I can hardly believe it, but my oldest is really interested in potty-training. We have tried it a couple of times before, even saw a specialist when we discovered that she was having some physical challenges in that area. But each time we ran into the big problem of timing -- she wasn't able to tell me she had to go with enough warning for me to get her where she needed to go. It's WAY more challenging to potty-train a child who can't speak and can't walk. She depends completely on me hearing her use her computer to tell me she needs to go (if it's working and within reach) and then physically moving her to the toilet, dealing with the clothing, and then putting her back in her wheelchair. It was frustrating to both of us, so we stopped.
This summer, she has been telling me when she needs to be changed, and I've also noticed that she stays dry for hours at a time. So we bought some underwear and yesterday we gave it a try. She did great -- she told me she had to go and actually went! I then got all cocky and laid her on the floor, with her computer in reach, and walked away. Turns out she wasn't done yet, and even though she told me, I didn't believe her. (Sometimes she says things with the computer because they are new or sound funny to her!)
So today we tried again, and this time I promised to put her on the toilet each time she told me. She stayed dry all morning, including through a shopping trip, and then went when we got home! She loves wearing underwear instead of a diaper -- it's much cooler during this hot summer. Plus I'm sure it just plain feels better on her skin.
I'm so excited and proud of her for being interested in doing this, and for succeeding at it. I'm not sure how we're going to manage toilet-training when we're away from home, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. I know that I'm going to insist that her physical therapist start working with her on transfers -- if there's any way for her to help physically that would make this all so much easier. Right now she's a completely limp 42-lb girl, so it's a very strenuous task.
Could it be that I'll only have one in diapers during the day? That hasn't been my reality in nearly 6 years, and I never expected it could really actually happen!
