Since young, Lynn demonstrates a desire for independence and shows an interest in imitating adult's habits. She started eating by herself at one and half years old. She learn to button and un-button her shirts. She learn to wear shoe herself. She can pull her clothes up and down herself before 2 years old. By two years old, she was fully potty trained during day time. She knows when she needs to go to the toilet. The only time where she still needs to wear diaper, is when she goes to bed at night. Besides the potty train is initiates from us, the rest is she wants to learn them by herself.
Recently, Lynn refuse to wear diaper at night. When we changed diaper for her, she will said she does not want. So I was thinking, is she ready to go diaper less at night? It started one night, hubby let her not wearing diaper to sleep. Surprisingly, she stay dry throughout the night. I was so amazed. The following night, we let her not wearing diaper to sleep too. And she wet the bed that night. So means the night before was just lucky?
She continue to refuse wearing diaper at night. Not too sure what's the reason, whether is wearing diaper making her not comfortable. Anyway, we let her be. And I told her that if she does not want to wear diaper, she has to go to the toilet when mommy wake her up in the middle of the night and she agreed. So starting from that day, I wake her up in the middle of the night to go toilet.
First night when I woke her up to go toilet, guess what? She cried. And after she came out from the toilet, she told me she wanted to wear diaper and insisted on wearing the diaper. Kids! Hahahaha. But the following night, when I get ready her to go to bed, she refused to wear diaper to sleep! Hehehe. So she continues not wearing diaper to sleep, and I continue waking her up every night to go toilet. Each time after she went to the toilet (despite she was making fuss about it), I will praise her. Each morning, if she did not wet the bed, I will praise her too. But even if she wet the bed, I won't scold her but will gently remind her she suppose to go toilet. So now, I don't have much problem getting her to go toilet at night. She will also listen to me, to go toilet right before she goes to bed.
It's almost 2 weeks she does not wear diaper to sleep at night. Sometimes she wet the bed before I woke her up. Sometimes she stays dry until morning without the mid night toilet call. So it depends what time she sleeps and how much water she has taken before going to bed. It also happened once that she woke up herself in the middle of the night to go toilet. I'm not sure if this is consider as successful toilet training? But I'm definitely very happy with her progress. Dare not to say too loud, but I feel easy actually as the initiation is from her.
Lynn - never stop surprise us with her urge to learn new things and trying to be independent. And since the initiation is from her, make the training and learning process become much easier and more effective. And she feels motivated too.
This is what I learn: -
1. Do not force the child to learn. Look for the signs of readiness. We can test if they are ready for it.
2. No one is perfect at first try. If the child cannot do it, don't scold or blame them. Instead, encourage them to continue trying. Learning is a process, is not an overnight thing.
3. If the child shows signs of readiness, we should move on with the child and not holding back just because the child may create mess. No one is born without the need to learn.
4. Praise the child even though it's just a small achievement. Let the child feel motivated and proud of herself.
Now, I'm waiting for the day when I do not need to wake her up in the middle of the night to go toilet. :)
