ABCs of my life

Do you have mommy buddies?  Mommy buddies are family or friends you call/ text/chat/ email when you need advice, tell stories, or just purely want to vent with whatever your kid is up to.  Yeah… the mommy buddies.

Today one of my mommy buddies, Mia, asked me about potty training.  Her 2-year old boy is now ready for potty training and she’s asking me how I started with mine.  I recalled my “battle” (which I eventually won) with my toddler.

Stacey was just about 1 year and 5 months when I introduced the potty.  I asked her Pedia if her age then was already fit for potty training and she said that it’s all up to my daughter.  Here are some signs that helped me determine Stacey’s readiness:

Early stages of potty training with Stacey

1.  Diaper was dry for longer periods of time (around 3-4 hours).

2.  Tried to imitate me when she saw me use the potty.

3.  Was very irritable when diaper was wet.

4.  Made grunting sounds during BMs and she kept still while doing it.

5.  Told us “weewee” and “poopoo” when she felt it. (Stacey started speaking early- Thank God- so this really made it easier).

Since Stacey is a girl, I was responsible for teaching her everything there is about toilet training and hygine.  Jelson will have his time if we will blessed with a boy 😉

Potty training can be really challenging (then again, what part of parenting isn’t?).  There are days when you thought you are doing great, then you experience what I called “relapse” when she would urinate without going to the potty.  The key is patience.  Don’t rush your kid to do it.  Your child will let you know when he or she is ready to do it.

Once you are past the potty training hurdle, the reward is priceless.  Can you say “Diapers only at night??” 🙂