Moms of older toddlers (2 -3 years old)

Three questions...

1. My DS was 3 in May. He still drinks from a sippy cup. Should I be getting rid of it and make him drink from a regular cup? He knows how, but if we are out and about, I always bring a sippy for him since I have to have one too for my DD, who is 1.

When did you make your toddler ditch the sippy for good? and what do I do when we are out, make him wait even if his sister gets one? Other alternatives??


2. DS also potty trained completely last month. He does so well. He naps 2+ hours every day. Wakes up dry. I use a pull-up on him at night, and he wakes up dry, or he has on a few occasions woken up in the middle of the night and calls me to tell me he has to do pee-pee. Is he ready to ditch the pull-ups at night? I have only a few left and I don't want to keep buying them if I don't have to.

3. Onto those 2+ hour naps... I find that he NEEDS them. If he doesn't nap, he falls asleep and is a major crank at dinner. But when he naps, he is not going to sleep when he is put to bed, is sometimes up in his room not sleeping until 10-10:30 He wakes at 8:30 a.m. nowadays. Should I make him stop taking naps? If I try and make him nap earlier in the day, he doesn't, he's just not tired. When did your toddler give up naps all together? He starts pre-school in September and will need to be up a little earlier and get his sleep.

Re: Moms of older toddlers (2 -3 years old)

Ok

1. I would ditch the sippy cup. I'm not sure how you would handle it if his sister gets one, maybe try telling him he's a big boy and only babies use sippy cups?

2. I'd still use a pull up at night. My DD was fully potty trained for months and she'd still wet the bed sometimes.

3. I'd cut down the nap time to 1 hour, or cut them out all together. I did that for DD and after that she was out all night and would sleep to about 10 a.m.

Re: Moms of older toddlers (2 -3 years old)

1. I would ditch the sippy cups. Jeremy is 2 1/2 and rarely uses them unless we are in the car. You could get him a straw instead of the sippy.

2. I would also ditch the diapers!! YAY ANDREW!!

3. I would keep the naps. Naps are good for them.

Re: Moms of older toddlers (2 -3 years old)

Re: Moms of older toddlers (2 -3 years old)

1 - Sippy - Michael still uses his on occasions. Mainly if we're out or if he's in the family room. He has a few straw cups that he likes. But I'm the worst person to answer this because he still takes a bottle 1-2 times per day. I can't break it yet, but we're working on it. I figure some kids his age still use binky's so what's the problem right?

2 - ditch the pull up's. If he's waking dry in the morning and even calling you at night to go peep, then I think he's good to go!

3 - I cut Michael's naps out on most days. He won't go to bed on time if he has one and honestly I'm working all day and I need him to get to bed before 9:30 - hate to admit it, but I need down time. If he has a nap, I know that won't happen. I would cut it down to an hour, but that's me. I personally wouldn't want Michael up until 10-1030. To me, that's the reason why he's cranky without that 2+ hour nap.

I'm no pro, sometimes I don't even like answering these things because everyone is different! But I try!

Re: Moms of older toddlers (2 -3 years old)

Thanks!!

sippys:
I think I am going to get rid of them for him, and those times when we are out and his sister gets one, I will let him have some of my water bottle or carry a juice box for him. At home he is mostly a cup anyway, its a problem when we are out!

pull-ups:
yeah, I was pretty sure I wasn't buying more, I am just not sure what will happen. Worst case is he has an accident and I will go with a pull-up again.

naps:
I will try to cut it to one hour. However, when he is woken from a nap, he is a screaming, tantrum-pulling boy for an hour! He's horrible! If I let him sleep until he wakes, he's so peaceful and an angel. Not sure which route I want to take!

Appreciate the advice and suggestions!

Feel free to add more!

Re: Moms of older toddlers (2 -3 years old)

Andrew is getting to be such a big boy!!!

Sippy Cups - Evan still uses them, but only for right before bed "his milk cup"

Pull Ups - I would ditch. Still waiting for the day we can do this

Naps - wow you are lucky that he still naps I would kill for 2 hours peace int he afternoon. However, since Ev doesn't nap anymore, he is usually in bed between 7-7:30 so I guess it would depend if you prefer down time in the afternoon or at night

Re: Moms of older toddlers (2 -3 years old)

Sippy cup ~ ditch it. Nick's been drinking out of a cup since 2.5. I just bring water bottles (with sports tops) when we are on the road. Alec just turned 2 in May (as you know) and he is pretty much "cup trained" as well.

Pulls ups ~ ditch 'em. As soon as we are finished with the case we have we will too. I don't relish chaging sheets at 2am, but he's never had a wet pull up in the morning so I think(hope!) we'll be okay.

Naps ~ I ENVY YOU!!! Nick stopped napping at 20 months, and Alec is fighting hard to kick the habit. Enjoy naps for as long as you can!!!

Re: Moms of older toddlers (2 -3 years old)