The Potty Olympics

Sometimes when that light bulb suddenly lights up the darkest corners of your mind, everyone else seems to be suddenly talking about your latest realisation.

Like when you are choosing a new car, out of nowhere there a hundreds of that exact car on the roads, driving past you almost deliberately.

I told you all a few weeks ago about my plans to introduce Leo to a potty, and then that very night an email from Bounty lands in my email box telling me all about my 21 month old toddlers development.

Staring out at me were the words ‘No more nappies’. I knew instantly that I was going to be reading some potty training advice, and I have to say that it was very much welcome.

What really stood out to me were the signs to watch out for before you take the plunge into the unknown. 

What are the signs?

- Your little monster will start to realise when they are actually going to the toilet. He may even be able to control it as much to actually leave a puddle on your floor! Deliberately!

- Your little monster may start to find a wet nappy uncomfortable.

Your little monster will start to go longer between pee’s. This demonstrates that his bladder is becoming stronger and he is starting to gain some control over what he is doing and when.

Out of these 3 signs I can pin point Leo on two of them. He knows when he is going, he knows exactly what you mean when you ask him if he needs a wee, and this usually will be the start of Leo looking down, smiling and you know you have to get the new nappy on pronto before he sprinkles everywhere!

Leo’s nappy can be dry for a few hours, his bladder is certainly getting stronger and his awareness is governing when he actually needs to do.

This is exactly why I think introducing a potty could be really beneficial. Even if he just gets used to sitting on it to start with and I give him more nappy free time, it’s a start. Everything we do and when will all be governed by Leo.

He is the boss in this scenario and I am following suit.

I am stepping onto this potty training rollercoaster blind. Although I am following my instincts I know that it may turn out to be full of twists and turns, ups and downs and loop-de-loops. But I am confident that Leo is showing the tell-tale signs that he is getting ready to start training for the potty Olympics.

Captain Leaky

I have always wondered when we would begin to think about potty training.

I have always wondered how I would handle it, and to be honest it is one of the only aspects I have actually dreaded.

Rumour has it that little boys tend to take longer to potty train than little girls.

I quite honestly didn’t think we would be thinking about potty training at 21 months. I really thought that I would be leaving it until the Summer months after he had turned 2 before we even began to think about it.

I have been aware for a while now that Leo is very conscious of his pee’s and his poo’s. He knows exactly what he is doing, and if given the chance of nappy free time he quite often shames himself by going pee pee on the floor.

Over Easter we spent the afternoon at Granny’s house for a big Sunday dinner. I had come prepared with pyjamas so that I could get little man ready for bed and simply put him straight down when we got home. As I changed his nappy, a naked Leo jumped up and ran off laughing at the fact he had escaped without a new nappy on.

For a little while he was fine, he was laughing as his Aunty squirmed away from him as he jumped up and down all over her excitedly, naked of course. It was when Alice asked him whether or not he needed a wee that he looked down and suddenly began to pee!

All the while laughing as he did it with the most mischievous smile on his cheeky little face!

He then began deliberately sprinkling all over the lounge floor. I set my sights on catching the little tinker and getting him in his nappy. Leo then deliberately sprinkled me in my fight to get that nappy back on his botty!

What this little water fight highlighted to me was just how conscious Leo was about what he was doing and when he was doing it. Leo can control what his bladder is doing, he can even stop half way through and then start again moments later! 

So I am thinking of introducing a potty just to see what he thinks.

I will be applying absolutely no pressure and if he wants to do it, then that’s absolutely fine. If he doesn’t want to just yet, well that is absolutely fine too!

I will support him the entire way. If he is not yet ready we will simply leave the potty out so that he can become familiar with it and know what it’s purpose is.

Judging by how Leo loved sprinkling everywhere over the weekend, I can only imagine that he is going to find it a real novelty being actually allowed to pee pee somewhere other than his nappy.

And apparently a little encouragement from Aunts and Uncles (the younger kind, 11 and 15) goes a long way….So maybe I will just enlist them to go motivate Leo into pee peeing in his new potty.

I guess this is the start of the rickety rockety road to getting Leo out of nappies one day.

I spy an adventure on the horizon!