Toddler toilet training time....On a recent well-child check-up, our pediatrician asked if Toddler FN has started toilet training yet. I said not really. We've got a pot. She can pull down her bottoms and pull them back up, knows when she needs to go, tells us most of the time, knows to sit on the pot, but so far has not made the connection about the order of things... He suggested I put the poop in her diaper into her pot so she could see and make the connection. Inside my head I cringed.
Yuck! Then I'll have to clean it. A bunch of times, until she makes the connection. I was thinking at least 6-8 months of toilet cleaning.
I am not enthused about that. But today, I decided upon seeing a solid poop staring me back that it's worth a whirl. Toddler FN was interested. I don't know if she made the connection or now thinks I'm some sort of idiot for adding extra steps to the process... why not just put the poop in the big toilet? Then at least I'd only have one toilet to clean.
The fact that I am writing several paragraphs about poop is evidence of how life has dramatically changed since four years ago when all I was concerned about was multiple regressions and making sure my research was defensible. I'm pretty sure at that time, I thought the rigamarole was crap too. At least I can say I know how to pile it high and deeper!
And, if any reader of this blog post knows how to toilet train with minimal messes and cleaning, please please please tell me.
I got her the chair shown above, on the advice of friends who recommended a kid's toilet that has a lift-out seat you can place over a real toilet, and that ones doubles as a stool when the lid is closed. (Can you tell I have an aversion to calling it a potty chair? Mr. Field Notes *abhors* the word potty so I've been trying really, really hard to never think it or use it...)
I looked at many other toilets and decided that one was the best value, but I didn't consider the splash guard. It seems to get in the way and my daughter doesn't like it. It's not removable either. And the lid closes on her when she leans back, and she does not like that either.
I thought about the Boon toilet, because it looks swanky and I like the TP storage area but the drop zone opening looks too small and you can't remove the seat to transition to the big pot.The smart bet would be on just leaving the detachable seat from the kid toilet on the big toilet, but the lid doesn't shut and an adult's butt won't fit on it anyways, plus you're left with a place to store it if not in the kid's pot.
Given she doesn't seem to like the kid's pot, I am not really sure what to do, besides look online for one without a splash guard and without the falling down lid problem.
Like I need another thing to do.
What did our parents do? A lot more cleaning and a lot less second-guessing. I'll think I'll start there!
4 comments:
We are fellow Newf owners and are in the process of adopting a little girl from China. I stumbled across your blog because of the Newf connection and wanted to send you a link you might find helpful: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?sku=16897795&utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=shopping
This is the toilet seat we got for our daughter (who is due home in November). There is a magnet that keeps the toddler seat up when it's not in use. The lid and the seat have a quiet close mechanism that I love. Just wanted to share :)
If you would like to visit our Newfoundland dog and China Adoption blog the link is: http://welcometothehappyhaus.blogspot.com/
Best wishes, Charity
I don't think that link is going to work. Just google "bemis nextstep toilet seat"
Thank you for the tip! I will check it out. Your blog rocks! I am so glad you stopped by and left a link. Your newfs are beautiful! It's good to meet you :) I look forward to reading about your adventures with your daughter and two goofs! It has been a very exciting time around here for us too, though nothing like what I imagine you must be feeling now!!!!
Potty traning - what fun! (not)
I've only trained two higher primates to potty but I have a whole gaggle of nieces and nephews and it sounds like you are doing everything right. Between all the various parents in my extended family, we have tried at least a few dozen different "styles" of toilet training. None of which work the way they are supposed to.
What it really comes down to is that as long as your toddler can sense what is happening and knows the socially appropriate response, she will get around to it - eventually - when she is ready. And they all reach that "day of readiness" at different times.
Hang in there! Someday soon you will hear the magical flush that means that she managed it all on her own. :)
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