Keeping The Sheets Dry

 

"How do we keep the beds dry? Am sick of changing sheets. Have been pottying boys before they get in bed. They are dry during day. Both wet copiously at nap and night. Wearing diapers doesn't help, the sheets are soaked as are their clothes even with a diaper on. A is over generous with the water but have heard this doesn't matter anyhow. Meh. Now what?"

I wrote the above a few months ago and even though I never posted it, I thought I'd deal with the topic with my new updated information and response.

First of all, I think the big reason why this whole topic of bedwetting matters so much to me is that I was a late bedwetter. Who doesn't want to help their little ones avoid the things that haunt them from their own childhood? This was a completely and totally embarrassing part of my early years (forget slumber parties) and something I would LOVE to make sure my children never go through. Thus my jumpy trigger finger.

Yeah, and then, I couldn't help but notice that I knew a child or two who was reportedly totally dry every night. (insert vague shrug from their mother) *wince wince wince* What is wrong with my child? Argh! What was wrong with me? Did I give them mutant genes?

Now, my oldest is only four so I was vastly comforted when I read that bedwetting is not even considered an issue of any concern until over the age of six. Whew. So, step one: My kid is not abnormal. Relax and wait for child/children to get older.

Step two: How to handle the wet sheets and inability of diapers to catch it all.

Truly, it was simple. I was in the store buying my usual bales of diapers and I accidentally noticed Huggies makes a special extra absorbant diaper, especially for nighttime. (Clue number two that I am not a mutant or raising one.)

Yep. And they work. And I can go back to a non-daily sheet changing schedule. Life is good. Thank you God that people keep inventing things.

Picnic Weather!

Was a lovely day today. Took the boys trekking over to A's work for a jolly little picnic on a bench in the sun at lunchtime. One woman stopped and said, "What fun! You know you're going to make lots of people jealous!" nodding towards the continual stream of strolling executive types clicking past down the sidewalk, clippy i.d. tags fluttering in the breeze and black dress shoes gleaming. We did get a lot of waves and hellos and folks, cold asparagus, drizzled with garlic olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and a generous dose of sea salt is d.i.v.i.n.e. when eaten sitting cross legged in the sunshine with no utensils, whole spears dripping and gleaming greenly, fingers all an oily, tasty mess and that amazing color of chartreuse/grass green stacked like cordwood in the make-shift tin foil bowl. Yum. Asparagus is one of my favorite foods in the world.

Ahem. Yes. Picnic. The picnic was really grand. First of the year. That's important. Everyone cheerful even though I was about an hour late arriving. Also good. Looks like it was chilly but it was tremendously comfortable and jackets would have been sweaty overkill. We're leafless but, really balmy at the moment.

And if you need real, further proof...look. Just down the street folks were lining up rather substantially for the local Dairy Queen. Note to self: Take the boys to Dairy Queen. Its a childhood institution. I think I may wait until its really good and hot.

Potty training continues on apace. Only two misses today...small progress is laudable! Still no initiating on his part which is slightly off-putting but really, I'd be asking a bit too much if I said that I truly expect him to have it all down in two days flat. I am not insane.

 Hope your weekend is fabulous. We're grilling steaks, visiting the midwife, and jogging off for a date alone together. Much sunshiney bliss awaits. May some of it come your way too!

He's A Big Boy Now...

Demonstrating his new skillz

We're back to potty training again! Today was the first day on the "New Plan" with Dee. This meant that I didn't put a diaper on him once today and I spent a lot of time reminding him to go to the bathroom and taking him to the bathroom and reminding myself to remind him to go to the bathroom. Good times. Thankfully, he's more easy going about this whole enforced toilet use business than his brother and I am a more sedate and easy-going mommy than I was with his brother.

We have had some protesting when I tell him that its time to go but, no real meltdowns or genuine tears. And he caves fast and pees pretty much every time. We had about four misses today and many more hits, I never bothered to count. He's a real pro actually. Pretty much all of those misses were when I slacked off on reminding and taking him and once he even had to go and knew it and wanted to tell me but, suddenly panicked and didn't have the words to explain and just stood in the hall with legs apart, crying.

I notice I'm a little slow on the draw. I didn't catch on to that one for a good while. Poor kid. By the time I had it figured out and had him on the potty chair he needed new underwear again. Speaking of new underwear...I have to put in a load of laundry before I go to bed to make sure there is a constant supply.

 All muddy from playing outdoors in the amazing weather

But, yeah...its been long enough since I waded through this with Ru that I'm surprised what I had forgotten. I forgot that you don't start out with pants on...you just do it with underwear and then work up to pants when they become reliable. Right. I remembered that after the second complete lower outfit change of the day. Tomorrow is a new day.

But, I do have to say, I'm super proud of him for using the toilet so frequently today and I'm super proud of myself for never turning into grouch mommy. So far so good. I think the thing I'd really like to see him catch onto next is self initiating. He sometimes will take himself but, mostly he's just hanging out being passive, waiting for me to tell him to "Go now!" Anyone have any tips for that part? I forget completely how I got Ru to grasp that concept...if at all I really did anything specific.