Well, today marks the first day I introduced my daughter to the potty. It probably didn't go as well as I had intially anticipated.
It all started when I woke up this morning with a determination to potty train my child. So shortly after our Saturday morning routine, Portia and I both went into the town on a mission to buy her first potty seat. It was like buying a pair of shoes, well almost.
So, I went into the usual shops, Mothercare, Boots, etc, only to realise that buying a potty was almost as complicated as buying a car! Not only did I have the choice of characters and colours but also the choice of potties with lids and extra rubber gripping. All I wanted was a simple potty seat, so that my daughter didn't end up with this life long phobia of getting flushed down the toilet!
Anyway, approximately three hours, a few emotional outbursts, tantrums, and bribes later, I found the perfect potty (as far as potties go). It's a Mamas & Papas potty shaped like a duck, pretty hideous if you ask me, but apparently a popular buy and seeing as I was getting quite desperate by then, I gave in.
Finally, after buying all of the necessary potty training tools, sheet protectors, pink Minnie Mouse Pull ups, and some Aspirin (for me) we went home.
Now, I was feeling excited about this, as for Portia I don't think she quite realised what she had coming. All I can say is that the second Portia looked at this contraption she screamed and ran in the opposite direction. So, I figured we could start by teaching her how to put a Pull ups nappy on. Having managed to perfect that, I decided to persuade her to sit on the potty, which was going really well, until she looked at it and basically clung on to me like a cat trying to avoid a bath. I think my neighbours must have thought I was flushing her down the toilet, with the noise she was making. By that stage we decided to take a break and have some chocolate and Aspirin (for me).
My sister then phoned and we were chatting about the usual when Portia started to say "wee wee" and then started to pull her trousers down. We (Portia, Priscilla, and I) ran up the stairs, onto the toilet, only to find that I sat on the bathroom floor for an hour. I did manage to talk to all my family members.
I was practically begging my daughter to pee. I had the taps on, even offered her a chocolate button (desperation) but she was having none of it. Despite the frustration I was determined to get her to use this monstrosity of a potty.
My sister came up with the ingenious idea of wrapping a Pull ups nappy around the potty seat to reassure Portia. By now Portia was becoming restless, so I figured my Mom and Sister could speak to her to give her a little encouragement whilst I trimmed her finger nails.
We waited and waited then whilst my sister was telling me about her sex life, I heard this little tinkle in the toilet. My sister said "did she pee"? Portia then says " Mummy Portia wee wee", I lept up and started clapping! My sister then started telling everyone. Portia must have thought we were all nuts, still she did it and now she doesn't stop asking to go to the bloody potty.
The foundation training ensured she could run free in the park and be obedient to her owners. Recently poor Milly was put to sleep after an illness, so my devastated friends contacted me again about training another‘ fur person’ for them.
Posted by: Cat Care Information | 18 March 2008 at 09:31 PM