18 month update

DS 18 months old on the 1^st September

* We started at...

Birth

* Generally speaking we are doing...

Great - new things occurring.

* How do you know your baby has to go?

signs: behavioural - grabbing at pants, willy, trying to pull down pants, pulling off socks, agitation/ sudden increase in activity, noise level increase - squawking or grizzling, inadvertant sign language.

signals: saying 'wee wee', saying 'toyee' looking for potty, sitting on potty himself, very clear sign language, coming to me and climbing into my lap, flipping himself around to the 'position', getting up and then flopping into my lap repeatedly. These signals come and go seemingly randomly - some days a few times, then not for a week.

intuition: sudden burning need to take him to the toilet.

* Is there a difference for poos and pees?

For poos this month he has been going at some different times with increasing and odd eating of solids - so has been moving to a two-day pattern. Consequently, he hasn't always gone first thing, but between 7-9am. I have been on 'poop alert' as I knew it was on the way. (no drama though) He has gone independently by playing around, then running to sit on the potty to start. So it has been a good thing for him that this different pattern has occurred, as he has taken on more responsibility naturally. His (our) poo sign language signal is hitting the side of a thigh with a fist (It was something I could occasionally do after 12 months or so that was possible while holding him n-arms on occasion.) He'd also guide me to the potty to help him go - holding his legs helped him relax, just being there for him, encouraging him - how lovely.

* Which positions/receptacles do you use?

In arms over bowl, sinks, toilet, potty, in nature. Some sitting supported on potty. (holding his legs)

* Do you use nappies or training pants?

Neither - pants mostly, sometimes knickers and pants. Socks, too. Split crotch pants, some nakey butt after a miss - but mostly pants in the cold.

* How are you doing away from home?

Pants, wearing socks in case of a miss. (They soak any flow, he will only have a part accident) No accidents while out for two months now. Sometimes knickers if I think he might have an accident - to help catch flow. Ooh, I tell a lie, he did have an accident after having orange juice - made him pee voluminously about three times in an our - I dismissed his signal as he had 'just been' - silly me!!! Intuition was calling - I even said it, but too busy yakking away!

* What are you doing at night?

- same, baby in top and perhaps socks. The bed mat is gone again - no night misses for over a month. Obviously it was the mental leap and development, and the cold, and the teething causing part misses last month.

* Who takes baby to the toilet?

- me and dad.

* Accidents - how many do you have and what times are especially accident-prone?

- 0-3 a day. Mostly one or two. Sometimes four if an 'off' day - seem to happen in a cluster then.  He will come and find me if elsewhere, say 'wee wee' and guide me to it and point. He helps to clean up - we do a 'clean' sign and point to the cloths. He wipes and takes it to the laundry!! (The sign we use is a flat palm with the other fist fingers down and circling on the palm as if cleaning it) No pressure to do this of course - just an offer to help. He does huge wees these days - an interesting 'consequence'?? is that he is sleeping for longer stretches now.

* Other new insights:

- Maven used the potty totally independently for a wee several times! Very exciting. He tends to have clearest awareness of using the potty himself in the mornings - generally his signalling is clearest then. The potty sits in the sun and I tap it, point to it, or say "Sit on toilet" if I see a sign. He may walk immediately over and straddle sit on it, or may run around smiling, and I then help him! If he doesn't relax straight away, I take him to another toilet place.

- We were out, he decided to be the "EC poster child". I saw him signal, asked "Toilet, Maven?" and used the sign; he went down the hall to the toilet and banged on the door!!!!

- Another time, he was hanging in the doorway, I was alerted by his behaviour - moving around differently, looking at me, so I used just the sign language signal to 'ask' him across the room. He signed back, so I said "OK", and stood up - then he headed for the toilet with me following!

* What do you like most about ec'ing at the moment?

- It is just what we do, for better or worse!! (Primarily better, 'worse' being some flannels and pants and socks to wash)

* Do you ever wish you'd have never heard about it?

No.

* A tip for this age/stage?

Expect 'glimmers' of brilliant communication between plateaus of little overt signalling. Stay responsible for keeping baby dry, yet allow 'spaces' for them to advance their own responsibility with your aid/ support- when most suitable for them - with Maven this means the morning.

Charndra

Ds Maven 18 months