This is not a devotional post, and it has no Biblical commentary. I've decided to occassionally post on the weird thoughts and experiences I have between devotional writings. So, here' the latest.
My son is potty training, and I'm afraid that it isn't going as well as I'd hoped. For some reason, he prefers poop in his pants more than poop in the potty. But that's not really a dilemma. We'll get past that.
The problem I have now is that he mostly pee-pees in the potty. That means that there are often small quantities of pee in the diaper I have to take off of him to sit him on the potty. And, by the way, the kid goes to pee on the potty around 15 times a day because every time he squeezes a drop I give him a Smartie for his trouble. So here's the deal: What am I supposed to do with this semi-wet diaper?
Instead of getting cheaper, this potty training is actually costing me more money in diapers because I feel bad about putting a semi-wet diaper on my kid. Most parents know that the average Huggie will hold about 2 lbs of water before you have to change it. Once it's sagging to the knees, its time for another one. But once I've actually seen the wetness and have taken the trouble of removing the diaper, I feel obligated to put a clean one back on even though the one I removed is still good for another 1 and 3/4 pounds.
So now, instead of going through 6 diapers a day, we're using 20. Am I being a cheap-skate by wanting to put the old diaper back on? There's only a teaspoon of tee-tee in there, after all, and the thing is good for nearly a quart. Has anyone else had this dilemma?
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Two Voices
12 years ago
6 comments:
Brad,
We did not have this experience with our son because we put him through Potty Training Boot Camp in about 5 days. My sister did the same thing with her daughter successfully. Basically, for three days you put your kid in little boy underware and encourage him to stay hydrated. The first two days are difficult. I think we went through 13 pairs of little boy underware the first day, then 8, 4, 3. You get the idea. This has worked wonders. Saved us on diapers, and helped us push through the potty training rather than plodding. We do however sleep our son in a pull up at night and at naps, but this will soon change. Anyway there is a website you can visit if you and your wife are interested. www.easypottytraining.com
Those are some good ideas Ben.
My wife usually puts a plastic sheet down and let's the child run around without any diaper or underwear. She also has a portable potty right on the sheet. She also utilizes the potty treat idea for encouraging them to use the potty.
To discourage them from pooping in their diapers or pants, use a hose with cold water to wash them off, or if it's too cold outside use the tub and wash them off in cold water. We explained that this is how big boys get cleaned. They usually quit after a couple of these sessions.
But like Ben said, you need to be consistent and give a number of days to accomplish the task.
Don't fall into the temptation of "using the other half". It's still wet.
Dude, those things are super absorbent. He can't even feel the wetness. Put that dealy back on and save some cash.
I wonder if maybe you could use that clumping kitty litter? Just lay it in the bottom of the clean diaper, and throw a new scoop in there each time.
I am going to have to side with the experienced fellas above. I think going through dozens of pairs of wet underwear is inevitable, but worth it in the long run.
We have seen this with our first, and I put it back on him. Those things are expensive. (I am a cheapskate, ask Colin) We did the big boy underwear thing too, but it took us twice to get through it. I would say don't rush the kid, if his college roommate won't change his diaper, he'll learn eventually. (stole that quote from a friend, can't take credit)
Nick
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