Friday 2 January 2009

Let battle commence...

We're going cold turkey on the nappies, as from today.

Boy #2 did not take the news well.

I had been convinced that bringing out the big guns - namely, pants with his favourite Thomas the Tank Engine characters on the front of them - would be enough to secure his buy-in to this project, but he took one look and refused to go anywhere near them. He's no fool - he knows that his happy-go-lucky days of 'go anywhere' loo habits are over. For the next hour he ran around the flat bare-bottomed, asking piteously for 'clothes' but in fact meaning 'a nappy'. Cold-hearted mother that I am, I refused, explaining that during the day he wears pants now.

The fact that it's freezing outside and a little fresher than usual inside meant that eventually he succumbed and put on the pants. (And the suggestion that each poo or wee in the potty would be rewarded with a chocolate button might have had something to do with it, I suppose...)

As for how he's done? Well, it's only 10.30am. He was dry until 10.15am, despite two fruitless sessions on the potty and annoyingly frequent (no doubt) suggestions from me that he might like to use the facilities. Then I made a major error of judgement. Deciding it was probably safe for me to run a wash as things seemed to be going so well, I put the laundry on. Boy #2, on hearing me close the door of the washing machine and start it up, decided that now was in fact the perfect time for a wee.

I don't think his timing was insignificant; I am now unable to wash his soaking pants, trousers and socks until the load currently in the machine is finished.

I see a long and damp couple of days ahead...

15 comments:

  1. It was probably the sound of the washer filling up with water! Dangerous!!

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  2. If only, Dotterel - but I'm afraid the wee even preceeded the water. He literally performed seconds after I pushed the button... Yes, it's definitely war.

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  3. Poor you! Does that mean that you get a placatory chocolate button (in full view of Boy 2) every time you ahve to wash his damp underwear?

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  4. Chocolate buttons ahoy!

    Check out my attempts ...

    http://arewenearlythereyetmummy.blogspot.com/2008/11/neither-he-nor-pants-could-have-seen.html

    We are now nappy free for the first time in 4 and a half years. It feels good!

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  5. At least he has the pants on - small steps!!

    I have a child who would wait till that moment too - so I feel your pain!!

    Good luck with the next few days!!

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  6. Maybe it was because he thought you were doing something else and weren't watching?

    Good luck to you, PM. A brave way to commence January. Our next step is no nappy pants at night for Littleboy 1. I bought bedmats at the supermarket this morning in preparation but who knows when I will be brave enough to remove the pants!

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  7. Mud, I hadn't thought of that. At least, I hadn't thought of restricting myself to just the one chocolate button...

    Laura, thanks for the good wishes and encouragement. We are now on trousers nb 3 and pants nb 4. Sigh.

    NVG, the best of luck to you too! I remember the trauma of making that step with Boy #1; we spent 6 months 'lifting' him for an 11pm wee in the potty each night, and it all worked out OK (with a couple of minor incidents along the way, I must admit). Something tells me that when we finally get there it may not be so straightforward with his brother...

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  8. Wow, a chocolate button as a reward each time he goes? that is amazing! some friends of mine have let things get way out of control and they offer treats such as trips to the zoo etc for each successful potty poo!

    Happy new year! x

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  9. Good luck! We went cold turkey with both boys. Granted it was summer, so they both ran around bottomless for a day or so, then just the underpants.

    Night-time, I still get the 7 year old up at night. Poor kid has a tiny bladder. The 4 year old, bladder of steel.

    It will get better, keep the chocolate handy. :)

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  10. Elsie, it's Day 1. Ask me again what the bribe is on day 4 or 5...

    Hi Ped, yes, summer would definitely have been better, but he so wasn't ready - and he's moving up a class at nursery this term so it would be great if he could be on the way to being potty trained by the time he starts back. We shall see...

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  11. Impressed. I wouldn't have the courage.

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  12. lol I once had a boss who bought a cowboy set for his son as a reward for the first full potty day. I thought that rather freudian.

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  13. I used the cold turkey method too but during the summer months when, hopefully, they wouldn't freeze to death and there was no playschool/school run to contend with. Graduated to pants within a few days and fully clothed in just under two weeks. Bit of a pain being stuck inside but worth it in the end. I like Mud's version of the chocolate reward system but then I'm evil!

    Suggest you increase the temperature on the CH thermostat and just keep boy #2 au naturel or in pants only, easier and quicker to wash than the whole kit and caboodle ;-) Good luck!

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  14. Thames, he's nearly three. It's this or buy a pair of those wrap-around sunglasses so no-one recognises me when I continue to deliver him to nursery complete with nappies...

    Jeanie, that is rather telling. Though given the (lack of) success of the chocolate buttons, who knows what we will end up giving as a reward?

    Sharon, a thermostat? If only... (well, we do have them but on each of the radiators and since we live in an old and draughtly London building getting the temperature to stay at 18.5 degC is nothing short of a miracle...

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  15. You do realize I shall be watching your progress closely as I will soon be getting close to this as well. Right now, I have a feeling the little squirt knows how to but enjoys watching mommy stress over it. That's why I'm trying to act like I don't care.

    I wish I was a stay-at-home mom who could just let my kid run around naked all day and do it that way. it would be much easier, I'm sure. on to read the next installment....

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