Number One Daughter is undergoing potty training. That is, she is being potty trained when her flaky parents remember to take her to the potty. This is all so difficult. The parenting books make it seem easier - Just get them to know that the potty is where that stuff goes, and you're set! Yeah, but there's the remembering to get there, too. She does OK when she doesn't have any diaper or pants on at all - Bare bottomed, she remembers most of the time to run to the potty. But as soon as we introduce the "big girl pants," she forgets - There's something covering her and so she just goes.
So when we're at home and remembering, we put her in the big girl pants and set the timer. Every 20 minutes, the bell rings and that's the signal to sit on the potty. Such a complicated process! Lift the lid, stand on the footstool, pull up the dress or shirt, pull down the big girl pants, sit down, pee, get toilet paper (no, not a yard!), wipe, stand up, pull up the big girl pants, get off the footstool, put the lid down, flush. Yes, she ought to be washing her hands, too, but if we did that every time, the 20 minutes would be over before we were done.
I am, however, worried about the Pavlovian implications of teaching my daughter to pee when a bell rings. What will she do in school?
