The other day, Claire took one of her stuffed animals and put it on the potty. When it was “done potty,” I gave her toilet paper and she wiped its bottom. She also takes toilet paper when I use the bathroom and says, “I wiping my bobbum,” and tries to wipe herself (clothed of course). I haven’t attempted to get her on the potty with a bare bottom; she’ll sit on it a few seconds while clothed. I’m not in any rush. It’s just really interesting to see her awareness and interest develop.

However, after a diaper change like the one I just did, I wouldn’t mind if her reasoning were more developed. She fought this one because she wanted to walk around more. She was poopy, and I wanted to change it. She began to fight by rolling over, so I picked her up again and said I knew she wanted to walk, and she could after the diaper change. I asked her to help Mommy. But she’d have none of that (though sometimes this request actually works). So the entire time she screamed, kicked, and tried to roll over. Kicking is a big No-No, so once I got her changed I gave her a time-out.

Time-out consists of sitting her in a chair and, because of her age, holding her there for about 60-90 seconds while she screams and cries and desperately asks for a hug, to get off the chair, to read a book, anything but what’s happening. Then through her sobs she starts to say, “Calm down,” and I say, “That’s right, caaaaalm. Calm. Calm down.” Once she is calmer, I state the misbehavior and reinforce the message of what is appropriate. So in this case, I told her kicking at people is bad, that I was sad she kicked at me, and that we do not kick people. Then I gathered her into a hug (after a storm and time-out she always clings to me as though she wants to meld with me) and asked her to say she was sorry, and she said, “Sorry.” I said, “Are you sorry for kicking at Mommy?” She replied, “Sorry kicking.” I said that the diaper change will go faster if she helps Mommy next time.

By this time Husband came down (he’d been asleep and the tantrum woke him), and she asked him for a hug after I explained what had occurred. Then he gave me a break, and here I am writing this post.

At this age, I don’t expect perfect retention of the lesson. It will take time and repeated reinforcement of the message, but she is starting to understand.