It’s been a lamentably long time since I answered some of your questions, so here we go with a few more answers.
A whole lot of you have wondered, “Where did you get the swimsuits that your girls are wearing in the header photo?”
We purchased most of them at Swimmodest.com and the others at Land’s End. For more info about both visit this post.
Shannon from Our Blessed Life said, “I wonder if there is a post somewhere on your site where you describe what your schedule was like when your kids were only 4-years-old and under??
Glad you asked, yes. I posted a schedule from when we had 4 children 3 and younger.
“So how is the potty training going?“ Well no one actually asked that, but you did want to know, right?
I’m ready to officially declare that we have a completely potty trained 2 year old. Did I say completely? I don’t throw that term around lightly when it comes to potty training, but Nicholas has been amazing.
On Friday, our first day working on it since I live blogged this day months ago, Nicholas had about 30% success. The big progress was that whenever he started to wet he would start yelling, “Mommy, Mommy, uh oh Mommy!” as pee flowed all over the floor.
That night shortly after he went to bed, he wet his diaper . I got him up and changed him and he kept that diaper dry until morning.
Saturday he stayed dry during his nap and had only one accident during the day. He then proceeded to stay dry all night.
He was doing so well that on Sunday we took the plunge and let him wear big boy pants to church. He lived up to our expectations and was successful all day, even though we had company and everyone was a little preoccupied.
Then Monday afternoon, the final breakthrough that we were waiting for, Nicholas came running up to one of his siblings saying, “Potty, potty, make water on the potty.” Sure enough he did.
Nicholas has been dry including naps and night time since Saturday evening and he is now telling us when he needs to go. I’d say that’s a complete success.
After more than 13 years of diapers, we will get short break before the next baby comes. I’ll take it!!
More Q & A posts.
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Way to go Nicholas!!
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I’ve read that you cosleep with your little babies, and I was so relieved to find a mom-of-many who does! My question is when do you move them out? I did our first at 4mos and he did well, but this second one is having trouble sleeping longer than 2hrs apart from me… any suggestions?
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Kimberly @ Raising Olives Reply:
May 20th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
We don’t really have a set time that we move them out. We’ve moved them out as early as around 3-4 months to as late as 9-10 months. They have all slept in a pack and play right beside our bed until at least 6-7 months (and some much longer).
Our 5th didn’t sleep apart from me AT ALL until he was over 9 or 10 months (and then we started with naps). He had some heart and other issues and we BOTH slept better when he was in our bed.
With some of the babies I’ve noticed that we will start waking each other up during the night and get less sleep. That’s usually when I start encouraging them to sleep in the crib beside our bed. I do this gradually. Like simply putting the baby into the crib after one of the middle of the night feedings rather than leaving him/her in bed with us. If it doesn’t work I pull them back into the bed, but eventually they learn to sleep in the crib right next to us and from there it has been an easy transition to a separate room when we’re all ready for that.
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Congratulations on your diaper-free days! We currently have only one in diapers, and THAT has been amazing!
Baby #6 is due any day, and your posts have inspired me to begin training our almost-2 year old. I’ve always done it the slower way, but our boy is very excited to use the potty! I think we’ll make some kool-aid this afternoon, and try your method.
Hooray! For Nicholas and Momma too!
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Do you completely remove diapers when you potty train using underpants or do you back and forth. I am having a real hard time with my 2 1/2 year old who will turn 3 come August!
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Kimberly @ Raising Olives Reply:
May 20th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
I completely stop using diapers except for night time.
This post helped me put into perspective all the mess that happens that first day.
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Grace Munoz Reply:
May 24th, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Thanks! My first day was unsuccessful and so frustrating. Had I read your reply earlier I would have continued for a Day 2. The post def puts things into perspective now. I will try again tomorrow because I feel he’s ready =)
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Wow! THAT is the most successful potty-training experience I’ve ever heard!! Nicholas, you’re a champ! And thanks for the schedule for those with only littles. It’s a big help, it really is.
I also read somewhere in your scheduling posts that you try to spend some morning hours with your littlest kids, and I’ve been trying to incorporate that into our day, instead of just jumping on chores right away. It’s been really good for us.
Bless you guys!
shannon
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Dry at night?!? Congratulations! That is a BIG milestone!
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This is great! I’m really trying to get myself ready for an attempt at training soon.
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OK-HOW DO YOU GET THEM TO BE DRY AT NIGHT AND NAPS?!!! My three and a half year old daughter has been potty trained since 20 months, but NOT night or nap trained-how do you do it?! I’d LOVE to know ANY tips or ideas you might have, because, with baby number three almost here, i need to get at least one out of diapers totally!
Also-going to be working on boy age 2 real soon to start potty training and just curious for this night time thing as well! It would be lovely for them BOTH to be out of diapers before baby comes in August!! WOW!
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Kimberly @ Raising Olives Reply:
May 20th, 2010 at 3:23 pm
Sarah,
He is dry at night and naps because he’s ready to be dry at night and naps. In my “professional” opinion, that just comes when it comes for the most part.
You can encourage it by getting them up to use the bathroom before you go to bed, but we’ve found that either our kids stay dry at night and nap as soon as they are potty trained or it’s several months or perhaps even years before they are able to do that.
Sorry, that is him and not me.
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My almost 5yo ds still wears pull-ups at night.
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Miss Kimberly, I just wanted to mention that as I continued to potty train, I experience something I never thought I would. My son was absolutely frightened today. He sat on the potty when he felt he needed to go but then held it in and seemed scared. He held it in for about 2 hours and I finally stopped. I believe he’s not emotionally ready at this moment. What is your opinion? Any suggestions? Any one else out there with the same issue?
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Kimberly @ Raising Olives Reply:
June 2nd, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Hi Grace!
You know your son better than I do, so my first suggestion would be to use your knowledge of him and do what you think is best.
It is not unusual for kids to begin to go on the potty and then stop and act frightened. Nick did this during the live blog day and the day, months later, when we tried again.
One of our children was so scared about making a bowel movement on the toilet that I called the pediatrician because she was in a lot of tummy pain because she was holding it. My pediatrician’s advice was to just put her on the toilet and she’d eventually go and realize there was nothing to be afraid of.
All of that said, if you don’t think that your son is ready, don’t push it. Hoping that things work out soon.
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Grace Reply:
June 2nd, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Thanks so much for the wonderful advice. Sometimes I feel this is traumatizing for him. Then I feel I’m overeacting. Either way, I will take everything into consideration. Thanks much!
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[...] can read more info in this post or this one, but in a nutshell we purchased most of them from [...]
Okay, so I’m going to try putting the potty in the kitchen and see what happens. My daughter is 18 months, and sometimes I think it’s too soon, but other times I think she’s ready. We’ll try this and if it doesn’t work I’ll back off for a little while.
Thanks for all the great advice!
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