Bree & Her Potties

Bree is all set to learn to use the potty. We have started on the journey for two weeks now. She was at first reluctant to do her business on it even though she was quite happy to sit on it fully clothed at other times. There is now a potty in the bathroom upstairs and another one in the powder room downstairs. Next to each potty is a step stool. There is also another step stool in her bedroom, next to the change table. She is beginning to learn to take her own clothes off.

According to Bree’s mum on Saturday, she caught Bree just in time to sit her on the potty to do her poo. Until that day, Bree had been reluctant, preferring to do her business in the nappy in one corner of the living room. After she did her business in the potty on Saturday, her mum praised her and she took off before her bottom was cleaned. Bree’s mum thought that her daughter got the hang of it and expected it to happen again on Sunday. Unfortunately, neither she nor dad caught Bree in time.

Bree’s dad opened the door to let me in on Monday. He was happy and directed me to the powder room where I could hear the mother and daughter talking. Bree was sitting on her potty and her mum was sitting on the stepping stool next to her when I popped my head in to greet them. Bree looked up at me and said, “Poos.” Her delighted mum told me that Bree did wees as well. What a welcome I received.

Bree’s mum had decided to invest in pants with full elasticised waist to help her learn how to take off her pants more easily. Bree is one of the best dressed children I ever look after. She wears more European labels than the French girls that I used to babysit for. When she was a baby, she used to wear these European one piece suits with buttons on her back. She was cute as a button but they were quite hard to put on a baby who didn’t like to lay on her front. A typical pair of Bree’s jeans or pants has half elasticised waist with a fly front and button closure. The zipper and the button made it difficult for a toddler to take the pants off easily. Some may think that’s my (or another adult’s) job to help the child to take her pants off but I think it is important for children to learn to master simple life skills. One should observe children beaming with pride when they have achieved something for themselves. Full elasticised pants are easier to manage for now. Pants, jeans or clothes with complicated fastenings can be re-introduced later and with lots of practice, the child will be dressing and undressing herself speedily in time to come.