This week we have grasped the nettle and decided to potty train our youngest.  Obviously there are no actual nettles involved (well, not yet – but if she’s caught short on the school run later then a wee in a bush may have to occur!!)

All of her siblings are now at full time school – so she can have some undivided attention (for once, poor thing!) People ‘helpfully’ say things like ‘oh, it will be easy 4th time round, you know what you’re doing’ etc etc – but it’s first time round for the bladder in question – and all of the kids are so different. She has shown absolutely no desire to wear pants AT ALL – in fact when we’ve mentioned being a big girl and using the potty, or loo, before she’s just flat out refused and said she wants to keep wearing a nappy!

All of my older 3 have been relatively late – 2 and a half, to 2 and three quarters – but with this one hitting 3 in 6 weeks, the clock was ticking (she’d already been marked down at her 2 and a half year check because of it!!)

Our lovely nanny started the process yesterday – with mixed results! Lots of accidents first thing – a big chunk of the day ok – and then when I got home at 5pm accidents galore again.

So I removed the night time nappy with trepidation this morning!

As she was getting a chocolate button every time she managed to do a wee in the right place, I did wonder if I could have a gin at that point too?!? But it’s a good job I didn’t……..

Apart from one accident on a dining room chair this morning (I won’t reveal which one in case any future visitors are reading this!) she’s been BRILLIANT. We’ve had about a dozen wees on the toilet (it would appear we’re bypassing the lovely pink potty) and the last half dozen of those she’s requested herself, it hasn’t been me going ‘do you need another wee?’ every 5 minutes!!  I think the excitement at bum wiping, flushing and hand washing is also proving a hit……

I am sure we won’t have totally cracked it (haven’t even considered the whole poo thing yet) but I am so proud of my littlest girl.

Maybe I should have a gin every time she has an accident………….