Potty Training 101

So toddler E is showing more signs of being ready to use the toilet. He's seen us using it and we've always kept the toilet door open and explained what we were doing whenever he asked. While he's been happy to pee in the grown-up toilet (albeit with a child seat insert so he doesn't fall into the toilet bowl) he's not quite ready to give up pooping in his diapers yet.

A couple of days ago, toddler E wanted to use regular underwear for his afternoon nap. I told him he might wet the bed while sleeping and he said, 'I will hold my pee-pee (that's our word for urine) when I sleep. Then I wake up and will be dry!' Since he was so enthusiastic I just went with it and slipped a waterproof sheet under him after he fell asleep.

And lo and behold, toddler E was dry! I was amazed, he held his bladder for a 2.5 hour nap. Immediately after he woke up, I asked if he wanted to use the potty and he said no. Took about 20 minutes before he said he needed to pee-pee but the hubby was using the toilet so toddler E had to go in his BABYBJORN Smart Potty. He's always refused it before but after he went in it this one time, he's become comfortable and has been going in it all the time now. This is great news for me because I don't have to worry about helping him up onto the adult toilet and keeping track of the child seat insert, sometimes I leave it on the toilet seat and the hubby gets a surprise the next time he goes to the bathroom.

I think we have been really laid back on potty training, not pushing him to use the toilet if he didn't want to and answering any questions he had as honestly as we could in terms a 2 year old could understand. I read somewhere that the bladder doesn't mature until 5 or 6 years of age and control before then can be difficult for a child.

Thank goodness using cloth diapers has kept the cost down as we did not have to buy as many disposables, thus there was no extra cost involved in letting toddler E take a longer time to get used to being diaper free.

My Lovely Toddler

Future rockstar :)

There's a lot of prejudice in this world. Race, gender, sexual orientation and probably more that I am not aware of. What I AM aware of is my son's right to be himself and we endeavour to create a safe space for him to express himself in whatever way he chooses.

Toddler E almost always chooses a pink coloured instrument during a musical playgroup that I take him to, he will speak up and ask the teacher for the 'Pink one!'. No hesitation at all. At a different playgroup, the teacher had to mediate between toddler E and a girl who wanted the same pink instrument. She asked toddler E to give it to the girl and offered him a green instrument. I could tell he was disappointed, he had gotten the instrument first why should he have to give it up to a girl? I told him he did a nice thing letting the girl have it and that he could have the pink instrument the next time.

At a family gathering, he was happily playing Disney princess figurines with his cousin, also a toddler who's name begins with an 'E' but one year older than him, and they had a great time. He likes watching both Mike The Knight and Sofia The First. He's also very attached to his Masked Rider belt (think Power Rangers but only 2 guys instead of 5 or was it 6 rangers?). Every toy has it's own merit and we do not limit him to 'boy' toys or avoid giving him 'girl' toys.

Just keep on being yourself toddler E, your happy shiny self that brightens up everyone's day.

Princess Todzilla

Slinky 'belt'

Never Forget the Manduca Carrier!

Took toddler E swimming a couple weeks ago. It was supposed to be at the public swimming complex right beside where we live, but it was closed for it's weekly cleaning. So we went to another one further away. Thinking it would be a quick swimming session just next door, I did not bring the Manduca carrier.

Oh boy was I wrong. 

So this is how I ended up carrying toddler E on our trip home when he was too tired to walk.

Photos taken 29 July

Not a happy camper

My poor arms!

Cycling with a Toddler

I've been wanting to take toddler E cycling since he turned 1 year old. But daddy E was not convinced that he would be safe at such a young age. I knew that it could be done because I'd seen another mom with two kids, one looked under a year old and the other maybe 2 or 3 years old, carry both of them on her bicycle. The younger one was in front and the older one in the back.

But to appease daddy E, I did not push the bicycle matter until toddler E grew older and more confident in his mobility. And it was a happy coincidence that Giant (like Zellers but selling more fresh foods) was having a sale on bicycles. So I bought one and got a child-seat (carries up to 25kg) installed.

It is toddler E's FAVOURITE thing in the world. He loves riding on the back and stopping over at various playgrounds in the neighbourhood to do his thing and explore. 

Taken 14 July

Driving Miss Daisy?

The bicycle is being housed at my parents' place in the east side of the island (we live in the west) because their neighbourhood is more bike-friendly (in my opinion anyway) and very close to East Coast Park.