It's funny how you forget all those difficult moments in child rearing (if we didn't forget we wouldn't have multiple children) and then it all comes sweeping back when you repeat a process..
With Molly I drove her and myself mad. I put her on the potty every 5 minutes and she still had a million accidents, until we were on holiday in Tenerife. Molly was standing in the middle of the toddler pool. I was sitting on the edge reading a book and keeping an eye on her and all the other british children (unwritten parent rule on holiday, all the British kids are under your watchful eye, because you know if you DO take your eye off the ball, there are other parents watching your kid for you). Suddenly she shouts out, loud enough for most of the guests in the hotel to hear - MUMMY, I NEED A WEE!!! Proud but lazy, I secretly though to myself, you're in a pool and you're wearing a swimming nappy, just go. But to encourage her, I ran into the pool, scooped her up in my arms and tried to run, without slipping on the wet concrete, what seemed to be about a half mile run to the nearest toilet. When we came back, there were lots of smile of encouragement from other parents and my smugness overtook my laziness.
So now i'm doing it all again.
Once again, with Lucy, the toilet training sort of started on holiday (this time in Gran Canaria - I do like my Spanish Islands) and the novelty of being able to shout in the middle of the hotel restaurant - I NEED THE TOILET. So literally every 15 minutes during mealtimes (me thinks she was trying to get away from maincourses and she knew if you left your plate for a few minutes it would get cleared away - bring on the ice cream). This also worked by the pool and despite being in nappies and swim nappies, I took her each and every time. Her nappies would still be wet though, so not sure how much of this training malarky she was really taking in.
And now with a couple of days off before work again, and almost a week before she goes back to her childminder, we're doing it "properly!". Bribes of yoghurt coated raspberries are working a treat, although Molly is looking quite enviously on, and I have to be strict not to reward her with "sweets" when Lucy uses the potty. Day one, we went through Lucy's knickers and a few pairs of Molly's too. Almost onto mine, so not the best start.
Day two and we realise that we get rewarded- I have NEVER seen a child do so many wees in a potty and the proudest moment was when she was in the garden playing (of course have a potty in the garden), and she ran in to her potty in the lounge (sorry guys but its the easiest location to have it) and pulled her NEW knick knocks down to do a massive wee.
Day three now, and I've almost stopped asking every 10 minutes and leaving it at least every 12 minutes to ask. But the next stage is to take the well managed potty training out of the house and into public domain. Already I'm having mini panic attacks and restocking the former nappy bag with the 10 pairs of knickers I bought her yesterday. I have a potty in the boot of the car and will offer it to anyone looking after my daughter for the next year or so...
Wish me luck that this continues in the manner is has started.....
and for your culinary enjoyment, this is a cake I made for year one's end of term picnic! 31 Jelly babies for the 31 gorgeous kids in Molly's class.
