My daughter has recently started to show a twinkle of an interest in toilet training.
After indulging a wild fantasy about a house without nappies (after five years, dare I hope?), it was naturally the toilet training section of Modern Mothercraft I turned to. I was therefore alarmed to read that I ought to have been using one of these gadgets already to teach our daughter regular motions from a month old.
After indulging a wild fantasy about a house without nappies (after five years, dare I hope?), it was naturally the toilet training section of Modern Mothercraft I turned to. I was therefore alarmed to read that I ought to have been using one of these gadgets already to teach our daughter regular motions from a month old.
In the book, the mother is encouraged to use one of the above devices every time the baby is fed, and that if the mother perseveres with the exercise, they will be rewarded in due course. At 35 months, it seems my daughter is 34 months to late. Hmmmm.
At least I've bought a little plastic potty for her, so have conformed to the part of the book that recommends "the small child should have his own commode ... to enable him to do his job in reasonable comfort." The remainder of the advice is sparse, and I notice a lack of recommendations regarding giving the child sugary bribes, a method I intend to employ. I imagine sweet bribes are covered off by the section of the book entitled "The Lollie [sic] Curse". It is also sadly silent on what to do when the only real recent interest in the potty has been sitting on it and moving it around the bathroom with her legs yelling "toilet car!"
At least I've bought a little plastic potty for her, so have conformed to the part of the book that recommends "the small child should have his own commode ... to enable him to do his job in reasonable comfort." The remainder of the advice is sparse, and I notice a lack of recommendations regarding giving the child sugary bribes, a method I intend to employ. I imagine sweet bribes are covered off by the section of the book entitled "The Lollie [sic] Curse". It is also sadly silent on what to do when the only real recent interest in the potty has been sitting on it and moving it around the bathroom with her legs yelling "toilet car!"
I suppose that while toilets have become flasher since 1945 and are always inside, the basics of toilet training remain the same. As for starting "bowel training", though, I think I'll pass. I don't have one of those circular ceramic bowls so couldn't possibly give it a go. That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.
