Diapers’ nightmare – getting rid of diapers.

I want to stress at the very beginning that there’s no one right way. We are all different, every creature is different. What I know is based on my own experience and stories I heard from others, but it doesn’t make me an expert on the topic. What works for me, not necessarily will work for you. Sure, there are some general rules which, with great probability, will get you from point A to point B. But remember, it’s never 100%.

Listen!

The best advice I’ve read when I was trying to get familiar with weaning off diapers’ subject, was to listen carefully to your child. And to yourself. You two have your own unique relationship and all the process has to be part of it. Nothing can be forced, nor sped up. But let’s skip to my story. Maybe it will help you somehow.

The beginning.

I had no idea where to start, what to do and how to do it fast. Only parents know how many diapers we changed during our lives. How many times we dealt with poo, that not always landed where it should. Not to mention the huge amount of artificial diapers ending in the dump. So I really wanted to get rid of them. I’ve read that some start training right after birth, but let’s be honest. Who, at that time, has the energy to do that? My boy was 1 and I started to read and read and read. And I came to the point where I bought a potty.

A potty – to buy or not to buy.

Toilet seat.

So I’ve bought a toilet seat, naturally from IKEA, just a simple one. Before shopping, I checked the Internet and found suggestions to measure the size because not all fit all toilets. Then there were different colours and shapes and so on. Again, another business. So I just went to IKEA and bought the only one they were selling. It was perfect. If you have a normal toilet, it will fit. I guess. It could be a good idea to buy a stool for baby’s legs. In the beginning, I was putting my child’s legs on my knees because he couldn’t reach the seat. But after time the stool was perfect for his legs while sitting on the toilet and to wash his hands in the sink as well.

Poo.

I don’t remember the exact date, but it wasn’t long after my son’s first birthday, that I’ve bought a toilet seat and started to put him on it in all his outfit. Just to get used to it. Poo arrival was easier to observe so whenever I saw first signs, I took him to the toilet. I think it’s even more natural than a potty. Because some suggest having a potty nearby, even one for each room, so you can use it fast. But adults go to the toilet, why make our children do their business in other parts of the house? But this is me, you have the right to your own opinion. Just to summarize, it was quite easy with poo. Of course, it took some time before I managed to undress him on time. But the process was harmless. Before his second birthday, we were done with it. It wasn’t that simple with pee, though.

Pee.

In the beginning, I couldn’t catch the moment when he was peeing. It is more difficult for a child to recognise the need and more difficult to hold. Thus we had to use another method. When it became a bit warmer I tried to teach him simply by letting him walk around without diapers. We had few small successes but generally, it was a disaster. So I backed off. I made the next attempt after several months. It was better, but still not perfect. Of course, I explained to him every step we took and I did my best to become calm, but there were times I had to change his clothes 4 times a day and I was losing my patience. In order to avoid wet pants, I wanted to sit him on the toilet every hour or so, but he strongly objected to it. I didn’t want to rise bad feelings about the toilet so I decided to trust him in that matter. It worked. He just didn’t have the need to pee so often and he was angry when I interrupted his play. It was really a short time until he started to communicate when he wants to go to the toilet. Such, we managed to get rid of diapers at home at age two and a half.

Outdoor.

Some say it should all go together. Home and out, day and night. We took it step by step and it worked well, so I’m just saying to listen, observe and trust.

My son was walking without diapers at home but I was afraid there are too many distractions outside to keep him focused on physiological needs. When the training at home was going good, I started to take him without nappy for short walks. From there, it went naturally. Once we forgot to take diapers, but he only asked, do I have a nappy? No, you don’t. Do you want to pee? Yes, I do. So let’s go under the tree. This was so much fun for him, to pee in nature. The story was different with public toilets.

He had his toilet seat at home and felt comfortable on it, but in other places, there are just normal toilets, with a huge hole. He was afraid of falling even when I was holding him tight. It was a problem until we discovered a flying position! Another fun! Well, ‘flying’ means that he is not sitting but we hold him in the air under arms and knees. The same way like little girls (and sometimes boys) are peeing outdoor.

Night.

The night is long and my son seemed not to have control over his bladder. However, with daily training going well, he wanted not to pee in diapers during the midday nap. I checked one day, nappy’s dry. The next day, the same story! He started to go to sleep without nappy. But, as I said, the night is longer than midday doze. He was almost 3 when he started asking to go to the toilet after the whole night without peeing although he was sleeping in a nappy! I was happy, but on the other hand, it required getting out of bed at the very morning. Normally, I could lie for some time after waking up. But it’s ok, I can do it. The cause is worth it.

Summary.