Potty training

I think it's time I begin potty training Salma in earnest. She's almost two. I already bought her a potty training book: "Lulu's Loo" by Camilla Reid (bought it at Popular bookstore), which she reads to herself every night. I also read it to her, but it's fun to see her read it to herself with her made up words. And I bought her a pink colored portable potty, which so far, she's only sat on once, without producing anything. But sitting on the potty is good practice, too. If she can learn to go do her "business" on her own, then we won't have to spend so much on diapers.

Read the review of "Lulu's Loo" by The Bookbag

"Lulu's Loo" as stated on the cover, is an interactive book. There is a page where your kid can practice taking off the straps of a diaper. This part is important for your kid to learn how to take the diaper off before sitting on the potty. And Salma likes the page where Lulu has the big girl undies. Don't underestimate the lure of big kid's undies to your lil' one! To them, it's a like some sort of special thing. I also can't wait to buy Salma big girl undies... I must go shopping for them soon in order to start potty training her. She's a pretty slim toddler though, so I would need to buy them in extra small size or something like that, or else they'll just fall off right?

I also read this article on babycenter.com that I found really helpful: "Potty Training in Three Days or Less" by Karen Zuercher. In it, the author describes tried and tested methods to potty train your toddler, that she has used herself. The method requires you to make your toddler go diaper-less for 3 days (except at night and at nap-time), and suggests parents carry it out during a 3-day weekend. And since I will be job-less for awhile, I thought I might as well take advantage of my upcoming free time to carry out the 3-day method. I'm not so sure about letting her go diaper-less once she's in school, but she's gotta start some time right...

If you are thinking of potty training your child, do read the article on the 3-day method. It's very informative, and gives useful tips and advice. The portable potty that I bought from Carrefour is very cheap, too, at RM 3.90 for one potty, and I think I may just buy one or two more so that I can have a potty in more than one room in the house. We already have a portable baby toilet seat to place on top of the adult toilet seat, so this can be used for practice in the bathroom, too.

I so want very much for Salma to start realising how cool it is to be a big girl. Being able to wear undies instead of diapers is the definitive big girl thing! Once she has this potty thing down, I hope she'll feel comfortable enough to stop breastfeeding (I feel that 2 years is the limit for me). And then, once there isn't a need to breastfeed her anymore, she can start to sleep in her own bed in her own room! Yay! Lots of big girl milestones ahead...

The reason why it's hard to potty train kids is because they are afraid of the adult toilet bowl. They have a fear of falling in and being sucked into the abyss of what they don't know is under there. My little girl is even afraid of the shower drain. She's afraid that her fingers and toes will get stuck in the drain if she gets too close. Sometimes she will stomp on the drain and yell at it, as if to tell it "I'm gonna put a stop to you sucking down all the water, you evil drain, you!"

When the shower water is running too fast, she'll get scared and ask me to carry her. But if I'm fully clothed and giving her a bath, I can't carry her, I'll get wet. I try to explain this to her each time she gets afraid of the shower head, but she will scream and cry and not understand. So this is the myth that I must disprove to her to make her overcome her fear of the toilet bowl... that she will not fall in and get sucked into nowhere. We've tried putting her on the baby toilet seat on the adult toilet bowl before, and she will scream and cry, even while doing her business. So the next best thing now is to prepare the bathroom, so that there is a little table with a few of her little books to comfort her when she has to go. And of course, to try out the 3-day potty training method!