There is terror reigning in our home at the moment. And its all down to a 1.50 potty.
Chrissy is now two and a half, and will be starting playschool in January, so I felt it was time to teach my Mini how to use the loo, rather than nappies.
She's quite a tall girl for 2, and is often mistaken for a 3 or 4 year old, so nappies are being outgrown a little quicker size wise than normal.
I bought her a potty about 6 months ago, and have pointed it out regularly now, but unfortunately she has shown nothing but a casual interest.
I have, for ages, taken her into the loo with me in the mornings, as most times as soon as she could crawl she'd barrel her way in anyway, and so I used this as a tool to show her that big girls like Mummy wear nice knickers and not nappies cos they use the loo instead.
But Mini doesn't want to know.
She had began to rip off her own nappy about the same time we bought the potty, which we were told was a sign that she was ready for potty training. But six months on she still is not interested in the slightest.
I have tried sitting her on the potty after a drink, in front of Maisy or Bob the Builder. I have tried sitting behind her (a brave move due to aim or lack there of) whilst she sits on the potty. I have also tried 25 rounds of Old McDonald whilst she sits on her throne. And how many times has she wee'd in it?
Twice.
She hates the thing. She literally screams and does that rigid bow legged position often favoured during a tantrum to avoid sitting on it.
Saturday I decided to try direct action.
Whilst in Sainsburys, doing the Saturday shop, I picked up a packet of very nice knickers for her age group. When I got back. I showed her the lovely new Knickers, and handed them to her to have a look at.
I then went to put the rest of the shopping away.
When I went back to the playroom, my daughter had undone the packet and was proudly wearing her "knick knicks" (as she has christened them).
On her head.
Hmmmm........
So I then told her that I was going to put them on properly, and put them over her nappy, to get her used to them. After an hour, and after another round of the newest mantra in our house of "wees in the potty, not the floor or the pants", I took the nappy off.
I asked her for ten minutes did she want wees.
I put the potty right next to her.
And what did she do?
She sat on it for 5 minutes, stood up and wee'd next to it. In the pants.
We now have pull ups.
But I packed her off to bed in them last night, and tucked her in.
At 10 when I went to bed, I popped in her room to turn her video off, and noticed a smell.
She had taken her nappy off, and wee'd. In the bed. On her Haa Hoo cushion. And her favourite bear that she cannot sleep without.
Ed was summed from his perch on the sofa and we stripped her, her bed, her toys, everything. Luckily we have a plastic sheet or the mattress would've been knackered, but new clean stuff on, I stuck her in our bed, relegating Ed to the sofa. The bedding and bear and cushion was stuck in the machine.
But the first thing she did this morning was ask for her bear, which is still on the line. So as well as having extra washing to get dry in the rain, I also have my daughter throwing massive strops for her bear, and a son bemused by the whole thing. He, by the way, shows much more interest in the potty than his elder sister.
At this rate, she'll be wearing pampers when she sits her GCSEs.
Parenthood. Its a laugh!
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Special mention goes to Maternal Tales from The South Coast, for awarding me my very first Blog award today, so thank you very much to all my readers and those of you who have kindly added me to your blog rolls xxx Love and much affection and hopefully I can continue to keep you all entertained with the goings on in my mad family.
It's a difficult time isn't it? I used chocolate buttons as a bribe to sit on the potty, all the advice says not to but it worked. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteMust try that one, although I fear that she will just get hugely fat and all her teeth will fall out, and still she'll be wearing napies!
ReplyDeleteIt'll happen when she's ready (and before she takes her GCSEs - honest!) Keep doing what you're doing and one day, suddenly, it'll all click into place. That's the way it works. And there's never a 'right' or 'wrong' age (in spite of what the books say). Oh, and good luck!
ReplyDeleteChildren are all different and the one piece of advice I would like to give you was passed on t me by a very dear and wise friend. Each child's lifetime holds the same volume of tears, but to be released at unique times. I have held on to this and learned to cherish each moment and to not rush onto the next. Yes nappies are smelly, unhygienic and pyacky things, but nappy changing time was always a giggle, a rhyme and a chance to see a wonderful peachy bum. Dont rush though this life, she is only two, no matter how big she looks, it is your opinion that matters, not what strangers think. MiniMad, who turned 3 in June, only went into pants 2 weeks before his birthday, he refused to even contemplate a potty, he went straight to the loo. 2 accidents in 2 days and that was that. You are her mummy and you know her best, so follow your instincts and throw away other peoples expectations.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Lol. What a joy to read. Lol.My daughter is also very tall for her age. She out-grew naps as well. But I find if I lay down next to her and pretend to fall asleep (if I don't end up falling asleep for real) then she goes right off to lala land for an hour. Toodles!
ReplyDeleteLauren mamadorkiness.wordpress.com
My daughter kept ripping her nappy off all the time. My Mother-in-law put a swimming costume on her in the end. It was funny, because she couldnt get the costume off so the nappy stayed on!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with it
RMxx
That made me laugh out loud. I know I shouldn't laugh. I've got all this to come. Presley is just two and we have a potty ready and waiting. I asked him today if he wanted to sit on the potty to do a wee or a poo. He said no. We've also got a toilet seat for him to try. I'm in no hurry to start though! Good luck x
ReplyDeleteOh honey - I feel for you. We have all been there. It's hideous, but it will get better. I had almost the same problem with my youngest. In fact, I wrote a post about it - here's the link (less about the post really, more about all the comments that followed - some were really helpful - have a read - they could be helpful to you too) xx http://emilybassin.blogspot.com/2009/04/shes-just-not-ready.html
ReplyDelete