1. Potty training
2. Reading training
3. Bedtime training
4. Bottle elimination
1. Potty Training
Regarding this, we started and stopped quite a few times. I guess we stopped after a few days coz we
a) didn't get the support we wanted from the school and mother in law
b) were plain lazy
c) felt that Ignatius just wasn't ready, and accidents kept happening (which I thank God i bought the BrightBots training pants. They absorbed well enough so I didn't have to keep mopping the floor)
But this time, barely 2 wks after our last trial, started again. This time, both the school and mom in law chipped in as well. Result? We've been off diapers for 2 wks... except for nap and night time of course. Lately, he also wakes up from his nap with a dry diaper (which i then re-use for the night!). And how many accidents to date? 2 pees on the floor, 1 pee on the carpet, and one shit in the pants (thankfully of which, i only had the carpet one to clean).
We quite happy with our achievement. Especially since he's able to reason and understand properly the reward system.
E.g. we wanted him to go shit into the cistern, but he simply refused. As usual. It was his third day without pooping. We knew it was coming. We could smell the smelly farts. So, when he wanted to get into the driver's seat of Por Por's car, we said, he had to shit first. And it worked! He dutifully went to the toilet, and shit enough for 2 adults! Talk about a full load! Then, he got to spend a happy 30mins in the car.
I wonder what's the next step in this... continue till he's ready to tell us when he needs to pee? (we're prompting him now every 45mins)
2. Reading training
Well, enough said. The previous few posts more than detail this!
3. Bedtime training
We've been wanting him to put himself to sleep for the longest time. We watched all kinds of methods in SuperNanny, and read all kinds of methods in books. But, I didn't have the heart to hear him cry at night so pitifully before bedtime. Isn't slumber meant to be peaceful and reguvenating?
However, he's been taking way-too-long naps in the afternoon now, and his actually falling asleep time at night is getting pushed further and further back, and we're getting more and more exhausted. Hence, we've taken to
a) shortening his nap to 1.5hrs MAX by either waking him up, or being very noisy
b) instead of staying at the foot of his bed at night, we're now sitting on the floor, and moving slowly further and further away. And when he's even the most marginally asleep, popping out the door. Only to have him call us back after 5mins or so of course, but hey, is a gradual first step!
Let's see how this goes.
4. Bottle elimination
We (actually Daddy) wants to totally eliminate bottles (actually is eliminate bottle washing!). Hence, we've been giving him his daily milk intake in a cup in the mornings. Surprisingly, there isn't much resistance as compared to before, and he's drinking it up. Unfortunately, the mom in law still is insisting on giving the bottle in the afternoon... now we only have to think of a way to convince her to stop!
So why suddenly the over eagerness to watch our baby grow up? I don't know... but somehow, the timing for these seem about right. And he's not resisting, which is a good sign that he's also just about ready. As much as i want my baby to be my baby forever, he's growing to be a big boy now. And we shouldn't hold him back. I hope we're giving him the right tools and the right pushes in the right direction and at the right time!
