Skip to main content

The ABCs of getting baby ready - A for Awareness


The ABCs of getting baby ready are Awareness, Beginning and Conditioning.

AWARENESS: The first step in getting baby ready starts with awareness. Awareness is a two-way street for caregiver and baby. As caregivers, we use the three key principles.

 “Follow my baby’s cues, she’s the expert”
 “ My baby is an expert communicator.”
“As a parent, trust that I am the expert in my individual baby”

Awareness of baby’s “pee” and “poo” cues is built by observing baby keenly, listening, watching, sometimes – even smelling. At this stage, the aim is to learn your baby’s cues and understand their unique communication. No change in behavior or habits is required – just observation. If baby is in diapers – continue with diapers. Use this step to learn and observe baby. If you think they’re about to “pee” or “poo”, watch carefully. Notice if they make any sounds, body movements, facial expressions . When you think baby is done, ask, "are you done "peeing" (Or pooping)?, let's go change your diaper". Promptly change baby's diaper. This will help you confirm your observation as well as provide you an opportunity to communicate to the baby what they have just done. If the baby has “peed”, when changing her diaper you can say something like, “I see there's pee in your diaper. Let me change your diaper so you can be clean and dry”.
Awareness for baby is built by providing her opportunities to listen, observe and learn from other people who know how to “pee” and “poo” in a toilet. Watching a video or an older sibling and labeling the action helps. For example you could say “I see Katie is peeing in the toilet”. If you have an open door policy in your home, you can take baby with you to the bathroom and explain what you’re doing in a casual, natural way. Before you flush, show baby the contents and say, "let's flush the toilet and say bye bye to "poo" (or "pee"). With practice, you will become an "expert" in your individual baby's habits, patterns and idiosyncrasies!
The length of this step will greatly depend on your individual circumstances. When I started toilet training my older daughter, I had not prepared her or myself this way...For all I know she may have thought that everyone wore diapers. I had a clue about when she "poo'd" but I had no clue when she needed to "pee". When her younger sister was born I was home for a year. I started to observe her right from birth. It was easier for me to know when she needed to “poo” than “pee”. With “poo” she would pass gas, push, make a face. When changing her diaper I would tell her – “I see you just went poopoo, let’s go change your diaper”. I let her go to the bathroom when her sister was there and explained what she was doing. I let her get accustomed to the sound of a flushing toilet, the smell of "poo", the color of "pee". Whenever I changed her diaper, I said, "I see you have "poo" in your diaper. Let's change it so you can be clean and dry".
Do you and your baby have this Awareness?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Potty ABCs - A is for AWARE - in practice

As soon as my younger daughter learned to sit, at about 7 months, I started getting her to seat on the potty. For a long time, nothing happened – however, I continued and made it a fun time for bonding. I wanted her to be AWARE  that potty is a place for "pee" and "poo". However, there was no pressure or even any expectation on my part that she would do anything. One day, when she was a year old, she “peed” in the potty. I was excited and clapped and danced. Every evening at bath time, I would get her to seat on the potty. I had no expectations – I wanted her to have a pleasant experience and associate the potty with good times. We had our “potty” time every evening before or after her bath as well as just before bed time. When Jo was 18 months old, she started to “poop” in her potty every evening after dinner. Gradually, she started to “Pee” and “poo” in the potty at home. Over the weekend, when she’s with me, she wears big girl underwear just like her big ...
Post a Comment
Read more

🎵 If You Pee Pee in Your Potty! 🎵

  🎵 If You Pee Pee in Your Potty! 🎵 (To the tune of "If You’re Happy and You Know It") Verse 1 – Pee Time If you pee pee in your potty, say “I did it!” (Jump) If you pee pee in your potty, say “I did it!” (Jump) If you pee pee in your potty, and you really want to show, That you pee pee in your potty, say “I did it!” (Jump) 🎉 I DID IT! (Jump really high!) Verse 2 – Poo Time If you poo poo in your potty, say “I did it!” (Jump) If you poo poo in your potty, say “I did it!” (Jump) If you poo poo in your potty, and you really want to show, That you poo poo in your potty, say “I did it!” (Jump) 🎉 I DID IT! (Jump really high!) 🎈Optional Add-On Verse – Celebrate Big! If you’re proud of potty progress, do a dance! (Spin around) If you’re proud of potty progress, do a dance! (Spin around) If you’re proud of potty progress, give a high five, take a chance! If you’re proud of potty progress, do a dance! (Spin around) 💃 Woohoo! 💃
Post a Comment
Read more

🎵 The Potty Train Is Coming 🎵

  🎵 The Potty Train Is Coming 🎵 (To the tune of “The Good Morning Train”) 🚂 Verse 1 – Pee Time The potty train is coming, how are you? Pee, pee! The potty train is coming, how are you? Pee, pee! The potty train is coming, the potty train is coming, The potty train is coming, how are you? Pee, pee! 🚂 Verse 2 – Poo Time The potty train is coming, how are you? Poo, poo! The potty train is coming, how are you? Poo, poo! The potty train is coming, the potty train is coming, The potty train is coming, how are you? Poo, poo! 🚽 Verse 3 – Time to Wipe The potty train says “wipe, wipe, wipe your bum!” The potty train says “wipe, wipe, wipe your bum!” The potty train is rolling, the potty train is rolling, The potty train says “wipe, wipe, wipe your bum!” 🧼 Verse 4 – Wash Your Hands Now it’s time to wash-wash-wash your hands! Now it’s time to wash-wash-wash your hands! Scrub with soap and water, scrub with soap and water, Now it’s time to wash-wash-wash your hands! 🎉 Verse 5 – Celebrat...
Post a Comment
Read more