I’ve mentioned before the fantastic ‘Toddlers: An Instruction Manual’ by Joanne Mallon – read on – here’s a section which fits in perfectly with January’s theme…

What if they won’t poo in the potty?

Some children don’t like to poop in the potty, and will hang on until they have their night time nappy on to make a deposit. Believe it or not, this is actually very common. It’s one of those subjects like nits or piles that many parents have to deal with, but very few discuss. So rest assured that this is a normal phase which many children experience, and not related to anything you have or haven’t done. And like all phases it will pass, so be patient.

Your child may seem to be physically ready and recognise the physical sensation when number two is coming, but emotionally they may still want to hold on to the nappies and not let them go just yet.

Here are a few options for ways to approach it if your child seems reluctant to ditch the nappies:

• Do nothing
  Let your toddler have the nappies or pull-up pants and trust that he or she will move out of them when they’re ready. If they’re still using them in six month’s time, reassess.
• Use a sticker chart to encourage more use of the loo or potty
  Stickers are a very effective motivational tool for boys and girls under five. My daughter used to put a sticker on her potty every time she used it. My son needed a bit more of an incentive, so he got to choose a new toy when he’d managed to keep the Number 2’s in the loo for a week. Use whichever motivational tool you think your child will respond to.
• Stop buying pull-up pants or nappies
  Going cold turkey is a more drastic approach which may result in a few tears and some mess, but if you don’t have them in the house then they can’t be used. Obviously this won’t work if your child still needs them at night.
• Use your older children as role models

You can buy ‘Toddlers: An Instruction Manual’ at Amazon now in paperback or the Kindle edition

Joanne has kindly donated a signed copy of ‘Toddlers: An Instruction Manual’ for one lucky Mum Friendly reader as part of January’s competition – having now read most of the book, I hope what’s above is a good taster – it’s full  of practical advice from a lot of people who’ve been through this crazy world of having a toddler and come out the other side. It’s reassuring that the madness involved isn’t something that only you will go through! There’s also some hilarious contributions from parents, with my own personal favourite being the ‘Wheels On The Bus’ part.

For your chance to win a copy signed by Joanne, comment below and let us know any crazy things your toddler has done. The closing date for this one is February 14th, though I can’t guarantee the draw will be done that day (though we’re not ones to celebrate V-Day)!
Continue reading →

Dry Like Me pads are great. We received a sample at the Brighton Baby Show, and having shown them to a few mum friends now everyone is pretty much in agreement – it’s a great idea and why wasn’t it thought of sooner?
Essentially the pads are like panty liners, designed to catch a wee at the early stage – something we’ve become more than aware of since we’ve started potty training – H will start to do a wee, feel the wet and tell us in a kind of get-me-to-the-toilet-now tone of voice. That’s one set of pants plus some trousers that need to be changed, and after a while the washing starts to mount up. This is where the Dry Like Me pads come in – they sit in the pants, and when they get that first bit of wee, the bit I like to now call the ‘two minute warning’, they’re aware and even better, their pants and trousers (or whatever they’re wearing) aren’t spoiled at the same time!

For pooey accidents you can place a pad in that area too – it’s not just for wee.

We think they’re fab – H has been sent to nursery with a box, which baffled a lot of the staff, but they get it! A box has 18 pads which isn’t a huge amount, though truthfully you’ll probably find you might only need a box or two and they cost less than a pack of nappies (which probably have around the same amount in them!).

The added bonus is that if your little one is a bit leaky at night, these can help, if they’re likely to wake themselves up and realise; though they’re definitely not nappy replacements. You also get a little pouch to carry them around with you. We’ve found them most effective at naptimes or times when she might forget she needs to go (ie, if she’s playing with friends) – and even better, I’ve a box to give away, plus five sample packs.

To stand a chance of winning we wont make you work too hard, just tell us as a comment here why some ‘Dry Like Me’ pads would be a good thing – one lucky winner will win a box, the runners-up will win a sample. You can buy ‘Dry Like Me’ in most supermarkets – though we’ve found they tend to be the bigger ones. Sainsburys and Asda have both had them on offer quite recently, so they’re worth looking out for. Also, if you’re not already following them on Facebook, their link is below – tell them we sent you! We’ll draw the winners at the end of January, so you’ve a couple of weeks to enter!

Follow Dry Like Me on Facebook

The Dry Like Me Official site with tons of information and a handy pdf guide