AW Sunday Review | 7 Steps to Nighttime Dryness

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary copy of  Seven Steps to Nighttime Dryness  and a Dry-Me Enuresis Alarm for review purposes.  The opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

The Boy will be eight years old tomorrow and he still wears a pull up at night. It took us a few years for him to be fully potty trained during the day. I've been holding off night time potty training.

When I was approached by Renee Mercer, MSN, CPNP, the author of Seven Steps to Nighttime Dryness to review a copy of her book and to try the Dry Me Enuresis Alarm - I immediately said yes.

I just finished reading through the book and I think I'm really ready to start. Commitment and consistency are critical during daytime potty training and even more so for nighttime.

What I like about the Seven Steps to Nighttime Dryness is that it helps explain bedwetting and possible factors (including constipation). The book also breaks down the different alarms so that you may pick the one that's best for your child. There's also a weekly progress chart to help keep track. 

While the "7 Steps" is written for "typical" kids, Mercer has a section that goes "Beyond Seven Steps" which addresses special cases including kids with special needs. Mercer assures that if a child has maintained dryness during the day that nighttime dryness is a strong possibility. She goes on to say that: If you have a child with special needs, it is important to understand your goal. And then proceeds to explain various options. 

My goal is to get The Boy to wake up to use the bathroom during the night. And the Seven Steps to Nighttime Dryness has given me the tools and motivation to start the process. 

In the next few weeks, I'll share how we're preparing and our progress with the Dry-Me alarm. 

If you're considering daytime potty training your child, check out my Parents posts: 

• Potty Training Your Autistic Child 
• Nighttime Potty Training Your Autistic Child 

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary copy of  7 Steps to Nighttime Dryness  and a Dry-Me Enuresis Alarm for review purposes.  The opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

How I Tackle Parenting's Messes & Stresses

I used to be a squeamish kind of gal.

Before becoming a mom, I had never spit on my hand to wipe a face.  I never used an article of (my own) clothing to wipe a nose or mouth.  I never cupped puke in my hand (to keep it from spilling on the floor) or had poop on my arm.
  
If you're not a mom and reading this - it's okay to be grossed out.  If you are a mom and reading this, you'll probably laugh because you can relate.

I don't think any of the parenting books I read prepared me for how messy babies/kids could be.  Or how stressful dealing with messes can be.

Because messes are often unpredictable.  A mess can happen anywhere and at anytime.  A mess could care less if you're in the middle of dinner or out shopping.   

So how do I tackle a parenting mess without stress?

I don't stress.  Or at least, I try really hard not to.  Raising a six year old autistic boy (who still isn't night time potty trained), I have my fair share of messes.  I try to get through messy situations with an act first and laugh later attitude.  I tackle the mess as quickly and calmly as possible.  Because if I stress the mess, The Boy will become stressed.  And a stressed out kid, in the middle of a mess is the last thing I want.


Then long after the mess is cleaned up and done - I can laugh about it.  Because poop in the tub filled with water and toys is sort of hilarious.  (If you have yet to experience this new mommies - just you wait.  It happens.  I poop you not.)  

And just as important as how to tackle mess, is what you use to tackle it.     

So I'm excited to tell you about Huggies new and improved products designed to withstand the real life challenges of parenting:  Huggies Snug Dry Diapers and Huggies Wipes. 

Huggies encourages parents to try the new and improved Huggies Diapers and Wipes by putting Huggies to the test on Facebook!  Go to the Huggies Latino Facebook Page and share your stories about  Huggies for a chance to win a fully-stocked Huggies diaper bag.

And to help spread the word about this fun campaign, Huggies has collaborated with Poncho de Anda and Lina Amashta to put Huggies to the test during life’s stresses and messes.

So you tell me - How DO YOU tackle parenting messes & stresses?

*This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Huggies.  All thoughts are my own.   

How To Navigate a Public Bathroom with your ASD Kid

I don't know about your kid, but The Boy isn't exactly the kind of kid that stays put.  It's not like I can park him on a bench and ask him to "stay here" then expect him to stay.  The Boy is pretty good at holding "it."  But when he utters the words - I have to do pee pee.  I know he means business.  So on days when we're out and about and it's just me and him - using public bathrooms are tricky.  But I think, I've narrowed it down to a science. 

It's the kind of operation that requires speed, balance and agility. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, involves the ability to get in and out of a public bathroom without a meltdown, some kind of fungus or soiled pants. (Feel free to hum the Mission Impossible Theme Song to get you in the mood)

1. First of all - and I cannot stress this enough - it's all about LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION!  Be aware of your surroundings.  Is there a coffee house near by?  I'll take a coffee place over a greasy fast food joint any day of the week.  Book store bathrooms are also rather nice.  Department stores, libraries, hospitals  - hit or miss.  

2. Immediately check to see if they have paper towels or the automated hand dryers.  The Boy FREAKS out at the sight of the automated hand dryers.  So if I spot one - I know to divert the attention and pray to the bathroom gods no one comes in and sets it off. 

3. Don't feel guilty about using the big stall.  The extra room is very much needed.

4.  DO NOT utter the phrase "Don't touch anything." 

5.   Let your kid go first.  While they're going, start gathering paper for yourself.  Remember - every second counts.  (I usually tuck the paper in my bra strap or under my chin.) 

6. Start unzipping/pulling down.  You have to be ready to go as soon as your kid is done. 

7. When your kid is finished, switch places.  At this point, you'll have to hold the kids hand while you go.  You can either prompt them to pull up their pants or use your free hand to pull them up. 

8.   Once you're finished, adjust your clothes with one hand - remember, the other one is still holding on to your kid.

9. Provide a warning before you flush. 

10. Wash hands with soap and water.  If there are no paper towels and you are unclear whether or not the automated dryers will freak out your kid - it's perfectly okay to wipe your just washed wet hands on your favorite jeans. (Well, I guess it's not really okay but it's a small price to pay.)      

     

Does any of this sound familiar?  How do you navigate public bathrooms with your kid? 

My Idea of Progress

At six a.m. I'm standing at the kitchen sink washing last nights pots and pans.  The water is running and I hear the toilet seat slam.  The pitter patter of his fat flat feet slapping against the parquet floor.  And then the crash of legos. 

Sigh...The Boy is up.

I finish washing the dishes and pour my cup of coffee, though I suspect it will be cold by the time I return to it.  

I walk down the hall and look into the bathroom, the stepstool is in front of the toilet.  That's strange, I think.  

The Boy is in his room, playing with his legos and instantly I notice his diaper is off.  (because the least of my concerns is night time potty training.)  But his pj shorts are on.  

"Good morning...did you poop?"  I ask.  

"Noooo."

"Are you sure?"

"Noooo.  Yes!"

I shake my head and peak in the back of his pants.  Lucky me!  I get a morning surprise.  I take The Boy by the hand and take him into the bathroom.  I notice The Boy:

• discarded his diaper (as in put it in the garbage can);
• pooped in the toilet; and
• put his shorts back on (the right way).  

So what if he didn't flush.  So what if he didn't wash his hands.  And so what if he didn't wipe. 

He'll get all those extra steps...eventually.

THIS, my friends, is what I call progress!  And The Boy got a "nice try" and a high five!  Then I gave him a bath and threw away his poopy shorts.  (Maybe I would have rinsed them had I finished my coffee...nah, probably not.) 

I admit, this isn't my ideal morning but it couldn't have been a whole lot worse.  And by the time I got to drink my coffee, it was still sort of warm.     

What's your idea of progress?            

"Thanksgiving is more than eating..."

"...Thanksgiving is more than eating, Chuck...We should just be thankful for being together."  

~ Marcie, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Tomorrow, I'm going on strike. I'm not cooking.  I cook 364 other days of the year, I'm entitled to a break. Okay, that's a lie - I don't cook 364 other days of the year.  But I do know that I've spent the last 8 years slaving away in the kitchen for days before, during and after over a meal I don't even like.  I don't like turkey. Or sweet potatoes or gravey.  Hell, I just started to eat pumpkin pie last year.  

Tomorrow, we will take a trip into the City and watch the parade (fingers crossed that The Boy likes it) and order Chinese or Mexican.    

For me, Thanksgiving has never really been about the meal - it's about the feeling of togetherness - whether it's with family, friends or the friends that have replaced family.  Thanksgiving is about sharing. Talking. Laughing with the ones we love.  But most of all - looking back and reflecting on all that we are thankful for.     

Last Thanksgiving I created a Top 10 List of the things I am most thankful for.  My list is pretty much the same - with a few tweaks. 

10. My job. It may not be ideal, but it pays the bills.
  9. My cozy little apartment - it's home.  
  8. My writing - it's therapeutic
  7. The network of support I've created through my writing.  (That's YOU - reading this!)
  6. My friends - They make me laugh even when it's really hard to.

  5. My family - I have a great support system. 

  4. My Mother: I'm lost without her & The Boy is lucky to have her as his Abuela.

  3. The Husband: A phenomenal partner & father.  He believes in me when I cannot.

  2. The Boy: (my list within my list)

• He's said "I Love You" all on his own
• he's pointing; jumping
• clapping 
• singing
• reading
• dancing
• playing appropriately
• riding his bike and starting to ride his little scooter
• He's day time potty trained - woohoooooooooo 
• he's asking questions
• he says please and thank you
• he's realizing that on Halloween you get candy, on Thanksgiving you eat turkey and for Christmas Santa comes and brings presents
• he's building his imagination
• He's cutting and coloring

  1. That I'm able to appreciate all the little things every single day.  


What are YOU thankful for? 

The Potty Chronicles Continue...

This weekend we had a  MAJOR poop training breakthrough!

It happened on Saturday afternoon while I was doing my usual: laundry, cleaning and cooking.  The Boy was in his room watching television and playing.  The Husband tinkering with the computer.  I went to clean the bathroom and found The Boy's underpants on the floor.  

"That's strange."   

I lift up the toilet seat and discover a present had been left for me.  (Nice.)  I look back down at the underpants on the floor.  (Insert expletive here.) 

I walk into The Boy's room, he's happily jumping around, wearing his shorts.  I inhale deeply and quickly scan the area.  I cringe for a minute at a lump on the rug - whew, no - it's just a rubber turtle.  I grab The Boy by the wrist - I'm not touching hands until I've washed them.

In the bathroom, I remove The Boy's shorts and find the "evidence."  As I clean him up, I praise him for doing such a great job and I remind him that he needs to ask for help. 

"I can go to the bathroom, All By Myself."  The Boy tells me.  He says the last three words in his sing-songy voice.  It's really not one of the lines in the book.  The Boy sometimes incorporates spontaneous speech in his scripting. 

"Not quite, but you're getting there."  And I tickle him and he laughs.   

Every day, The Boy is taking baby steps to independence.  Today, he went to the bathroom on his own.  Took off his underpants and shorts.  And then put on his shorts (correctly!) all by himself.  The Boy is making progress.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, it seems as if I have a poop post for every season so far.

Winter (1/9/11) Poop Happens While Potty Training

Spring (3/29/11) Oh Poop!  

Oh Poop!

 

So...we're still potty training.*  Sort of.  We've moved from potty training books to "Everyone Poops" by Taro Gomi .  Which The Boy finds hilarious!  And I get a total kick out of hearing him say the title "Everyone PooTs" - of course, I correct him.  And at that point he says poop properly - which is still cute. 

So, I guess we're poop training.  Because The Boy will just run to the bathroom when he has to pee.    Does he immediately wash his hands when he's done? Not really.  But hey, baby steps, you know.  I'm just happy to have him out of pull ups and in Spiderman undies.  (At least during the day, we still require pull ups at bed time. But that's a whole other beast.  And like I said - baby steps.)

Last night, while trying to write and The Husband was watching a movie, I yelled, "Babe - check on The Boy."  He was too quiet.  And when The Boy is quiet - something bad has already happened or is about to happen.  I was right.

Then it was The Husband's turn to yell - "Better turn the TV off, I'm gonna be a while."

"Need back up?" I yelled.  We live in a 2 bedroom apartment - there really isn't a need for all of this yelling.  But it's what we do. 

Before The Husband had a chance to yell back, I got up and walked into the bathroom.  The Boy was sitting on the toilet, his skid-marked Spiderman undies on the floor and poop smeared on both of his little legs.  A crumpled square of toilet paper in his hands.  He's looking up at us - smiling.

The Husband looked at me.  "I found him sitting here, trying to clean himself."

We both say GOOD JOB!  to The Boy.  And the Boy continued to rip toilet paper in an attempt to clean himself.  Which is great - he's getting it!  Though when it comes to poop - he's hit or miss.  And I went into The Boy's room - sniffing around for poop like a bloodhound - just in case he missed. 

(He didn't!)     

*The Boy is 5 years old and we've been potty training since he turned 3. It's a process... 
  

Poop Happens while Potty Training

We've been potty training the boy for quite some time. And every time I say he's potty trained a major accident occurs.

I've been washing out poop underwear all weekend long. Some days, I just throw them out but it's getting to the point where he may not have any underwear left. Usually I can catch him and run him to the bathroom before it gets ugly. Today however, he made it to the bathroom all on his. I found him sitting on the toilet holding one square of toilet paper.

"I'll clean it," he says. He's smiling, looking proud of himself and crumpling the toilet paper in his hands.  "Good job," he says. I forgot to say it. I'm too busy scrubbing his hands with a wipe - the last thing we need is pink eye.  (Yuck - I'll pass on that. Thanks!)

His shorts and underwear are on the floor - in need of a serious rinse.  It's the second accident of the day. I pick them up, tempted to throw them away and then I realize they are brand new. And who the hell am I to throw away a brand new pair of Spider Man undies?