Imagination

I watch suspiciously as Evelyn pushes the chair across the kitchen toward the stove. I wonder when I'll have to launch myself out of my comfortable chair and prevent tragedy from striking the Adams' household once again. My daughter who, by the way, is a notorious klutz--even for a two-year-old, stops the chair directly in front of the oven and clambers up. As I laboriously pull myself out of my chair and start making my way toward her, I notice she's not moving. She's standing on the chair, not touching the stove top, staring up at the microwave.

"What are you doing, Evelyn?" I ask.

"Watching a movie!"

Evelyn has been absolutely shocking me with how well she is doing at potty-training. She's just a natural. I'm really wondering why it took me so long to acquiesce to her sitting on the toilet. We've been doing it for almost four days now, and the last two nights she woke up dry! She hasn't made any wet mistakes in two days either.

I really think that the method I've been using suits her. I let her practice sitting on the toilet, and for every five times (she gets to stick stars up on a chart to keep track) she gets a practice treat (a single skittle). That way she doesn't get sick of sitting on the toilet with no rewards. If she actually does her business in the toilet she get a big potty treat (a taffy or smarties) and a cheer. If she makes a mistake we practice five times in a row and then she gets a practice treat. But if she starts to wet her pants, and catches it and holds it until she makes it to the toilet, we count that as making it, because those are the muscles she needs to develop. She loves all the attention.

Yesterday she was drawing pictures. I asked her what she was drawing and she said, "A snakey on the toilet."

"Did he go potty?"

"Yes! Hurray for snakey!"

"Did he get a potty treat?"

So she drew him a little candy.