It's all a pile of ......
Firstly I can't believe I'm actually writing this in the blog, although in years to come I think Katie and I can have a really good chuckle about it. A good friend of mine said I should write this down because she thinks it's really funny.
The subject is poo!
Feel free to stop reading at this point, especially if tucking into something chocolatey!
We (Ok Daddy doesn't necessarily hail from this camp so for "we" translate that as "I") try to be very pro poo in our house and when we started potty training Katie, back when she was 2 and a half, we wanted to ensure that she didn't feel distressed about pooing in the loo. I also wanted a way to help her link the sensations in her bowels to what was about to happen (and it also helps pass the time in the bathroom - as well as the poo). I wanted to make sure she wasn't embarrassed (although she will be if she ever reads this!).
It started off as me rubbing her tummy to help her along when things were taking a bit too long. This works a treat by the way. The "rock and pop" technique is also really good (the child rocks back and forth and this encourages the poo out). We have also been known to use our magic incantation "Abracadabra Alakazam, Make me a poo poo as fast as you can".
Katie and I took this one step further and we started making up stories about Daddy Poo, Mummy Poo and the Baby Poos. Katie has to guess who's coming out and "diving in the pool" (yes it's gross, what can I say?) and makes up a story about what they are doing whilst we are waiting. It's actually a great way of understanding how she comprehends the roles of her key carers. Daddy usually takes a while to come out because "he's at work". I have to say it has made bathroom time more fun and it helps her put a mental link to her bodily functions.
I guess we could think up one to help her stay dry overnight as well eh?
Am I really about to hit the "publish" button?
Well done the message " poo is positive" is important. I know it seems mad but when we tell babies from the day they are born "er,poo" "er, what a smelly poo" It's not surprising so many toddlers have issues around poo. Gem you should challenge readers to try saying "well done what a lovely big poo you have done" to their babies and toddlers. It's harder than you think!
ReplyDeleteAaah we do that all the time here Mrs VC!! You trained us well!! :-p xx
ReplyDeleteWell that is something I had definately not thought about before..... :-)
ReplyDeleteSo if the poo is "iarrhea like" has one of the family melted? ;-)
Oh that is great Greta!! Will remember that one!
ReplyDeleteRightly or wrongly, we always found that with Mini, chocolate buttons as rewards for wees and poos in the right place worked.
ReplyDeleteSo we've started the same with Dollop too as she's taking an interest in the potty, and telling us when her nappy is full. And she has a thing for chocolate buttons!
She's very good at telling us after she's had a poo so to help her recognise the feeling of 'about to poo', on a very windy day I asked her to try to break wind on the potty, as it's a similar feeling, then she'd know something was coming.
So now she regularly runs to the potty, shouting fart mama, fart mama - button now?
That is absolutely hilarious Stix!! Love that one!
ReplyDeletelol that is so funny Stix :-) apparently I used to run around as a toddler shouting "'et through, 'et through" - I had not mastered the "w" at that time but I had evidently heard my parents saying it enough and linked it up to "wet nappy" to be shouting it :-)
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