Torleif turns 3 on Saturday, and we're going to bring up the subject of using the potty with him. A lot of kids are completely out of diapers by now, but my kids have all been late to catch on in the past, and he's exhibited no signs that he's ready at all. For instance, as recently as last month, he accidentally pooped in the tub and completely lost his mind because he had no idea where those turds had come from and why they were in his nice clean bath. 
On the other hand, when he has a poopy diaper, he runs up to his nearest grownup with an anxious look on his face, declares, "Pooooooooops," in a whimper, and then dashes off to hoist himself up on the changing table and lay himself down. All the while he's thrusting his hips forward and bowing his knees out in an effort to keep any of the contents of the diaper from touching any part of his little bum. So, I think he's got a handle on "Poop comes from somewhere behind me, and I don't like it," which seems like as good a place to start as any.
You'd think I'd know how to do this, since I got the older 4 out of diapers. But this is not like riding a bicycle. A lot of baby care comes right back to you, I discovered when I had Tor after all my other babies were tweens and teens. But some of the information you need disappears as soon as you're done using it. I imagine it goes to the same place where all the geometry proofs went, and all those phone numbers I used to have memorized before the future came to pass and computers started handling all that stuff for us.
For his birthday we got him a couple of potties, and the only two relevant books at the store:
Daniel Goes to the Potty, which is about Daniel Tiger who lives in Mr. Rogers' Land of Make Believe. Today there is a whole show based around him and his family, and they ride the same old trolley we all remember. But it's not live action and there are no overly freaky puppets like King Friday XIII to scare the sh!t out of little kids. I loved Mr. Rogers, but I think the argument could be made that the trolley segment of his show is what caused the spike in psychotropic pharmaceutical usage when our generation hit adulthood.
Even Princesses Poop which is so pink and glittery that Barbie would probably think it's a bit much. But, at the end of he story, poop ends up in the potty, which is all anyone cares about.
Wish me luck?
On the other hand, when he has a poopy diaper, he runs up to his nearest grownup with an anxious look on his face, declares, "Pooooooooops," in a whimper, and then dashes off to hoist himself up on the changing table and lay himself down. All the while he's thrusting his hips forward and bowing his knees out in an effort to keep any of the contents of the diaper from touching any part of his little bum. So, I think he's got a handle on "Poop comes from somewhere behind me, and I don't like it," which seems like as good a place to start as any.
You'd think I'd know how to do this, since I got the older 4 out of diapers. But this is not like riding a bicycle. A lot of baby care comes right back to you, I discovered when I had Tor after all my other babies were tweens and teens. But some of the information you need disappears as soon as you're done using it. I imagine it goes to the same place where all the geometry proofs went, and all those phone numbers I used to have memorized before the future came to pass and computers started handling all that stuff for us.
For his birthday we got him a couple of potties, and the only two relevant books at the store:
Daniel Goes to the Potty, which is about Daniel Tiger who lives in Mr. Rogers' Land of Make Believe. Today there is a whole show based around him and his family, and they ride the same old trolley we all remember. But it's not live action and there are no overly freaky puppets like King Friday XIII to scare the sh!t out of little kids. I loved Mr. Rogers, but I think the argument could be made that the trolley segment of his show is what caused the spike in psychotropic pharmaceutical usage when our generation hit adulthood.
Even Princesses Poop which is so pink and glittery that Barbie would probably think it's a bit much. But, at the end of he story, poop ends up in the potty, which is all anyone cares about.
Wish me luck?
