Potty Training Adventures Part 4

Posted on April 2, 2012 by James

OK, well things have come to grinding halt in the potty training department. Since my last blog entry on the subject we have had wee and poo almost everywhere except in the potty.

She much prefers to carry the potty around and pretend to empty it in the loo or use it as a pretend vehicle or even as a hat rather than actually using it for its designated purpose.

The new favourite toilet place is now the bath and with all that warm water swishing around it is no wonder she prefers it to the cold plastic of the potty.

We have tried to explain to her that one should not “poo in their own nest” but she is yet to grasp that concept. We even ask her before each bath if she needs to poo and the answer is always a firm “No”.

All of her stuffed toys have been to potty training school with her supervision but for some reason she seems a little reluctant to try it herself. We even put the poo from the nappy in the potty so she gets the idea but as we were not fast enough to stop her from using it as a hat straight after then we had to stop that practice.

At least she now tells us after she has been in her nappy so the awareness is definitely there which I suppose is a step in the right direction.

We continue to offer the potty throughout the day and now as summer is approaching we are really pushing the benefits of a no nappy existence.

As mentioned previously we do not want to create too much pressure around toilet issues so we will just have to bide our time and hope she comes around of her own accord.

Until then it’s bath strainers and carpet cleaners…..

Hot tip: Some carpet cleaners can bleach your carpet so spot test before using on a conspicuous area!

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Routine For Babies Helps Them Settle

Posted on March 30, 2012 by James

I can’t express enough how much having a routine with our child has been beneficial for us all. I say ‘for us all’ as it is as much to help us as struggling new parents as it is to help her.

By using a specific routine or method for all of our daily events we all know exactly what to do in certain circumstances and exactly what is expected of all of us.

I’m not talking about militarizing your whole day to the minute and sticking to it no matter what. That would certainly lead to disaster. One must be extremely flexible to survive the duck pecking years.

It’s more about having triggers that lead to events that your child knows, understands and is comfortable with.

For example,we have an end of meal routine. After every meal when all the food is either in her gob or on the roof I announce in a loud theatrical voice that  “This-meal-is-officially-con-clu-ded ! Rahhhh” the crowd roars and we all clap and that marks the end of that certain meal.

The other day after lunch I started to say the magic words and my daughter started to bang her hands on the table and yell out.

“What is it?” I ask her.
No response. I start the magic words again.
“This-meal-is…”
“No no no nooo…” bang bang bang on the table again.
“What is it?” I ask again.
She looks at me for a moment.
“Apu” she says.
“What honey?” I reply.
“Apu” she says again.

Now I wish I could say that being the excellent father that I am I knew exactly what she wanted but it wasn’t until after I had checked her nappy for “a poo” that I realized that she actually wanted an  ‘Apple’ and that lunch was not officially concluded for her.

After she had eaten half of the apple she gave it back to me. We proceed to say the magic words and “Raahhh” the crowd roared and we all clapped along and everyone was happy.

I guess the point is that she knows that after we say the words that there is no more food until next meal time. I have found that if she is still hungry she will not let me say the words until she has eaten her fill.

I have also found that when she does not want to eat then these magic words can help push her along a little bit. The trick seems to be to say the same thing in the same way after every meal and that way she knows what to expect and what is expected of her.

The routines we follow are not so much by the clock but more event driven. We always feed her, bath her, change her and put her to bed, not always at the same time, but always in the same way. That way our little one can be happy and secure as she gets to know how things run.

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Toddler Feeding Techniques – Display

Posted on March 30, 2012 by James

Another successful trick we use to get our toddler to eat is what we refer to as the ‘display method’. This consists of preparing and arranging the food on the kitchen bench in full view of our little toddler sitting expectantly in her high chair, but not offering her anything.

This is especially effective if you are preparing the family meal at the same time as all good stay at home dads should.

Generally I will give her a small piece of something to keep her occupied (usually bread) whilst I concentrate on the preparation. Be careful not to spoil their appetite too much though.

The food I expect our toddler to eat will be prepared and lined up in an attractive manner but put to the side out of her reach but in full view.

I will even pop a piece or two into my own mouth but I will never mention to her that any of it is for her dinner. I just continue to prepare the meal. Invariably, before too long her

curiosity will get the better of her…

“Daddy?”
“Yes honey.”
“Eat.” she says pointing to the prepared food.
“You want to eat some of that?” I say in mock surprise. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, yes, yes yes.” she says emphatically.
“Oh, I’m not sure. That is supposed to be for Daddy and Mummy. You might not like it.”
“Like, like, like!”
“It might be yucky?”
“Not, not, no yuck!”

After that I will relent and let her eat whatever it is that she now so desperately wants. This method has also been a great way to introduce new foods into her diet.

Anything prepared on the bench becomes fair game and we have managed to get her to try all sorts of things like mushrooms, beetroot and even chickpeas this way. Once she gets what she wants she will happily sit there and eat her fill with no more encouragement needed on my behalf.

I can’t say for sure whether it is true of all toddlers or just ours (maybe she is willful like her mum!) but she is much more likely to eat what she thinks we don’t want her too and visa versa. Regardless, it has certainly worked well for us and is definitely worth a try for any other parents out there who struggle getting their toddler to eat.

That sure looks good…

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