I have a bunch of questions

[torontokids]

So I have a bunch of weird questions but rather then put in multiple posts here I go...

1) How does everyone wash infant/young toddler hands? I find it so awkward to carry them to the sink and using a cloth I wonder if it does much other then take the dirt off. The best thing so far that I tried was to bring a tub of warm soapy water and letting them to it at the table. Is there a better way?

2) My 3 y o dcb keeps calling to me during naps as he peed or has to pee. How can I break this habit> I don't want to be neglectful and just leave him but I also wonder how much of this is a game to avoid staying in his cot. He will be courteous toward the other kids and whisper my name from downstairs so not to wake anyone. He always goes pee before his nap.

3) I have just signed on a 1 yo to start in July. As of July I will have my girls who will be 3.5, 18 mos, a 3.5 dcb, a 16 mos dcg, this 12 mos dcg and a 2 yo dcb 2 days a week. I have the opportunity to take on a 2 yo dcb for July as well but I don't know if this is too much. Am I growing my business too fast? I guess I don't want to miss out on the 2 yo especially because finding someone for the other 3 days for my part timer is proving hard.

Thanks!

[Other Mummy]

1) I've always used a warm clean washcloth on sticky hands after a meal. I just rinse with soap and water between each kiddo.

2)Hmmm..sounds like a ploy to delay sleep. If 3yr old is using the potty before bed, than he is playing you. If the child has to really pee during naptime, I would slap a diaper on. I had a few try this with me. It got old very quick when they realized that I would not budge on naptime.

3) I would go with your gut. Transition yourself in slowly. Sounds like you won't have a problem filing the spot in the near future when you feel more confident in handling another one to the crew


Your very welcome. BTW, where in Toronto are you?

[sunnydays]

For hand washing before meals, I take them in the bathroom where I have a small step-stool. Those 2 and up can stand on it and reach the sink and I help them wash their hands with soap and water. For the younger ones who cannot reach even on the step, I put my foot on the step stool and prop them on my knee so they can reach. It saves on the back a whole lot! For after meals and snacks each child has their own little face cloth kept in individual little plastic boxes with their cups (one cloth per child per day) which I use to wash their hands and faces.

For the nap, make sure he isn't drinking too much right before naptime and then if he normally can hold it for a couple of hours and he has peed right before nap, I would tell him he has to wait until after nap (but tell him before he starts nap so he knows he isn't getting out of quiet-time).

And for the numbers, it all depends on you! I know for myself that each time I added a new child to my numbers, things felt really crazy for a few weeks until I got the hang of it...so adding two new at once might be difficult...but again it depends on you and also on the kids you end up getting (ie. how easily they transition in...I have a 2 year old right now who is having a harder time adjusting than many of the 12 month olds I have had).

[Momof4]

!) I have lots and lots of baby washcloths and I use one on each child's hands before and after each meal. I run them all under warm water at the tap though and don't take a bowl to the table. However, that's my system when we are having a very messy craft.

Once they are toilet trained and know how to wash their own hands I send them to the bathroom to do it themselves, but that isn't until about age 4. Those tiny washcloths don't add much to the laundry and I don't bother folding them, just stack them up to store them. I keep a big tub of wipes near the table as well in case I need one.

2) If he's peeing before he lays down then he should be fine for 2 hours without having to go again. I would tell him from now on to make sure he is empty while going pee before naptime because all children must stay quiet and in their beds for naptime.

3) Congratulations! You are progressing quickly and successfully but only you know what you can handle.

[torontokids]

The problem with my dcb peeing during naps is he is recently potty trained. He still wears a pull up right now in case of an accident but so far he hasn't really. I have told him he needs to pee before and he does but the problem lies in that he will take off his diaper (wears one for sleeping as the pullups leaked the couple of times he had an accident) and stand at the bottom of the stairs "whispering my name." I have ignored him but he is also a kid that is uncomfortable when he pees in his pull up/diaper and needs to be changed right away which is why he takes it off. So I could continue to ignore him and have him stand naked at the bottom of my stairs or what I have been doing is changing him quick and then he will stay on his cot for the 2nd hour. Today though he peed twice. My gut says leave him and he will learn and stop taking off his diaper but sometimes I doubt my gut.

[Other Mummy]

The problem with my dcb peeing during naps is he is recently potty trained. He still wears a pull up right now in case of an accident but so far he hasn't really. I have told him he needs to pee before and he does but the problem lies in that he will take off his diaper (wears one for sleeping as the pullups leaked the couple of times he had an accident) and stand at the bottom of the stairs "whispering my name." I have ignored him but he is also a kid that is uncomfortable when he pees in his pull up/diaper and needs to be changed right away which is why he takes it off. So I could continue to ignore him and have him stand naked at the bottom of my stairs or what I have been doing is changing him quick and then he will stay on his cot for the 2nd hour. Today though he peed twice. My gut says leave him and he will learn and stop taking off his diaper but sometimes I doubt my gut.

Yup. Listen to your gut. He is playing you at naptime. Does he do this several times throughout the night whilst at home?? My gut says NO. Slap a onesie on him so he cannot access his diaper. If that fails ask mum and dad to bring a sleeper with the feet. Put it on backwards, zip it up and that way he won't get to his diaper. And yes, they do make onesies and footie pj sleepers for kids up until age 3/4. This is a stall tactic. As you get more seasoned, you will learn ALL THE TRICKS those little munchkins will do to stall sleeptime.

[sunnydays]

Since he is able to remove the diaper himself, why not just tell him that if it is wet he can take it off and put it in a designated place and put his pants back on and go back to bed...by himself. If you are worried he will wet his pants, you could provide a pull-up for him to put on himself along with his pants. That takes the attention out of it, but also does not force him to sleep in a wet diaper if he truly did have an accident and needs a change.
I remember when my son went through a phase like this at bedtime...always saying he had to pee (I think he was 3 at the time as well). I ended up putting a potty in his room and told him that if he had to pee, he could pee in the potty and go back to bed. He never needed to use the potty, but it gave him no excuse to call me about this...put it into his own hands

[apples and bananas]

I have a 3 yr old recently trained. He hasn't had an accident during nap time in weeks, but he insists on still wearing the pull up to bed, so I let him. He will have his milk with lunch, go to the bathroom by himself while I put the little ones to bed and then he's good to go for 3 hours!

I wonder if the little one is doing this to mom and dad at night.

I would be inclined to tell him he has to empty when he has the opportunity. No talking, no moving during quiet time.

Becuase the potty training is so new he may be anxious that he will have to go.

You could also tell him that he is to stay in bed and after one hour you will check and see if he needs to go pee. He'll probably already be asleep by the time you go in to check. But he might have peace of mind that he's not being left alone for 2 hours.

[torontokids]

So just to clarify he isn't doing it to avoid his nap, he goes to bed without issue (now), sleeps for about an hour and wakes up crying because he has peed. He will sleep through the night at home and wake up dry so i know he can do it but he has an accident most days here. I like the idea of having pullups accessible for him to take away any kind of attempt for interaction with me. I will do this, then ignore his calls to me. He will get it soon enough. I get the sense that his sleep here is a very deep sleep where his parents report he isn't the best sleeper at home.

Just some background- this kid is very sensitive to a lot of things, the way clothing fits, food, sounds etc so I know that it is partially a discomfort thing for him.

Thanks!

[sunnydays]

If he doesn't pee at night, but does for you, I am wondering if he is also drinking too much with lunch? Maybe avoid liquids for an hour before naptime and make him pee twice during that time to really empty his bladder? Good luck!