Napping and Pottytraining

Over the past 2-3 weeks, Dylan has been napping for shorter and shorter periods, but waking up tired, crying and cranky. When I'd try to get him to lay back down for longer, it would just send him over the edge. So, I started something that's worked really well. I bought a digital timer from Lowes and plugged his nightlight into it. Now, the rule is that he's not allowed to get up until the timer goes off. If he wakes up before that happens, there are books next to his bed that he can read. If he follows the rules, he gets a fruit snack; if not, no treat. It only took a day or two, but it's working like a charm! His naps still aren't as long as they used to be (normal as he's getting older), but he still gets some real quiet time... and as an added bonus, I get mommy time too! As luck would have it, Addison takes her nap at the same time! Miracle! I've also implemented this for the mornings. This ensures no super early visitor for Nathan & I.



As for pottytraining, we're laying the groundwork. He started off being scared to even sit on the little potty, even with clothes on. So, knowing that Dylan's personality is slow to warm up to anything, we're taking baby steps. Last Saturday was "Sit on the Potty With Your Clothes on Day." If he sat on it 5 times, he earned a Hot Wheel. The first time he cried. The last 3 times, he was so excited that he did them right in a row so he could get his prize. After Sat, he's been sitting on it various times throughout the day. Then, Wednesday was "Sit on the Potty With Your Diaper on Day." That was easy--he's just super proud to show how he pulls his pants down all by himself. One time, he wanted to just sit there... and sit there... and he said "Mommy, can we just talk for a little bit?" ... about his cars, of course. We're also talking about what he's pretending to do while he's sitting there. Hopefully, that will help him realize that eventually the goal is to do your business, not just sit there. (: So, next on the agenda is "Sit on the Potty With No Diaper on Day!" Like I said, baby steps. (: