If you have a question for me, about parenting or anything else, I’m happy to answer it. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find it.
You can leave a comment or email me at
parentingbytrialanderror AT saraheludwig DOT com
I’ll post the answer on this page.
I hope to hear from you soon!
Hi Sarah!
What would you do in this situation? Sam had a significant fever on Saturday (peaked at 104) that responded to meds. It came down on Sunday sometimes reaching 101.7 at times. Today he seems to be feeling better without a fever. Should I chalk it up to a virus this weekend, or check for something in particular? No runny nose, no ear pulling, no cough. He does have dark circles under his eyes, and is definitely worn down a bit.
On one hand, I’d like to take him to the Dr. to see what she says (if there’s something like this going around), but I hate to expose him to the germ factory that’s there especially if it’s not needed.
Have any of your kids done this?
Thanks!
Amy
Hi Amy,
Thanks for your question!
All my kids have had the mysterious fever-with-no-other-symptoms that you describe. Yes, you should chalk it up to a virus since he doesn’t have anything else going on. When Logan was a baby and toddler, it seemed like he had a fever and nothing else every few months. It was weird.
As long as he isn’t uncomfortable, I wouldn’t worry about it. Kids bounce back so fast from illness.
Hope this helps!
Sarah
Sarah,
My younger son has taken to pulling his diaper off (usually it’s wet, but sometimes it’s still dry), so I’m obviously fast-tracking the potty-training thing. Right now, I’m letting him go naked, taking him to the potty every 15 minutes or so (more if he’s drunk a lot of water, less if he hasn’t), getting on to him if he goes in the floor, and giving him a couple of chocolate chips when he goes in the potty. Any other tips or suggestions?
My older son was much easier to p-t — I accidentally had him w/o a diaper on when he had to go, and he was scared of going in the floor, so I rushed him to the potty, and there ya go! He’s had his share of accidents (and he was a few months older than my other son is now), but it was a breeze, so I feel like I’m a new mom when it comes to this!
Thanks!
Kathy,
I wish I had the perfect answer for you, but unfortunately, it seems like potty-training techniques and experiences differ from child to child almost as much as the personalities that dictate said techniques.
I’ve potty-trained four kids now. Even so, this is one area in which I will never feel like an expert. Each child was different. With the girls, I decided when they were getting close to 3 that I was really tired of changing their diapers, so I put them in thick cotton underwear, encased in plastic. It only took the first set of wet pants to potty-train Andie. I know — unreal, right? Too bad they’re not all that easy.
I tried several times to train Cody before he decided he wanted to participate. I tried the plastic/cotton trick, but he didn’t give a rip if he was wet or stinky (which sort of defeats the whole purpose of being uncomfortable and thus being motivated to go on the potty instead of in one’s pants). I finally waited until he decided he was ready, which was when he saw a peer doing it. He was almost 4 by the time he was trained, but once he wanted to be a “big boy,” it took almost no time at all.
I believe that there is a certain amount of time there where kids are interested and eager to learn. Once that window is gone, it will inevitably turn into a power struggle. I don’t know how old your son is, but it sounds like he’s still within the window. Use it to your advantage, if you can. I missed the window with both my boys.
What I found with Cody and Logan is that waiting until they are ready is much easier, albeit more expensive, than trying to get them to do something they don’t want to do. The thing is, kids have us over a barrel, and they know it. They are the only ones who can control what comes out of their bodies, as well as when and where it comes out. They have to *want* to go potty in the appropriate place or we, the parents, end up with the crappy (pun intended) end of the stick.
If you’re feeling like having to sit him on the potty so often is becoming way too much of a pain in the you-know-what, don’t feel bad about holding off for awhile. My attempts to train Logan, who was well past the window of wanting to please Mommy, were doing nothing but frustrating me no end. But, as with Cody, once he made up his mind that he wanted to wear underwear, it was over very fast.
Please keep me posted on how this goes.
Sarah