Toileting Times

Three-year-old Coo has a beautifully proper way of speaking.  Her words are clearly enunciated, and they flow off her tongue adeptly, with a gorgeous fluency of speech.  Of her own volition, she is starting to sound out words and loves practising writing her name as well as many other letters from the alphabet.

However, she still chooses to go to the toilet in her nappy rather than in the potty.

She has lovely tie-dyed knickers that I made for her a year ago.  They still fit, and though she's worn them for extended periods of time, she would rather go to the toilet in those pretty little pants than in her red potty.  

Sometimes she sits on the potty and tries. Often, she attempts this on and off over the course of a day.  However, in spite of a beautiful blank sticker page I made to help her get excited about weeing in the toilet, she still uses her nappy instead.

A few days ago, as she sat on the potty, I worked nearby folding a load of laundry.  We chatted for a while, then she sat in silent reflection.  Suddenly, her clear voice broke the silence.

"Mum, my butt's just not working."

I nearly choked.  Then I did one of those naughty parental things that we do sometimes. I said, "Pardon?" just because I wanted to hear her say it again.

Patiently, she repeated: "Mum, my butt's just not working."

I looked at her sitting there, so proper and ladylike, and smiled at her. 

"Sometimes it doesn't.  Why don't you find something else to do until it does?"

She made her way to the basin and washed her hands carefully, like a much older child would do.  Then she smoothed her dress and walked away.

Soon she'll be able to read to herself while she's sitting there, waiting for her butt to work.  Maybe that's all she's waiting for!