3/2/07 - Transitions

With a new baby due in less than six months, I'm considering all the changes that will need to be made in the coming year. Eva will need to adjust to a new sibling, be potty-trained, and eventually moved out of her crib into a toddler bed. I've been told that each of these major transitions should be made gradually, when the child is ready, and never two at the same time. Since the new baby will be sleeping in the bassinet next to our bed for about 5 months (like Eva did), the move to a toddler bed isn't very urgent. So I figured if there was anything we wanted to get out of the way before the baby's arrival, it would probably be potty-training. However, as much as she enjoys playing with the potty chair, Eva doesn't seem to truly understand what it's for. Most of the time, she doesn't tell me she's gone to the bathroom until the deed is done. And then, it's only because her diaper is uncomfortable and she wants a new one. I don't think she really recognizes the urge to go before it happens, which means she's probably not ready yet. I've tried a few times to catch her in the act and put her on the potty to finish the job, but she just clams up until I put her diaper back on.

My mommy friends tell me that toddlers tend to revert to baby behavior when a new sibling arrives on the scene. Apparently they want to be treated like the baby again. Which means that even if she's successfully potty-trained by the time the baby arrives, it's no guarantee that she won't start having accidents or want her diapers back. They also said that it's important that Eva doesn't feel like she's being evicted from her crib so the new baby can steal it, and I either need to move her to a toddler bed long before the baby needs it, or get another crib for the baby until Eva is ready to move. So I'm not really sure what to do. Eva's so content in her crib, she's never tried to climb out. And she's such a restless sleeper I'm afraid she'd roll out of any bed that didn't have bars all around it. I really don't want to rush her into something she's not ready for just because we're expecting a new baby.