Goodbye nappies….I wasn’t ready, but I think he was!

Hello toilet training and “big boy pants”!

I must admit, I wasn’t prepared to start toilet training with Small Boy, until the summer holidays, which start in a couple of weeks. I am pretty tired, our life is a bit hectic, and my in-laws arrive for their holiday in a few weeks time too, and I just wasn’t ready for what I felt would be the hassle of trying to attempt it before then. We also wanted to get through the grommet hurdle, and be on the other side, and sleeping a little bit better, before we even attempted it. We have broached the topic before and Small Boy has been very anti the whole idea, informing me “I want to wear nappies forever” and “I not a big boy, I like my nappies” and being less than enthusiastic about wearing underwear. He’s pretty stubborn, so I haven’t pushed things with him.

My lovely child-minder, who has looked after my children, for nearly six years, had other ideas though. Last week she gently, but firmly, pointed out that in fact Small Boy was showing a lot of signs of being ready, and she was right, I have been so tired and a bit frazzled, and hadn’t actually noticed. She suggested I could bring some spare clothes and things when she had him, on the days he doesn’t come with me to my work, and see how he went.

I really wasn’t ready. I really didn’t want to. I felt we were just asking for more stress, adding to the already towering laundry mountain our household generates, and meant I would be cleaning up puddles of pee or  worse, because it just wasn’t “the right time”.

But, I decided to bite the bullet, and last week, we went and bought lots of new “big boy” underpants and I dug out the travel potty and when Small Boy’s best mate Max came round as usual last Monday, for the morning, (he is already toilet trained) I seized the opportunity, and between us, we managed to persuade Small Boy that pants were a good idea. He adores Max and seemed inspired and enthused by the whole idea of no nappies.

I will admit, the first day was a disaster. I cleaned up puddle after puddle of pee, changed his trousers and pants more times than I can remember counting, and he point blankly refused to sit on the toilet or potty. By the end of the day, I was OVER the whole thing, and did not want to even think about trying it all again the next day, particularly as it was a day where I help to run our parent/toddler music group, and I would have to take him with me, and hope that we managed to minimise accidents and clear ups.

You know what? This child, this Small Boy of mine, this ferociously indpenedent, yet so sensitive, little person, decided that day, that he had figured it out, and that toilet training really wasn’t worth all the fuss I was making. He had no accidents, and actually got fed up with me asking him every so often,”do you need to go wee-wee?” and told me off “Mummy, I not need a wee, go away”. So I left him to it and we survived the day. One accident, but that was my fault for not getting to him to help him fast enough.

Next day, a successful day at his childminders. One accident, but only because he fell asleep in the pushchair on a walk, and didn’t have a nappy on.

Next day, went equally well and the whole process progressed so smoothly, I have had to pinch myself.  We are now onto week two, the nappies have been packed up, ready to be put away for if we add a 3rd baby to the mix, and with  minimal effort on my part, this child has potty trained himself. He tells me when he wants to go, he can manage mostly by himself, or will let his sister or I help him, and he is terribly pleased with his achievement, as am I. Once I knew he was going to do it his way, (ie me not asking him and hassling him to use the potty/toilet) I was pretty relaxed. Second time round, I am much less phased by whipping out a travel potty in odd places, and the one accident or miss, was again, lack of speed on my part, and his somewhat camel bladder capacity, which means when he has to go, he HAS to go right now, but we are getting the hang of that, and I am pretty aware of signs of when little boys need to void their bladders so between us we are doing well.

I cannot believe I was not ready, and he probably was. I blame being tired, and less than on my game, and am very pleased I followed my childminders advice. We are officially toilet trained, the nappies are only for night-times (although he is starting to protest at those too, so we shall see what happens, although I am not concerned, it would be normal for him to not be continent at night, for a good while yet) but what I thought would be a tear and pee filled process was actually one of the most painless, easy parenting weeks of my life.

I am a little emotional about the whole thing, and I think part of my reluctance was also because I regard him as my baby, and whilst we would like to add a 3rd baby to the Mad House Mix, we don’t know IF or WHEN this will happen, so he may be my last baby, and I have had a good cry about this, and am now enjoying not to have to launder and sort nappies. Maybe we will use them again, time will tell! 🙂