The Big Boy Bed, Part Deux

Ian’s first night in the big boy bed lasted sixty seconds before he walked out of his room.  After he went back, he was in there for 13 actual seconds (I timed him) before the door opened again.  I really don’t think he actually got back into bed at all.  I think he just went in there and came back out.  Mommy informed him that no, nobody actually needs to go potty more than once a minute and sent him back to bed.  An hour and a half later it was apparent that he was actually asleep.

An inspection the next morning revealed half the contents of his bookcase in the bed or on the floor nearby.  I can live with that.  He is still super excited about his big boy bed, but tonight there was some fussing about not wanting to go to bed.  I told him to go get a book but not to let Mommy know he was out of bed.  He said, “Okay, Mommy!”

Door’s still shut.  I win.

Caught!

We took the drop side off of Ian’s crib today, because now that he’s potty independent he needs to be able to get out so he can “go.”  He was so, so excited about the idea of getting a “big boy bed,” that I thought this would be the ideal way to try it out without scaring the bejeezus out of Mommy.  After all, we could always put it back, right?  Not to mention, this crib is one of several million that have been recalled because the drop side was unsafe.

So I popped it right off- it actually disturbed me a bit how easy it was- and took off the protruding metal track from the bottom.  Ian said he wanted me to take off the plastic track from the top, but I said no, I wanted to leave it for a while.

Well, apparently I did not secure the screwdriver, because I heard a suspicious noise a short time later.  When I went to investigate, I found him in the act of removing the last of the six screws holding the plastic tracks onto the crib.  He even stacked the removed hardware tidily on the dresser, just the way Raba would have done it.

I guess we’re committed to this whole “big boy bed” thing.

My stupidest post ever.

Yes, I really think this is kind of stupid, but if I have to have this thing bookmarked on my ‘puter and watch it several times a day, I’m going to make a note of it.  Of course, it might also help your kid, in which case it’s suddenly not so stupid, huh?

Ian saw this commercial and has a perfect potty record ever since.  I’d be less excited, except the day he saw this started with him walking up to me and peeing on my foot.  Half an hour after he’d last used the toilet.  I wish I were kidding.  I realize he may have been coming to tell me he had to go potty, but it was still not the finest moment of my life.  Then he saw the ad and, apparently, had an epiphany.  By “perfect” I mean that I have not reminded him, he has not had any accidents, and he is handling the transaction completely on his own.  Apparently, he just needed to see it in action for the pieces to fall into place.

So the new rule in our house is that screen time is strictly limited EXCEPT for this ad, which Ian may watch on demand, up to three times in a row.  As often as he asks.  Because potty training, like few other things in life, is a time when you throw the proverbial book.  If there is anything you can say, sing, buy, or watch that will make your child “get” it, then THAT is what you do.  So, bring it on, Huggies.  We love your new commercial.

Ian’s Personal Art Gallery

Small children actually enjoy fine art, and of course there are a bevy of experts telling you that you “should” expose them to it for their “development.”  The dryness of that advice aside, we do like to give Ian the opportunity to see and experience fine art without having to practice his “museum manners” at the same time.

Daddy’s idea of how to do this is a good one- when fine art calendars go on sale (usually in January or February) he buys a couple for peanuts, then uses spray adhesive and foam core board to create an art gallery in our hallway that is just at Ian’s eye level.

This latest time Ian helped. Not only was he involved in the construction of the posters, Daddy said, “show me where to hang this,” and Ian picked the height himself.  Then the judicious application of a level and adhesive velcro tape finished it off.

Mommy’s approach to this is to laminate 5×7 art cards and put them in thrift store frames.  Here’s an example from the “dress up” area:

Conversations with Ian

Ian: Mommy, I want to do my letters. How about H.
Mommy: (sounding out the letter) H… H… Hat. H… H… Hot. What else has “h?”
Ian: Cough.
Mommy: Uh… well, yes, that’s true…

During a storm at midnight…
Ian: Mommy, that was Rama and Raba Thunder. There’s Daddy Thunder.
(a particularly loud thunderclap.)
Mommy: Oooh, who was that one?
Ian: That’s Aisling thunder. (shouts) Hi Aisling!
(another thunderclap)
Mommy: And who’s that one?
Ian: That was Aisling talking back to Ian. (pats his belly) She is saying hi to ME!