My daughter’s first poo in her potty

Pardon my toilet language.The title isn’t just an axpression. It’s really a piece of   @#$%  that you see at the top of this page. My husband was taken aback when I emailed him this picture so I think you might  react the same way.  

I’m keeping this for posterity because it is my two year old daughter’s first poo in her potty.  June 24, 2008. She achieved a milestone in her life when I least expected it.  The doctor told me that I will have a hard time toilet-training her because of her chronic constipation so I was mentally prepared that she might learn at around age 3 or 4.  On this particular day she didn’t just poo, but also went pee pee three times in her potty.

Who would have thought that a small thing like that could blast me off into cloud nine.  You can just imagine my ecstasy.  Lately I’ve been thinking of going back to work  and putting her in daycare. Most daycares, however, want kids who are toilet-trained.  So I’ve been feeling some anxiety.  This new development has erased some of that.

The day started like any other day. I told her for the nth time that she’s a big girl now and doesn’t need her diapers. I always say this with the hope that she will understand me somehow, without really expecting much.  The day before the 24th  I made her wear panties instead of her pull-up diapers. Those training pants don’t make her feel the need to use her potty so I decided to do it the messy way.     My husband complained loudly that she was peeing everywhere: on the bed, the couch, the floor, the dining room rug, and the kitchen. He insisted that I make her wear her diaper since he had just cleaned the carpet the week before with a steam vacuum that he rented at Vons.  I could understand his concern, but what else could I do?  And I wasn’t wrong.  Going down and dirty was the best way to make her learn.

Thanks to Molly Matthews.  What a gem she is!  She’s the star of the book entitled “Big Girls Use The Potty”, written by Andrea Pinnington.  We read it several times a day.  My toddler  runs to look for her potty everytime we do.  She  loves it. After just a month of reading she has already grasped the idea that I want her to learn. Of course  she still has accidents. Just a little more practice and she’s going to be perfect.  When I feel anxious about it, I try to remember what Molly Matthews said, ” Some days are wet, some days are dry. The most important thing is that you try.”

Phhew! That’s one developmental task accomplished.  Now if I can only get my daughter to understand that hitting people is not good… that would be another milestone.