took pictures, but I don't think you can see the snow falling in them. This was quite the treat for us!
On the cleaning campaign, RJ swept the living room, dining room, and kitchen and I mopped all of those areas. I cleaned the hot spots in the living room/front entry/dining room and I plan to clean the glass storm door. That is all that will happen - this week was kind of a light week...I'm finding that all of the weeks are kind of light as we're doing a good job of "keeping up" what we've already done. This is fantastic! I did 4 loads of wash yesterday and folded it and put it away. I need to bless the rest of the house - which really means I need to clean the bathroom - that doesn't take long.
On the cleaning campaign, RJ swept the living room, dining room, and kitchen and I mopped all of those areas. I cleaned the hot spots in the living room/front entry/dining room and I plan to clean the glass storm door. That is all that will happen - this week was kind of a light week...I'm finding that all of the weeks are kind of light as we're doing a good job of "keeping up" what we've already done. This is fantastic! I did 4 loads of wash yesterday and folded it and put it away. I need to bless the rest of the house - which really means I need to clean the bathroom - that doesn't take long.
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