Potty Land

We have BREAKING NEWS:  Violet used the potty for the first time yesterday.  It may have been a fluke, or it may be the start of something big.  We'll keep you posted on the details as they unfold.

I have to say that honestly "potty training" has been one of my enormous dreads of parenthood.  It has seemed absolutely and completely intimidating.  Everything else so far in this mommy job has seemed pretty reasonable; but there is something about potty training that has struck a bit of fear in my heart.

When we were preparing to go to India last fall, and we were flipping out about various things (like whether or not we needed to bring three months of diapers with us because maybe they were not available in the town we were going to be living in...)  we started learning about the differences in potty training methods around the globe.  In many places, diapers aren't used at all.  And, in fact, when we were there, Yoshoda, The Help of the house (who also was a young mom of a young child) was a bit fascinated by my laundry lines full of cloth diapers and my shelf full of various creams and powders and wipes for Violet.  Her child didn't wear diapers.  When he had to go, he just kind of went (I guess), and feeling the immediate discomfort on his skin (that which a plush American diaper normally soaks up and away from the baby), the situation always demanded immediate attention.  She would whisk him away, change him into fresh clothes, and return--  good as new.
While I don't think this would work completely for our Seattle lifestyle from day one, I do think there is something to be learned from it.  Kids in India (as a stark generalization) are potty trained much earlier than kids in the good old USA--  many by 18 months (while the average age in the USA is 3 years old).  I think it has a lot to do with letting the baby feel the mess and discomfort they have made, and the parent providing a solution, rather than just masking it with a diaper.  Since Yoshoda has to constantly worry that her baby will mess himself while on the bus, at the market, on the living room couch, etc...  you can bet your bottom dollar she'll be looking for the natural signals babies give early on for communicating the need to to go (in America we ignore these signals)-- but they are there-- the same way that signals for food and comforting are there (those, we pay attention to).  When she sees these signals, she'll get him to the potty FAST.  

Anyway, what I'm trying to say, is that I think what I have slowly been learning about this process is that  it doesn't have to be this hard and rigid process for Violet (or for me).  Yesterday I let her run around in just underpants, no diaper, all day-- and there was only one accident (pretty good!).  She kept wanting to try to sit on the potty, and eventually the deed was done.
I think potty training is going to be a process of both Violet and me tuning into her natural signals that she has to go.  She was very excited to have done it-- but then didn't want to do again the rest of the evening.  We'll see how today goes.  She and Potato Guy (aka Mr. Potato Head), have already tried once this morning, but apparently neither one felt inspired to let the bowels flow.