Potty 3, Floor 3

Thumper's potty antics are continuing at a steady pace. Most days for the past week have entailed a nappy-free time of 1 -3 hours. Most days, she successfully sits on the potty and on many occasions she even successfully deposits something into the potty. It is not often the traditional ones-and-twos. Sometimes it's a toy, sometimes it's a hand or foot as she attempts to clamber on. (Don't worry, the potty gets thoroughly cleaned after each 'successful' use!)

Here's a sample of life with a 19-month old toddler who wants to use the potty but clearly has neither the gross motor skills or much of an idea of exactly how to go about it... 

On Thursday I sat down to breakfast at about 9 am; Thumper was already in the high chair eating finishing her breakfast.
Suddenly she started squirming and trying to get out and saying 'poo, poo!'. So I get her down, whip off the nappy and help her sit on the potty. Ten seconds later she is up and playing. Then she asks to get back in the high chair to finish her breakfast. So I sit her on a terry-towelling flat nappy and she continues eating, as do I. Thirrty seconds later she starts squirming and trying to get out and saying 'poo, poo!'. There's already a spot on the nappy under her bum. So back to the potty for round two. Nothing. She gets up and starts playing. Then a minute later says 'wee!'. I look over to see most of a poo on the floor and the remainder still emerging. So I quickly try to help her back on the potty to finish the job... just as the last of it hits the floor. I clean up the floor, Thumper, the potty and the nappy on the high chair. Thumper continues to run around nappy-free (surely she must be good for at least half an hour now?) and I make another attempt to sit down and eat my breakfast. A few minutes later, Thumper starts saying 'poo, poo!' and looking distressed. This time, she has done a wee on the floor. She goes to the potty again while I clean up the floor, then her feet. Then I re-nappy her leaky ass! Finally, one hour and fifteen minutes later, I get to finish my soggy cereal. 

Oh well, it's pleasing to know she is motivated even if she still can't distinguish between 'wee' and 'poo'. And at least we have floorboards, not carpet. 

The scoreboard, if I had been keeping track, would look something like this:

• potty: 5
• floor: 6
• nappies... umm still too many to count! 

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