Amazing Mommy
That’s what Sara Ellen did today, amazed Mommy. Please enjoy, along with me, her list of achievements.
- She did need a little convincing, and by that I mean putting her on it myself, to sit on the toilet this morning. But after that we were dressed and ready to go [where ever] when we dropped Tim off at work, we just had to choose a destination. We were between Playtown at Westfield Valley Fair and the Children’s Discovery Museum. Both opened at 10 and it was only nine so we chose to sit outside the mall for 45 minutes listening to music, driving Lightening McQueen, and playing Sudoku. Ok, none of this is really an achievement, WAIT, Sara Ellen went all night in dry underpants instead of diapers and had no accidents after waking! I believe this marks #8 of our diaper-free days.
- I didn’t accomplish what I would have liked (involving shopping at Motherhood), but “we” stayed dry.
- She gave me no grief about eating a banana with lunch before ice cream.
- She took herself to the toilet. The last few days she’s starting going 3 instead of 2 times a day.
- Gave me little grief about holding my hand in the parking lot and then coming when I asked at Target. We picked out 3 kinds of new underpants, we now have Tinkerbell, Princess and the Frog, and Fancy Nancy, on top of the others. She also helped pick out a sturdier laundry basket for her room. Besides that, when looking at bath toys (I will no longer purchase squirt bath toys – they keep water in and grow mildew), she told me she had to go to the bathroom, we made it there, and she went! This is the first time she’s gone while out.
Then she helped carry the basket to the car. - We also visited Safeway, and on returning home, she took the laundry out of the dryer all by herself, putting them in her new basket and mine while I put away groceries.
- After helping to put away her duplos, I let her play a little Wii Sports Resort while I made her bed and put away laundry. I also took out all the diapers from the dresser, and two unopened packages of swim diapers and too-small clothes from the closet. I even used the plastic snapping packages, empty of underpants, for hair bands, and moved bulky tights from the small sock drawer into the now less full top drawer. During all this, Sara Ellen calls up, asking me to turn on a light. She was in the dark, downstairs bathroom, needing to be wiped. I am so excited that she is taking herself to the bathroom, and am amazed that she doesn’t ask for help!
- Before we brushed her teeth, I decided to clean her toilet. She wanted to, and did help.
- Then, because I cleaned up instead of putting her to bed right on time, I told her I’d only read one book. She took it just fine, though this is not a first.
Did it seriously take one week to acclimate Sara Ellen to using the toilet? I didn’t use rewards, or anything that convinced her. I sat her on the toilet, asked her constantly, and made it consistent. That helped me learn more about her. I guess she got used to what it felt like, and accepted this transition as she has accepted many others. Would it have happened this easily if I had made the decision a year or two ago? I might try this sooner next time. I’ve felt that way about several things; ending night-nursings, getting her into her toddler bed, getting her to fall asleep on her own (after stories). I’m happy with the order in which I did things, but I might try sooner. In addition to all this, she’s so extra lovey; lots of hugs and kisses (almost too many, definitely another kissing bandit), telling me she loves and likes me frequently. My amazing daughter, giving so much back. She’s going to be an awesome sister.
HOORAY! Good for you, Sara Ellen!
I’m pleased for you both that this process has been going so smoothly. It sounds to me like you are communicating your expectations clearly, and that seems to me like it is such an important part of parenting. I hope everything continues to go well.