Tuesday 11 September 2012

Stop the Press! Hold the Front Page!

I can't not blog about this. I have previous for blogging about poo and this just has to be said. I was wondering how to approach this blog post about poo and I found, rather fortuitously, that the lovely Karin from Cafe Bebe had posted these blog prompts for Britmums, Pride and Prejudice. Prejudice might be for another day. This post is about Pride. Pride about poo, never did I think I'd see the day I blogged again about poo.

So in the summer holidays, like parents around the country, we decided to tackle the big P. Potty training. Joseph took to it easily and got the hang of wee very easily, to the point where on day 1 we were able to go the the supermarket without a problem. I have been amazed at how easily Joseph has trained and *touch wood* hasn't had an accident at pre school as yet!

But our nemesis has proven to be poo. In the heady early days Joseph did a big one on the potty and I was really happy, but it was an accident. For weeks and weeks he's been pooing into a baby wipe, on the floor, a rather spectacular one on a window, and most recently on the grass outside. The problem with toilet training an older child I guess, is you can't just physically pop them on the potty. Joseph just refused to sit on the potty or the toilet, and there was little I could do about it.

I turned to my parenting forum for help and found the refusal to poo is not uncommon. Most suggested bribery, which hasn't worked so far. One friend suggested giving poo a personality! Explaining that the poo doesn't like to be squashed in knickers or smeared on the floor, it likes to splash in the loo or plonked in the potty and flushed away.

I made a point to make Joseph aware of when I was going to the toilet. We practiced poo faces and pushing, and we talked about poo. I also said that when he did a poo on the loo or the potty he'd get a spiderman toy.

And yesterday he did the same thing he always does came to me and said "there's poo coming" I suggested I take him to the toilet and he said "no mummy I poo on the floor." I thought for a moment and said "ok, mummy is very disappointed that you won't use the poo or the toilet like a big boy, but ok". And I walked away. Next thing I heard was a gleeful "mummy I pushed my poo in the potty!" And there it was. (I have spared you a photo!!!)

We danced, we laughed, he rang daddy straight away, we're so happy!!!

So moving forward, he's getting a spiderman toy, and I'll start a sticker chart, and once he has 10 stickers spiderman can get a friend!

I am just so relieved. The little preemie voices were in my head saying "maybe they were right maybe there are lasting problems" etc etc, so I am just so glad it was normal toddler obstinance and fear and not anything sinister!


3 comments:

  1. Hooray! I was going to say, I'm really glad in this instance he is a bog standard toddler but then realised this sounds like a terrible pub. Well done Joseph!!!!!

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  2. Ha! Well done little man- like your mum ever doubted you!

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