Potty talk.....

Well, today crazypixie decided operation pee-pee was progressing way too slowly for her liking and took matters into her own little hands.

Operation pee-pee was started around about the same time I resurrected this blog. I had been flicking through one of Tracy Hogg’s books and read with interest that half the worlds children are out of nappies by a year and that the time between 9 and 15 months was ideal for introducing the toilet. Anyhoo, I had the temerity to mention this on a parenting forum I frequent and what ensued has been described by a mammy friend of mine as ‘toilet gate’. Honestly, there was uproar. How could I do this to my child? Was I serious? I must be taking the piss (sorry, couldn’t help myself with that one)? I must have way too much time on my hands! Did I expect her to eat with a knife and fork as well? Could I not let her just be a baby? Why did I want to her to grow up so fast?

I tried to explain that this was something we would be introducing slowly and gently and with a sense of humour. I must also acknowledge that there were some very supportive mums out there. I thanked people for their input but mentioned that ridiculing my parenting ideas might not be the best way to communicate. Anyhoo, apparently I had overreacted and those who had children older than crazypixie knew a lot better than I did.

So I just bit my tongue for a bit (you have no idea how difficult that is for me).

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, every time I use the loo I’ve been explaining to crazypixie what is going on. So she now understands mummy do pee-pee or poo-poo and I usually have to wrestle her away from trying to peer in for a closer examination of proceedings. We also started putting her on the loo when it was obvious she was performing. We kept her entertained with books and poo-poo songs to the extent that recently she’d be telling us ‘poo-poo’ and trying to climb on the loo just to read books with mummy or daddy.

Anyway as I’ve gotten bigger and lazier, I’ve managed to miss (or ignore, I admit) a few poo-poos and she’s had to just go in her nappy like any other self respecting 14 month old. But by today she’d obviously had enough.

This morning she pulled out the potty from next to the toilet and brought it into the hall. Then she sat on it and made her grunting sounds. ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘That’s for poo-poo.’ We then went out for the day and I thought no more of it.

We arrived home just before dinner time and as I checked my emails she pulled the potty to a corner and sat on it (fully dressed) and did her poo. I gave her a big kiss, and congratulated her, then took of her nappy and cleaned her up. I then left her nappyless to see what would happen (a trait of mine that gets me in no end of trouble).

Sure enough she went back over to the potty and sat on it. I handed her a baby wipe and she made an attempt to wipe herself and I jokingly congratulated her. But when she stood up, there was a pee-pee. In the potty! And 20 minutes later she sought out the potty and did it again!
I think my daughter has just potty taught herself.

And now, I’m not sure where to go from here. I think I might leave her nappyless for a bit of time each day and see how we get on. I wonder is she too little for knickers? Pull-ups aren’t an option as we use cloth.

Do you think I should post about this on the aforementioned parenting forum? Or would I only be inviting trouble? Should I also mention that she’s been using a fork for the past two weeks?