Let me take a moment to brag about how well potty-training our toddler has gone for us overall. We have been very lucky when I compare stories to some of my friends. Lilly grasped the concept fairly quickly and has had few mistakes.

That all being said, she is still in a pull-up for nap time and a regular diaper at night. When I put her in her pull-up, or “diaper underwear” as she calls them, I remind her to try not to go to the bathroom in them. Once she’s asleep, whatever happens will happen and that is totally cool.

However, when she spends her entire nap reading books and talking with her babies in her room, WIDE AWAKE for 2 hours, there is really no excuse. If she is awake, she knows she should use the potty…

Mommy: (sitting quietly on the couch, taking a moment & watching a movie, when I hear her door open) “Lilly? Go back to your room please.”

Lilly: “I poo-pooed my diaper underwear, Mommy”

Mommy: (ugh, awesome) “Oh Lilly. You did?”

Lilly: “Yeah. You change my bum please?”

*At least she asked nicely this time. There have been times where ‘change my bum’ was barked at us as an order.

Mommy: (taking her to her room to grab a fresh pull-up and get her cleaned) “Lilly, where are you supposed to go poo?”

Lilly: “The poddy.”

Mommy: “That’s right. You were awake when you went poo, so you should have told Mommy, and gone in the potty. You’re a big girl honey. You know better.” (adding, with a smile) “Mommy doesn’t exactly like having to clean your bum, you know.”

Lilly: (looking at me with a genuine shocked expression) “No?!”

Mommy: (trying not to laugh at her surprise) “Well, no honey. I would rather you use the potty.”

*Seriously?! Yes child, because nothing brings me more pleasure in life than to wipe your ass. 

Lilly: (having come to a realization, stands up with her clean bum and hugs me) “I sorry Mommy.”

Mommy: “That’s ok honey. Just next time come and tell Mommy and I will help you on the potty.”

Years from now, when this monster has grown up to have babies of her own, I will be able to show her this post and ask her if changing diapers is her life’s passion. Ideally speaking, she will find the same humour I did during this conversation

*Read more of my funny little musings with my monkey with the rest of my Talking With My Toddler posts.

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All I talk about lately is pee and crap. 

That sounds like a rather harsh line to open with, but it’s honestly not. It is just simple truth. The stage of motherhood known as potty-training has to be the most irritating yet exciting stage of all – insert comment from a veteran Mama stating ‘just you wait’ right here – and it leads to an overwhelming skew in my general conversation.

Between twitter, facebook, my blog, my family, my friends and my coworkers, my potty-mouth has run rampant with absolutely no filter.

I might as well hook up cameras and run a live-streaming YouTube channel, with sports style highlights of our toddler potty-training marathon. *Note, I would NEVER do this. Has any parent ever done this?! Pretty sure future Lilly would shoot me with good reason.

Well, apparently the potty-talk sharing does not end with me. Lilly just LOVES to share all of her bathroom highlights….to everyone.

After each successful trip to the potty, we of course celebrate. Likewise, Lilly likes to celebrate if Mama or Daddy go pee in the potty too….

This is a critical element of making the behaviour stick. But this exuberant pride is then translated as high pitched squeals of information to the next unsuspecting person that Lilly spots…

“I peed da poddy!!!”

Even in the grocery store, restaurant, public mall, house full of strangers…you get the point.

And I mean really, what do you say to this face:

Showing off the sunglasses she picked out from her potty-training rewards.

Every person she tells greet this breaking news with a smile, high five or something verbal of the equivalent, but really you know they are thinking, “thanks for the info kid…”

Now, I will admit that we have used this need to share of hers to our advantage (slapping my own hands now).

For instance, this past weekend at Grandma and Grandpas when she decided to be afraid of her own potty that we brought with us… All it took was a whispered, “If you pee in the potty, you can go tell Grandma,” and presto! The sound of tinkle tinkle would follow soon after with a big smile and a bare-assed streak into the kitchen to inform Grandma of the happy news!

I do have to say that I think it is great that kids can be so incredibly open and honest. They hold back nothing and are non-apologetic for their self-pride and lack of modesty. There is something genuinely great about that.

As we grow up, we are taught to reign in our pride and not brag about our accomplishments. Why is that?

Although it would be good for her to stop telling strangers she just peed, I do want to ensure that Lilly holds onto as much sense of pride and accomplishment as she can for as long as possible.

Ideally speaking, kids would just naturally retain their right to feel proud of themselves and help nurture it in those around them.   

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