Extra Long Weekend coming up!

It is now official that I will not be looking after Bree next Monday and Tuesday. This means that I will have an extra long weekend holiday, hence extra time to play with this blog. I have read that blogging can be addictive. It must be true.

Ettie, Bree’s grandma from Sydney is coming to Melbourne for a visit. I heard that she has a surprise for Bree. It’s a surprise for the little tot but the rest of us have already been told that it is a tricycle. She is going to have a ball learning how to pedal. Ettie may be in her late 60’s, she is truly young at heart and is always cheerful and active. Having been well travelled, she sees me as a friend. She has never put on airs when I am around. Some people react differently to ‘employees’, not Ettie.

Talking about learning, Bree’s mum finally bought a potty. It is a red potty chair. I recommended this because it is more comfortable. It has a removable inner potty to flush waste contents into the toilet and for easy cleaning. We have agreed to introduce it to Bree when I return to work. It is not a good idea to introduce it now because with the excitement of seeing Ettie and enjoying her new bike, it may become overwhelming. I think Ettie and the family will spend some days in the country, which is probably why I am not needed for next Monday and Tuesday. In that case, it is not ideal for Bree to start learning to use the toilet when there is so much going on.

There were signs of Bree getting ready for this stage of learning. She has always been fussy about wearing wet, soggy nappy. By April, she was beginning to gesture to her parents or me to give her a nappy change as soon as she has done a ‘poo’. Like a cat, Bree has a tendency to do her poo ‘privately’ by selecting a corner in the living room. There she will get into different positions to get the job done before running to notify one of us.

The parents (as first time parents) have already been warned of multiple (toileting) accidents to come and to follow the child’s timetable without force/pressure. Luckily, the play area in this house that they have just moved to earlier this year has wooden floors and only the bedroom is carpeted. There’s also access to a powder room near the play area downstairs. We agreed to place the potty chair there. Already, Bree’s mum is thinking of getting another potty chair soon for the bathroom upstairs. She is also looking to get those thicker trainer pants. I find it harder for the child to learn to use the toilet in Winter. In Summer, the child doesn’t need to remove thick layers of clothing to get to the potty. For the adults, (toileting) accidents in Winter meant more items to wash and they usually take longer to dry. I am not nagging. Laundering clothes is not part of my job description anyway. It is ultimately a good idea for Bree to get out of nappies when she is ready. She will be more independent and there will be less disposable nappies for the landfill.