But along with two, comes some milestones that are starting to loom ahead. And since I've never had a two-year-old, I've been wondering about some things. Ready to help? And, holy cow, I'm just going to ramble so good luck with that.
1. Moving out of the crib. I'm fully aware that every situation is different, so if you have an experience, feel free to share. I'm a little torn about this, because Carly is an amazing sleeper and has been since she was a month old. We are spoiled rotten in the sleeping department. It has to come to an end eventually, right? Carly loves her crib and sleeps so well in it. Unlike many situations, there is no one who will need to occupy the crib anytime soon, so I'm kinda feeling like maybe I'll just leave her in there as long as possible. She is not yet capable of climbing out, and her tries to do so are pretty half-hearted. But I feel like logically I should switch her to a bed before potty training so she can get out of bed if she has to go to the bathroom . . . right? And I want to potty train her as soon as I feel like we can, because while I could let her sleep in a crib the rest of her life, I am so over diapers. And speaking of beds, what do we think about toddler beds versus going straight to a normal sized bed? Toddler beds appear to be pretty cheap, but we'll be here until Carly is almost 5, and I'm guessing she won't fit in a toddler bed when she's almost 5. Oh, and I almost forgot. So I was thinking I could move her to a bed this fall, a few months after she turns 2 and maybe potty train in the spring when she is 2 and a half (I know, it probably won't work out as nicely as I'm planning) but now with seminary looming ahead too, I'm terrified. I don't want to move her to a bed and have her coming to say "hi" 5 times a night when I have to get up for seminary. But maybe I should just go on living my life even with seminary. It feels a little impossible (remember how I said I'm coming to terms with seminary? . . . I was wrong). So now I'm wondering if I should try to make the transition before seminary starts, but that would be like right when she is two, and is anyone ready for that? I don't know.
[if the bed doesn't work out, there is always daddy.]
2. Potty training! I've heard good things about this "three day method". What is the exact title of the book and who is the author? I'm not sure which one y'all are talking about. I already asked about the toilet, so that's pretty much all I've got. Potty training in three days sounds pretty good to me :). (Yes, yes, I know there's a good chance it won't work . . . I have been a mom long enough to know nothing is ever as easy as you want it to be . . . except teaching them to sleep through the night at a month old, right? haha).
3. And the big one. The scary one. The big kahuna. Peeps, I've got to figure out a way to get Carly to stop sucking her thumb. I have to tell you, I've been a big fan of the thumb sucking for a long time. There is nothing as fab as your baby self soothing from the time she's 5 months old. No binky retrieval. No going in at 3 am to pop it in her mouth. Carly cries in the middle of the night, you just wait a minute or two, and bam, thumb in mouth and we all go back to sleep. But now that she has been doing it for so long, I can see how her front two teeth are shaping around it, and its freaking me out and I keep having these horrible visions of her having to get reconstructive surgery on her mouth to fix the damage caused by thumb sucking. Honestly, she does do it less than she used to. Rather than all the time, its mostly just when she is tired or scared now. I've heard some say she will just grow out of it. But how long will that take? And what will be the cost of her orthodontia? (Actually, Chris and I both had braces, so our kids are hopeless anyway). Anyway, any reasonable tips to help? I'm not desperate enough to do hot sauce yet or anything like that, and this one is actually last on my list, as I'm fine to let her keep her thumb through the trauma of bed-switching and potty-training. But it is definitely looming.
Ok, bloggy mommies.
Share your wisdom.
9 comments:
I'm no expert, but I have dealt with these things...so I'll guess I'll share what works for me.
1. I personally don't see any reason to move her from her crib. I think there's no reason to move a kid unless a-they're climbing out, b-someone else needs the crib, or c-they don't fit any more. We still sometimes put Cameron in the crib to fall asleep and then move him to the bed later because he thinks he has to go to the bathroom 50 times and have 12 snacks and sometimes we just have to contain him for him to be able to fall asleep. I also wouldn't worry about potty training with her still in a crib. Most kids are day-time potty training long before they're night time potty trained, and Cam still cries for my help to go potty (or just wets the bed...sigh..) so I don't think it would matter where he was sleeping.I'm sure some kids get themselves up in the night and go to the bathroom, but mine doesn't. Cam sleeps in a toddler bed, mostly because it was the cheapest option and for space issues, but I don't think it really matters.
2. I have no advice at this, it took me months.
3. I've never had a thumb sucker, but Cam is a nail biter and we just gently remind him whenever we see him doing it. We got tired of telling him 'don't don't don't' all day long and so now whenever we see him biting his nails we ask him 'What goes in your mouth?' and he yells 'FOOD!' and stops biting his nails. My niece sucked her thumb until Kindergarten and her parents talked to her a lot about how she needed to be a big girl to go to Kindergarten and she was able to stop on her own. My 5 year old nephew still sucks his thumb but only when he has his blanket and so his mom takes his blanket away if she sees him sucking his thumb. My parents bribed my sister. She got to pick out a new toy as soon as she was able to stop sucking her thumb. Good luck, I'm sure she'll stop, it just might be a few years, but she's still going to have her baby teeth for awhile, I wouldn't worry about it to much if I were you.
Jackson was an amazing sleeper from the beginning too. I always felt I was spoiled and I was terrified to move him to a big boy bed thinking that would all end. At his 18 month check-up, the doctor said he was pretty tall and that as soon as his nipples were the same height as the edge of the crib when he stood up, we had to move him out because it wasn't safe anymore, even if he had never climbed out before. We ended up switching him to a normal bed (queen size even, with a guard rail and a step stool, because that's what we had). The first day we got rid of the crib, I laid in the bed with him for his nap so I could remind him to stay in there and fall asleep. I had to do this maybe 3 times and that was it. He was adjusted and he is still an amazing sleeper. If Carly loves her sleep, I don't think a big girl bed will change that. A few days to adjust and she'll do great.
We used the 3 day potty method and loved it. It was more of a 3 hour method for us because we waited way too long and he was way too ready. It's an online e-book that you purchase and receive through the email. It's about 40 pages long. It's called "3 Day Potty Training" by Lora Jensen.
3DayPottyTraining.com
Good luck!
I have too many comments to type them while holding a baby but I would love to share sometime!
1. I am glad you are asking all of these question for my sake as well :) We are six months behind you, but with little sister on her way it is never too early to start thinking this all through, right?
1.5-2. As for the crib thing I also dread that. Stella has also been a fairly great sleeper and I especially love that she goes right to bed without any major issues at this point. Taking her out of the crib just conjures up some negative images of multiple attemtps per night to get her to stay in bed. Shudder. However, at some point little sis will need the use of the crib. We do have a pack n play but I can't see me making my baby sleep in that for 6 months (the amount of time after she is born until we move). Plus the moving thing also scares me because I have heard kids will regress after a big change like a move...hence why potty training probably won't happen until we are moved and settled so much closer to 2.5-3. Although that kind of feels really late to me. What to do, what to do? After watching all my friends potty train, however; I am fine waiting, and waiting, and waiting...
3. We don't have a thumb sucker, but Stella does use a binki. We have tried very hard to limit its use to nap/bedtime, but that doesn't mean she doesn't get it other times (travel, church, anytime we really want to avoid a public meltdown/scream fest). I know you can't really take the thumb away or "limit" it to certain times, but I am interested to see what other advice you get for my own sake. Not sure when we should get rid of the binki all together. Before the baby? After we move?
Glad we are all in this together and get to use each other as sounding boards and resources. It makes our jobs at least a little bit easier :) Good luck!
We were forced to move Novalie out of her crib because the first time she tried to climb out, she fell and split her head open. We took it down that night and got a toddler bed. Toddler bed...a waste unless that is all you can afford at the moment and they are so dang cute. Novalie is a horrible sleeper, so I envy you!
Do not let anyone tell you when you should potty train, every single child is different. Some get their control early, some just don't. If she is waking up from her nap dry, she is more ready than you think. I put Novalie in underwear the morning we were going to start and sat her on the toilet every 30 minutes all day and that was that.
Oh my, thumb sucking. I sucked my thumb until....well, let's just say way way way too old. I am talkin' old. My Mom tried everything! Every yucky thing imaginable on my thumb, every threat, every punishment. Nothing worked for me. Most kids who suck their thumb will stop when they go to preschool or kindergarten because they will be embarrassed to do it then. Not me. I had braces when I was a senior because of my overbite caused by my thumb sucking. It is more than just a soothing tool for her, it is her security. After all that rambling, I have no advice. I side with Carly on this one because I know what it is like to be a thumb sucker....haha, sorry!
I love hearing your questions and advice so I can learn for the future!
I have no advice except my sister sucked her middle 2 fingers for a REALLY LONG TIME. So long that her fingers had really bad caluses (spelling?) and were warped. My parents tried everything, bribery, hot sauce, special nail polish. Finally, she grew out of it a little after kindergarden I think. However, the caluses went away, her fingers shaped up right, and she was the only sibling that didn't need braces. (I needed braces really bad and I never sucked my thumb or anything.)
So that being said. I think Carly will be just fine.
I agree with most moms. Leave Miss C in a crib as long as possible. If Tayden wakes up in the night to go potty, he still needs help. Plus, after awhile, they learn to hold it until they wake up. I wish I would have left T in the crib longer.
3 day Potty Training.... YES YES YES!!! loved it! It was amazing. I seriously can not say enough about how much I
loved it. It's wonderful! Having a potty trained kid can be s bit challenging in the stores and car rides, but once they learn a little control and you get into a good routine- it sure beats diapers. It's the most rewarding thing to watch them accomplish potty training. She is at a really great age to start too. If you need the info of the book, let me know. I'll get it to you.
1) I would leave her in a crib as long as possible. I plan to with Claire. Even if she is potty trained, she can call for your help, but Gabe never gets up during the night to go.
I plan to leave Claire as long as she isn't climbing out... for G that was 17 months. She's showing no signs yet and I think it's safer to keep her contained while I can. My friend just switched her daughter at 3!
Also, we went straight to a twin bed. Don't waste your money on a toddler one. G was TINY when he switched but he did just fine with a step stool and a side rail.
2) LOVE LOVE LOVE the 3 day potty training method and plan to use it again with Claire! You could even give it a try now and if she doesn't go for it, try again in a few months. Lora suggests 22 months but Gabe was about 2 1/2.
3) No advice here ;) Still trying to get C off of the paci!
I didn't read through the other comments so this may be a repeat. Each child is different, I have 2 that moved out of their cribs, not by my choice but by theirs one at 1 year the other at 18 months. Keep that little Princess there as long as she's comfortable. Don't rush it. The older they are and the better they can understand the easier. (In my opinion)
Potty training-I swear by the 3 day method. BUT, I wouldn't do it (you either do it or you don't, you can't just TRY!) Until she has shown some interest. I have the e-book. The g(j)ist of it- Have them throw away their own diapers. Spend 3 days of undivided attention with your Princess, push fluids, don't get mad, if she has an accident tell her how yucky it is but don't ever make her feel bad. If she makes it lots of clapping and positive reinforcement. The book suggests potty training at night at the same time. (waking the child up after they fall asleep and taking them to the bathroom before you go to bed) I said forget that, my kids are crappy sleepers and I am NOT going to wake them up once they are already asleep. I really talked up pull ups (ONLY for bed time!) how they are for big kids and we don't want to get them wet. My oldest is dry 99.9% of the time at naps and 80% of the time at night, my youngest, she's just been doing this for a month, but she's dry 90% of the time at naps and about 30% of the time at night. My oldest struggled with #2 (it was scary to him) We bought a big toy and put in on the counter. No touching, just looking until he had a certain number of successes. Both kids were down pat in 3 days, both were 2 years and 2 weeks old. (my girl was easier then my boy)and the 3 day method really encourages the younger the better.
And as far as the thumb sucking. My oldest 3.5 is still sucking his thumb, only at nap and night time, occassionally if we are driving in the car. I asked the dentist about it. He said not to push anything too hard until they are 4, but to make 4 our deadline. (granted, his thumb sucking has not affected his teeth at all) We talk about it all the time. When he turns 4 he'll be too big, How much longer until he turns 4. Ya know. If you want more info on the 3 day method, email me... jessie.ann.gray(at)hotmail.com
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