Our toilet training journey is definitely a case of two steps forward, one step back. Just when I think we are on top of it, there’s a lapse.
At the moment, we seem to have numbers 2s totally sorted. BC will let me know in good time (by signing as well as saying ‘toilet’ or occasionally ‘poo!’). I am very very proud of him and very excited that he’s achieved this goal. Yay!
BUT numbers 1s seem to be a different matter. It seems to be much less important to him – and far less uncomfortable to have urine soaked undies. He just doesn’t seem to mind.
And going to the toilet is ‘boring’. He told me so.
It’s not such a big deal at home. I’d rather clean wet clothes than soiled ones, that’s for sure.
At childcare, the last three weeks he’s had accidents. Now, in the past, if he ever had any sort of accident (spilt food, vomit etc), his clothes were washed, dried and folded waiting for me next week.
But I’ve been a bit upset to find these last three weeks that his wet clothes have just been thrown directly into plastic bags, so by the time I pick him up in the evening, I am also picking up a heavy plastic bag that reeks of urine.
It makes me sad that he’s still not on top of his toilet training, but THIS plastic bag makes me so much sadder.
I have been really surprised to learn through asking various people that this isn’t actually unusual. This is in fact, the NORM in many places. Now, I can understand if he was at kinder and there were no washing facilities there, but at a formal child care centre with washing machine, changing facilities etc AND with them having funding for an additional assistant in the room to help with BC, it just seems wrong to me that someone can’t, at the very least, give the clothes a bit of a rinse. I’m sure it’s not a favourite job, but I would have thought part and parcel of the job, especially when dealing with a child with additional needs.
Am I just being oversensitive? Are my expectations to high? I think not. I think it’s a very simple question of respect.
Here is an idea that might work. Buy a spider (or dinosaur, whatever works for BC) sticker, or even a fake plastic one, and stick it to the inside of the toilet bowl. Doing number ones then becomes a “hit the spider” game. Maybe it says too much about my kids, but it worked for them…
(Oh, and i’ve never had anything but the sodding plastic bag)
Oh how lucky you are that he’s doing #2 in the potty!! Most boys I’ve had over the years (I’m a child care provider) take a very long time to accomplish that.
As far as the center not rinsing out the clothes, in many places it is against state regulations to do that for sanitary reasons. Because I provide care in my home, I do wash the clothes but facilities can not.
Congrats on the progress he has made
Sounds like a tough job. My wife and I are having a tough time toilet training my son who also has CP. However he can tell when he is wet or poopey. Unfortunately he waits until after the fact instead of telling us before it happens.
He makes me giggle…saying going to the toilet is “boring”.
Your feelings are totally valid in regards to the CC.
Great work on his #2′s!
You are doing far better then me. I’m told after the event or not at all (it’s the smell that gives him away).