We've had a couple of the Bijoin training potties for the girls around for awhile. They know what they're for. They call them "pee-pee chairs."
The girls have been very interested in Mommy's pee-pee for awhile: "Mommy pee-pee?" as they spread my legs to watch it fall. (It never ceases to amaze me how little they understand about privacy and personal space!) They like to say bye-bye to the pee-pee before I flush as well. I just need to make sure that the public restrooms I use are singles and don't have stalls in them...could cause some public embarrassment!! Up until today, we've used the pee-pee chair as a toy of sorts. I've always been under the impression that toilet training doesn't start until they are 2-1/2 or 3 years old.
This morning, however, Ava was wandering around outside diaperless (a bit of rash we're trying to let breathe). She started talking about the pee-pee chair. I just changed her diaper 5 minutes ago and don't think she needs it, but, what the heck, I think. Let's bring it out for kicks.
I warn her, "Your pee-pee may not be ready to come out yet, but that's OK. You can wait or try again later." She sits down, repeating "pee-pee," then stands up and runs away. It wasn't until 2-3 minutes had gone by that I bothered to stand up from my chair where I watched her "practice" her potty. "My God," I think, "There's pee-pee in there! She actually did it!"
I'm so excited I call both girls, and Grandma, over to see the pee-pee sitting in the potty chair. All sorts of pomp and circumstance follow as well as Ava being able to call Daddy on the cell-phone to tell him herself that she went pee-pee on the potty. We call Grandpa too, just for good measure.
After our celebration around the pee-pee chair, we take the pee-pee to the toilet and tell it "bye-bye." The ritual is complete. Ava has gone pee-pee in the potty, and just before she's turned 2! Could it be that they'll be trained before the end of the summer? How ideal would that be! I'm thinking again that May babies are the way to go. Potty training during summer is just another benefit.
