1) Decide that you have until your child is AT LEAST two years old, perhaps two-and-a-half, before you even CONSIDER how to begin potty training.
2) Chuckle when your 1 year old becomes a little obsessed with watching everyone in her family (immediate AND extended) use the Pot Pot (baby-French for 'Potty,' pronounced poe-poe.)
3) Nod in detached response whenever your 13 month old announces that her cousin is going 'pot pot.'
4) Find it mildly amusing and highly entertaining when your 14 month old takes every. single. dolly-slash-stuffed-toy that she has and puts it on the dolly-sized pot-pot. And makes a 'pee-pee' sound.
5) Scoff (gently) when your Over-Achieving Sister suggests that your 14 month old might be *ready.*
6) Take your Over-Achieving Sister's advice and put your 16 month old on the pot-pot [every 25 seconds] when she so requests, even though she's NOWHERE NEAR two-and-a-half.
7) Shake your head in amazement when said toddler actually puts some pee in the toilet, on consecutive days.
8) Continue to whip off toddler's diaper in response to requests to use The Pot, only to rediaper her after she's [read her entire library of books] taken a moment to try.
9) Look at going to The Pot as an activity.
10) Allow your Over-Achieving sister convince you to receive from her a pink, mini-pot.
11) Respond to your 17 month old, when she requests to use The Pink Pot.
12) Continue to shake your head in amazement, as she continues to 'Put some pee-pee in the pot-pot' on a semi-regular basis.
13) FALL DOWN DEAD when your 18 month old POOPS IN THE PINK POTTY with absolutely no encouragement or direction from you.
14) Realize that this whole surreal situation is thanks to your Over-Achieving Sister, whose son has ALWAYS pooped in The Pot-Pot, because they began potty-training him when he was a teeny kinder, providing for your child the necessary [coolness-factor] visual cues to encourage her development in this area. Thanks, Sis!!
I am terrified of potty training. Specifically, the part where you go to Walmart and your kid has to pee and sits down on the toilet and GRABS it for balance OMG YUCK. Or you're on the road and your kid gives you .3 seconds to find a potty. And they end up going in their car seat. Chicken left me traumatized over potty training I think. TLNG ROCKS the potty. You go girl!
Posted by: Sam | December 17, 2008 at 01:40 PM
Girls rock that way. She will be THRILLED with shopping for undies, I swear it!
Posted by: Shannon | December 17, 2008 at 12:35 PM
You need to hang out with me. I forbid Finn (27 months) to use the pot-pot.
Posted by: nutmeg | December 17, 2008 at 11:23 AM
Wow...Some kids will do ANYTHING to impress Santa.
Seriously though -- Wow!
Posted by: *m* | December 17, 2008 at 06:33 AM
Oh my God that is just amazing. I have never heard of a child so young using the potty. Well done to her, now if she could just pop over to Ireland and show my 14 mth old how its done that would be great!!
Posted by: J from Ireland | December 17, 2008 at 05:25 AM
Congrats to the little girl. My 18 month old son can even say anything sounding like potty yet alone go on the potty.
Posted by: Vicky (Secret Mom Thoughts) | December 16, 2008 at 09:41 PM
Wow. Just.... Wow. If that happened in my house, I'd start looking for unicorns in the back yard. Way to go!
Posted by: anne nahm | December 16, 2008 at 06:48 PM
LOL! that's GREAT! whoo hoo new little girl
Posted by: Lori | December 16, 2008 at 03:55 PM
Maybe there is something to that hemp milk.
Posted by: Motherhood Uncensored | December 16, 2008 at 03:30 PM
Dude. That's amazing! Get comfortable sitting on the lip of the tub. You're gonna be spending a lot of time there.
Posted by: Manic Mommy | December 16, 2008 at 12:06 PM
dude i am dying with jealousy. :)
can i, uh, borrow your sister?
Posted by: Bon | December 16, 2008 at 10:15 AM
dude i am dying with jealousy. :)
can i, uh, borrow your sister?
Posted by: Bon | December 16, 2008 at 10:15 AM
Woohoo!!!! Congrats to her (and you!)!!! That's great. What a big girl!
Posted by: astarte | December 16, 2008 at 09:03 AM
That's awesome! My oldest took FOREVER to potty train. I'm not looking forward to my 2nd either. He has no interest and barely any language skills. He doesn't even give us any clues that hes' going in his diaper. It's just business as usual like when he was an infant. My son turned 2 in November. Boys are slow to train, so I've got until he's 3, right?
Posted by: Amanda | December 16, 2008 at 08:57 AM
That is awesome. When the young ones have a slighlty older example around it is much easier for them to pick up things because they want to do what they are doing. My little brother (we are two years apart) did everything earlier then me because he was watching me. So to this day (I am 30 and he is 28) I remind him "everything you learned you learned from me":) Nice to have that power.
Posted by: Kayla | December 16, 2008 at 08:52 AM