Little G is rapidly approaching her 2nd birthday, and so we are sidling up to another of the many targets that we both try hard to avoid. Honesty compels me to admit that I cannot remember You must be mad's progression from wearing nappies to not wearing them. Clearly it must have happened at some point.
I certainly recall being told by various female family members of the 'much-older-and-therefore-wiser-than-you' brigade that in their day, babies were 'dry' by a year, but hindsight is a deceptive mistress. I doubted it then, and I still do.
Be that as it may, Little G has been given a picture book by her Nursery called 'Monkey Business' from which it is clear that we, the hapless and hopeless, are being shuffled onto the developmental treadmill once again. This is not the first time that Little G has been 'targetted' ... see this previous post and I cannot help feeling that she is being made to fit into some arbitrary set of rules, regardless of whether she is ready to fit into them or not.
A fellow Gran, let us call her Sheila (that, after all, is her name) is currently going through 'potty-training'. She has to lug said receptacle around in a plastic carrier bag wherever she and Slightly Older G go. She has to ask SOG at 2 minute intervals whether she needs to use it. Nightmare.
As far as I am concerned, Little G and I already carry enough stuff around on a daily basis to start a left luggage office. I can't imagine a potty is going to be even remotely possible to fit onto the Purple Buggy. So I'm guessing this is yet another target we will fail to reach to the satisfaction of some authoritorial wonk. But we'll get there. As we always do. In our own time.
To be continued ... .....
I can’t remember the transition from nappies to dry either but I’m sure it was before the first year. My grandson is 3 and has been completely dry in the day for about a year, give or take. There’s still the odd wet nappy-pants, or whatever they are called, every so often during the night. A potty was not carried around though, that would have been a step too far :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm going to put this on some of the parenting sites and see what they say....
DeleteIt clearly traumatised many of us because I can't remember when it happened for my three either! Good luck ;-)
ReplyDeleteI do remember, oddly enough - with my girls, not me, of course. Daughter one was getting on for 3 before she was dry and daughter two made up her own mind at 10 months she wasn't having any of these nappies in a hot climate (we were in SA) and took them off. She trained herself by copying her tardier, more laid back sister and was dry within a couple of weeks. Just different personalities, that's all. Why should there be a target? As for carrying potty around, oh please!!
ReplyDeleteBoth daughters left the whole business as late as possible - till children showed some interest - so no 'must do this now they're two - waited till the summer (so much easier, than struggling with winter clothes) and had collapsible potties that aren't quite so huge for lugging about. It was all over fairly quickly.
ReplyDeleteI think Summer is going to be crucial in this...
Deleteyou really need the warm weather, but little girls usually make up their own minds as to when...
ReplyDeleteA pattern is emerging..... summer it is...
DeleteMy little G has obviously failed the target as she is two and a quarter and occasionally sits on the potty saying, "It's not working." I blame modern nappies- they are so absorbent and comfortable.
ReplyDeleteIt easier in the summer and I was told to wait until mine were ready rather than forcing the issue, just because. Seeing older children at nursery helps as they want to emulate. I left it until my daughter was 2, my son 2 1/2, and both times it was then done in a couple of days. I also didn't bother with a potty. I didn't see the point of teaching them to use that and then teach them again to use the toilet - you can get seats that fit those and get a step. I also didn't use those pull up pants, everyone just told me that it prolongs the process and let's face it unless they feel uncomfortable because they are wet nothing is going to encourage them to stop doing that. Good luck :-)
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