Question number 1: How do you transition a child from having a nap to no nap? Cade is at the stage (and has been for a long time) where he really needs a nap around 3:00pm, but if he has one, he won't go to bed for the night until between 11 and 12 at night! Even if he only takes a nap for like 30 minutes this is the case. So, do I want a really whiny toddler for 4 hours and then no toddler bugging me from 7:00 pm on, or do I want a happy toddler who is up and talking and noise making until I am ready for bed around 11:00pm. Does anyone have any other solutions, or is this just how it is? Due to the fact that Cade is transitioning from naps to no naps, these pictures are common appearances! Cade often falls asleep in very random spots . . .
Question number 2: How in the world do you train a child to poo in the toilet? 3 1/2 weeks ago I decided this was it (again) and just put him in underwear and said, "time to be a big boy and go potty in the toilet". Apparently if you do this, after a few days of accidents in underwear, they will learn to use the toilet. Well, after 1 week of this, he was starting to get the hang of peeing in the toilet, but still no poo in the toilet! I then decided to put pull ups on him when we went out, to avoid poop accidents on the go (not fun)! Jenny Barney witnessed me dealing with this in the mall a while ago. I was literally cleaning poo up off the floor at the mall! Gross! So, it has been 3 1/2 weeks now and he does a great job telling me when he has to pee in the toilet, but he has not pooped in the toilet once! I've done the potty parties, pretending his stuffed animals were going, used charts with stickers, candy bribes, big toy bribes, etc. I need help! What would you suggest!
Don't let that cute face fool you! LOL!
12 comments:
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Let me try this again . . .
Ok, so you're going to think I'm really strange but I was bored waiting for my husband to get home from a Bible study and decided to do a google search on my name and found your blog. I was intrigued so began reading and since I have 3 kids of my own I thought I'd share my opinion about the napping. My experience and that of my sister is that the "cranky" kid behavior is temporary while the child adjusts to no naps--usually 1-2 weeks. Then you have a mostly happy child who goes to bed at a nice bedtime and happy parents. So, there you have it, advice from a complete stranger with your same unusual name. If you're curious about me, check out my blog at www.trendasblog.com
As far as the pooping, I have never dealt with that one. (Yet, thank goodness.) But for the napping, for Savannah I put her in afternoon preschool and that solved the problem. Maybe an afternoon activity. I love having both kids in bed by 8, then I have a few hours all to myself!
Hey Trenda--it's Terra. Jeremy showed me your blog. About the pooping--Paul did the same thing. We tried everything also. I even resorted to some consequences my friends had used like making him clean up the poop or taking a cold shower as part of clean-up. Poor Paul actually didn't mind cleaning it up and he was a little traumatized by the shower. Finally it just clicked one day when I decided to give up. Maybe he felt it wasn't a stress anymore and so he just did it. Good luck!
I am at a loss with potty-training. Still gotta figure that one out with my own little girl.
Also, that is hilarious how he'll just fall asleep anywhere. Abby will only fall asleep in her crib, in her car seat, or in my arms - never just random in a chair or on the floor. Too funny!
I would way rather have a cranky kid for a couple hours then one that is crazy, happy and wanting my attention all night. But if you don't mind him staying up, I'd just go with it. He will probably just transition into no nap eventually....although who knows when that will be, huh? I'm once again no good b/c Hunter would only poop in the potty for the longest time and Max, well, I haven't even really tried. Good luck though. Did you check out your friend trenda's blog? I think I will..kind of curious:)
Julia's done with naps, it was hard at first, now she's just a bit honory for a few hours until bedtime. It is totally worth it when she gets to bed and I have total peace and quiet by 8PM. I can't function without those last few hours to myself. We can't go anywhere in the can though after about 2 PM or she'll fall asleep and be up all night!
I'm sorry that you are having potty training issues, that's got to be frustrating. I haven't experienced that with any of mine, so I can't offer much advice, just to keep trying. He will be potty trained eventually!
Janell
I love the pictures! My girls never fell asleep like that. Sydney had to be pretty tired to do that. I can't help with either question. Except, and we have talked about it, I would rather have a cranky child than one up all night. It did take Sydney a long time to poop in the potty. But she always held it until we put her in a pull up.
I hope you are having successes, but that transition from naps to none is tricky. We started getting the kids to bed at 7:30...just after we ate, we started the going to bed routine, so the trick is keeping them awake all afternoon...just get everything done before that if you can!
The pooping thing...my friend's daughter was 4 & would NOT poop in the toilet, so they put pull ups on her at night, and she would hold her poop until bedtime and poop in her sleep every single night! I should email her and see what they've done since then. Another friend put her son in a cold shower with all his clothes on when he pooped in his pants and never had a problem again! Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Naps...I never had the "awake all night" problem...but I have always required my kids to have a "quiet time" in their room in the afternoons even if they just played. At night I require my kids to be in their beds at 8 p.m. Once they are there that's it, they can't come out...I let Brinna and Matthew talk or whatever...as long as they stay in their room...if they stay up late, it becomes their time...not mine. Usually they end up going to sleep.
I am totally fed up with the potty training thing. Brinna has relapsed on peeing in the toilet (again), and has NEVER cared at all to poop in the toilet. We had been giving candy for every time she went in the toilet and it seemed to work most times...then we thought it was time to transition...we gave a candy for every time, but she had to put it in a bag until night time to eat it all at once...if she messed or wet her pants we would take one out of the bag. Whatever was left at night time she could eat all at once...we found out she works better for instant gratification. We're now trying the "cold shower" method (as suggested by my father-in-law) and we know she doesn't like it...we'll see if it works...(we tell her that she's too old for us to change her like a baby, so she'll have to clean herself in the shower...we spray her with the shower head (the kind that detatchs) and she has to get all the junk off...in cold water. We do the same for pee. The idea is that she'll associate pooing and peeing in her pants as much less desirable than going in the potty. I have no idea if it'll work...after that...I guess the only thing I can think of is punishment for not obeying! We'll see! (:
At least a couple of my children wouldn't poop in the toilet for a long time. I finally made a chart on the computer titled "_________'s Big Boy Chart" and filled it with one-inch, empty squares. Then, I bought some big, purple stickers with funny faces on them. Each time the child pooped in the toilet, they could put a sticker on the chart, and I would praise them lavishly. By the time the chart was full, the child had developed the habit of going in the toilet, and I didn't have any more problems. I didn't punish when they didn't go in the toilet, just rewarded them by letting them put a sticker on the chart when they did. That removed the temptation for it to become a power struggle, or to be a frustration for either of us. I also made a mental note of certain times of the day when they routinely pooped, and had them sit on the toilet around those times, reminding them about the chart. Good luck, I hope it helps.
Oh Trenda, Trenda, Trenda. I feel your pain! I could tell you all about my munchkins and the differences in naps and potty training and it would take the rest of the page! I'm still working with Tyler - now FOUR! He will pee on the potty now, pretty consistently, unless he's too busy playing! But, the diarrhea poo (allergy related) is a totally different story! It's the nightmare of my life. But, I can tell you that since my oldest just turned 11, I have no lingering nightmares about how hard he was to potty train! :) I have to just remind myself over and over and over that they won't be walking down the aisle in pull-ups! HAHAHA
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