A few months since my previous Proud Dad moment (previous moments here and here) but it’s amazing how quickly they develop. As the new year started, I looked at the old 2018 calendar where we have various photos of Cara. Over the course of 12 months, the amount of change not only in terms of physical growth, but mental ability.

No more Pull-ups!

As part of our Christmas holiday to Dubai, we decided not to pack night time pull-ups and instead brought the bed protectors instead. We had previously tried to keep her in her knickers overnight, but it was quite hit and miss. However, in the last few weeks leading up to Christmas, she had kept her pull-ups dry on quite a few nights consecutively. Hence, our decision to transition her to knickers with the bed protector in case.

During our 12-night stay in the hotel, we only had two accidents (apologies to The Westin housekeepers). One occasion could have been prevented but Cara insisted that she didn’t need to go to the loo midway through the night. 

Since then, we continue to use bed protectors but Cara’s been dry most evenings. There’s the occasional accident here and there. Sometimes she’s had a lot of water during dinner, or is really tired and cannot seem to hold it overnight. But it’s been a great period of development and seeing how she’s changed within a few months. If wearing pull ups makes you a big kid, what does that make Cara now?

Tips to help your child become ‘pull up free’
  1. Provide encouragement: If your child has a dry night in their pull up, provide some encouragement like big cheers or stickers. We kept a count of the consecutive dry nights and gave Cara high-5s every morning.
  2. Try mattress protectors: If you feel confident in your child and want to stay on knickers overnight, line the mattress with the absorbent sheets (either the proper child ones or you can use the cheaper puppy training pads).
  3. Be Prepared: Try lining the mattress with two sets of sheets, that way if there is an accident during the night, you can quickly whip off the wet sheets and hopefully the one underneath is dry. Also, keep some spare pyjamas and water wipes handy for a quick clean and change. 
  4. Be Patient: When Cara started to use the potty, we thought it would be quite quick and easy overnight. We initially kept her in knickers overnight. However, after three wet nights in a row and lots of laundry, we switched her back to night time pull ups. They will learn by themselves to hold it over time.
  5. Go to Dubai (or any other holiday destination): For some reason, Dubai seems to be the country where Cara develops. The previous time we were there for a stopover flying back from Sydney, Australia. During that stay, she stopped crawling and started to walk while supported. I’m not sure what the next development milestone is. Whatever it is, we might have to book a trip to Dubai to speed up the learning process!

Every day’s a proud Dad moment, but some are more memorable. Only 8 months to go before she rolls from the nursery school to Reception!  

ABC Dad Cara Dry Nights