About Sweetmama Editor
Nadine Silverthorne’s love of journaling began in Grade One with the entry, “I am the greatest dancer!” Two babies (and countless diaper changes) later, she has found her home away from home as editor of SweetMama. Don’t miss her humorous bi-weekly accounts of the joys and pains of working while raising them fabulous.
I remember coming home with a newborn baby girl nearly two years ago. Instantly it was clear that this girl did not enjoy what was going on in her diaper. It was as though she could not fathom that someone as dainty as she could produce anything so foul. "Oh Mummy, I've soiled myself," I would whine in a fake British accent on her behalf (over her cries).
Fast forward 20-something months (she’s the second, so my month-counts are poor) to a toddler who is quite the opposite of dainty. While my instincts about my girly-girl were clearly just me projecting, my guesstimation as to the cause of her cry was correct. This kid does not like to be wet or poopy.
Recently she started saying "poo-poo" right after wetting herself to indicate she wanted a clean diaper. I have tried to sit her on the potty (half-heartedly – am I really ready for this?) and it has only resulted in her screaming like I’ve put her butt on a bed of hot coals.
“She’s not even two,” the nay-sayer in me likes to use as an excuse for my lack of dedication to the mission. I doubt she can figure out how to get her pants on and off on her own. Do I trust her to go up and down the stairs by herself, or is that unsafe at this age? Do I keep a (*gasp*) potty down on the main floor? What if I fall as I take it upstairs to dispose of it? Why don’t I know all this stuff already?
I decided to ask an expert. I had met Sue Georgoussis (of
Becoming Maternity and Parenting Centre in Toronto) when I went to check out their new space for a story. I remembered that she was warm, easy to talk to and an RN for several years. Plus she leads potty training seminars at Becoming. So I contacted her to find out how to spot the signs that my child is ready. (Sure, I could have used Google to search it, but sometimes I prefer getting my info from a human in the flesh.)
Check out the video below where Sue talks about signs of readiness. (Don’t judge. There’s a reason I work on the Internet and not on television. It’s much easier to hide behind words on a screen.)
OK, so she’s showing signs of interest. She’s definitely curious about the potty I’ve stashed beside the sink in the bathroom. I think we’re ready to start. Stay tuned on how that goes.
How did you know your child was ready to potty train? Does our generation rush things, or do we leave our kids in diapers for too long? Let me know in the comments below.