Help Me Do It Alone

For some reason, I have never thought of this quote in reference to potty training.

We started teaching Rico to use the potty at about 15 months.  He started walking when he was 10 months old but it wasn't until about that time that I felt he could really comprehend the potty.  We had one for awhile before that and he sat on it when we used the bathroom but he didn't quite understand what was going on.  We also use cloth diapers and even though I've read that babies in cloth respond better to potty training, Rico was not one of them.  He could sit in a soiled diaper for a lot longer than Deddy can.  (Which made it hard to know when he was wet!)

During the first few months we had a lot of accidents and it was a great opportunity to teach him to clean up after himself (Don't worry, I followed up with vinegar and water).  I felt a big push to make sure he knew how to use the potty right before I had his brother.  Things went ok, but he would never poop on the potty.  He would wait until he had a diaper on for nap or night time or run into this little room we have under our stairs, close the door and come out to tell me he pooped.  It was frustrating.  After Deddy was born, he was using the potty with pretty good accuracy except during naps and night time.  We recently (he is now 28 months old) decided he was using his diaper to poop in because he had the option.  Running to the potty takes more effort!  J had the idea to finally keep him in underwear all the time.  I love when Maria Montessori is right. 

“These words reveal the child’s inner needs; ‘Help me to do it alone’.”

We weren't helping him; we were hindering his growth as a person.  He has made it to the potty every day for the past 3 weeks (granted he had been making it to the potty for pee for a long time now). He has only had a couple of nights where he has wet the bed.  Every time he uses the potty to poop he wants a high five and has the biggest smile.

Learning to use the toilet is very hard to do.  Some days it is hard to keep calm accident after accident.  I'm not sure that if we had tried to have him use the potty any sooner that he would have had more success.  I think for the most part we let him learn to use the potty on his own--in underwear, with accidents.  With a first child it is hard to be a parent.  Things are completely unknown.  Even with the plethora of books and blogs, our own children are still a little different and even with Montessori principles, things have to fit the child and the family.  And with learning to use the toilet, our children should be the guide, not the books!  Are we giving them all the respect that they deserve as sons and daughters of God while we teach them things--even how to use the potty?  Are we keeping them in diapers for our convenience (or in our case--their convenience?) instead of allowing them to grow at their own pace? 

Lovely Yarrow

I have a few favorite herbs, yarrow is one of them.

Picture courtesy of Botanical.co

I was introduced to herbs mainly through my wonderful mother-in-law.  Wait, did I just say wonderful and mother-in-law in the same sentence?  Yes, yes I did.  She had some experiences earlier in her life that led her to herbs and alternative forms of medicine.  She gave me a few herb books which I love and can't live without.  Dr. Christopher's Herbal Home Health Care and Maria Treben's Health Through God's Pharamcy.  I love both of these herbalists.  They both give credit to the creator.  The Lord is the one who made these wonderful herbs and I believe there is an herb for every illness.  Herbs are mentioned in the Bible; I love the Doctrine and Covenants verse from section 89: "...all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constiution, nature and use of man--"

 

Yarrow is a wonderful herb, and especially wonderful for women.  Maria Treben says that if women would take this herb once in a while, they wouldn't have "women problems."  It helps with too heavy/light of a period.  It is also great for fevers and kidney problems.  It is great for healing wounds. You can drink an infusion (1 tsp per cup of water). You can chew some of it for a toothache. 

 

If you haven't tried any herbs for your ailments, give yarrow a try during your next cold!

Books Books

I loved reading when I was a child.  Then I started school...and I grew to hate reading.  I disliked being told what to read.  I LOVED being able to go to the library at school when we could choose our own book to do a report on--I read Wait Till Helen Comes more than a few times--and Nancy Drew and Box Car Racer books--oh I loved them!  I took a hiatus from reading for, oh, about 15 (?) years.  I finally started loving books again.  I have tried since Rico was born to read a lot to him.  I want him, and all of our children to love reading and to never lose that love. 

I've been made fun of because I don't really read the typical books: mystery, spying, romance, etc.  I love herb books.  Specifically, I love books that talk of how herbs have healed.  I never grow tired of reading about the miraculous things that herbs can do in a body.  I love Maria Treben and Dr. Christopher.  I also do occasionally read novels.  Jane Eyre was the most recent, but that was back in late winter.  I also read a lot of Montessori/parenting books.  Latter-Day Liberty is an amzing book that I read and think that all LDS people should read.  Hopefully it will motivate people to be more active in politics.  This summer I have been focused on cross-stitching because I am trying to accomplish a young woman value (divine nature) before Christmas.  I think I'll make it in time (more on this in another post). 

Back to books...Rico has had his spark lit.  He wants to read books throughout the day.  I try not to pressure him to read and if he doesn't want to I don't think I've ever forced it.  He now sleeps with his books.  He has a pile in his bed and he reads himself to sleep and reads before his nap time.  It is so wonderful to watch and I'm hoping that because we are homeschooling he'll have a better shot at not growing tired of reading.  I hope that I can help this new found love of books to flourish and that he will choose books that make him want to be a better person.  At 2, this may be difficult.  But at 10, 12, and 14 I think it will be so fun to watch. 

He is already 2.  That means in less than 6 years he'll be baptized.  Wow.  I can still feel the total elation I had for him the day he was born and somehow it has only increased--I never thought it was possible!  Family does bring the most joy in life!