Potty Chronicles: Will she? or Won't she?

I wrote a bit last month about my daughter's Adventures in Potty Training.

Well, the adventure continues...

We had made a sticker chart for my daughter after my last blog on this topic. We put the word "BIG" on a large sheet of paper. We covered a portion of the letter B with a star sticker every time she went. It was such a success! She looked at the chart approvingly, and at the star sticker I also gave her on her hand. Her brothers saw how she was doing on her stickers. It was great. She was on the road to potty training.

Until...

Have I mentioned that the boys have gone back to school? Since they started back, my daughter has completely rejected the toilet. I understand, to a point, that she misses her brothers. And because they are gone, she has less frequent reminders to go. I have backed off on my expectations to give her time to adjust.

However, it has been three weeks and I am nearing the limit on my patience.

Starting yesterday, I began to wage the battle of words, mustering the full force of my persuasive power to get this two-almost-three-year-old to restart her training. I have reminded her of the pretty panties she will get to wear once she's trained. I have explained that diaper rash (hers has been painful at times) does not happen when one uses the toilet. I have talked about "putting away" her business the same way she puts away her toys.

So far, no luck.

Today, we spent time at the boys school while I volunteered. I convinced her to try a "visit" to the girls' room. We went in and she happily explored it. I even got her to sit on the potty for a while. Some "big girls" came in, and she got a kick out of the fact that they were there and everyone washed their hands together.

I thought it was a step. It turns out it wasn't.

I am trying to keep my frustration in the background, but I honestly will be just so happy once we are past this step. I would rather have "the talk" or teach her how to drive or figure out how to pay for college than THIS DUMB STUPID AWFUL PROCESS!

-whew!-

That felt good.

I am hoping that her reluctance will pass and she will eventually train. I don't think I can handle teaching her how to drive if she's in diapers. Of course, the plus will be that I can put off that "talk" -- boys just don't dig a girl who smells like Desitin.

Midwest Mom

Laundry Tip: Keeping White Clothes White

My mother taught me this trick when I was getting ready to have my first child. She used it for the infamous "diaper load". I was under the delusion that I was going to put my newborn in cloth diapers. (ha!)

After changing four outfits a day for the first week, I was blessed with a friend who told me that using cloth was environmentally equivalent to using disposable. (Thank you,
Arun D'Souza!) Did I check the science on that one? No! I just gratefully gave myself permission to switch.

In certain cases, my environmentalism is trumped by practicality.

So, if you are a mom who is using cloth diapers, my hat is off to you. If on the other hand, you have boys to keep track of (I have two) and those boys happen to go to a school that requires uniforms (particularly, white shirts), I have news. The same trick that works for diapers will keep those shirts looking like the day you bought them.

The trick is to use the temperature settings on your washer.
I'll explain.

My boys have found new and exciting ways to stain their clothing. During the first week of school, I have washed out grass stains, blood, mud, chocolate milk, pizza splat, cherry juice, Popsicle drippings, greasy hand-prints and ice cream.

You may wonder how this is possible.
They are boys. Anything is possible.

So, to do battle with their mess (at least the laundry mess) I start by treating their shirts as I sort the laundry. I use Shout Gel. It has a little brush on top to work the stain remover into the stains and it is thick enough to stay on the stain as the clothes get washed. I've tried other brands and even thinner versions of Shout. Trust me, get the gel.

I then put all the whites in the washer and wash them with just detergent (no bleach) in COLD water. Why start with cold? Protein stains, like blood, milk, or grass need cold water to work loose from the fibers of your clothes. If you wash in hot water before these stains are out, the heat will set the stain and make a permanent mark on the shirt.

When you hear your washer spinning out the cold water to start the rinse cycle, switch the heat setting to HOT and reset your washer back to the beginning of the wash cycle. Then pour your bleach into your washer's bleach cup, but use no more detergent. The hot water will get out any grease-based stains (i.e. pizza splat!) and the bleach will whiten the whole load.

I know this method uses an extra tub of water. But, if you're a parent washing school uniforms, it really is the way to go. And, according to my own mom, there's no better way to take care of those nasty cloth diapers, either.

Good luck with it!
Remember, we're in this together!

Midwest Mom