Potty Train + Mummy Brain = Disaster
This incident happened last summer, when I was potty training my toddler. However, due to the nature of its hilarious (only in retrospect) and ‘WTF was I thinking’ nature, it has seeped deep into my memory. So much so that I talk about it even a year on…
Potty training is a tormenting enough experience. Long, boring (for toddler and parent), smelly and involving LOTS of laundry. Now couple that with Mummy Brain and it’s a loss-loss situation!
Like what happened to me last evening.
Little Man is half way there – he’s in pants when at home and at nursery, and though he has the occasional accident, he’s getting there. I have yet to take the next step of going out sans nappies, but more on that later.
So we were home last evening, enjoying the extended summer, Pimms and dinner with relatives. Little Man was making his timed trips to the toilet (with lots of pleading and prodding and threatening and bribing from me). All was well. In control.
Then Daddy decided to pop over to the store. Little Man wanted to join him. So I put a pull-up on him and off they went. Twenty minutes later, after both walked in the door, I persuaded Little Man to get back in pants but it was past his bedtime and he was not in the mood to listen. Considering I would’ve put his nappy on for the night in a bit anyways, I let it pass.
Bedtime soon rolled over. I felt his nappy – it didn’t seem full – so I didn’t bother to put on a new one for the night.
Next morning.
Little Man eats his breakfast and asks me: ‘Mummy, do I have my nappy on?’ Now I know that’s a cue for poo-time, because he still refuses to do the big job on the loo. I’m not pushing that at the moment, so after slight pleading and soft persuasion, I tell him: ‘Yes, you have a nappy on, do your potty’. All’s well. Till then.
Potty done, I go to change him. Except when I rip open his nappy, it’s clean. And dry. No poo. No all-night’s-pee. And then, horror of horror, I see his yellow digger pants on! Wet and filled with poo. Sticky yucky messy poo! After a second of shock, how the f*&* did this happen, and disgust, it hit me – in the hurry of putting on his pull-up last evening, I must’ve forgotten to take off his pants first! (In my defence, he was tugging away because daddy was already at the door, I was pre-occupied with people over and of course, there’s Mummy Brain!)
So there I was, cleaning poo off his legs. No, I didn’t even attempt to wash the pants, I just binned them (I just couldn’t get myself to do it!!!). Laughing at myself. In retrospect, the whole incident was quite hilarious! Gross yes, but funny too.
And the cutest, sweetest thing was Little Man telling me: ‘I’m sorry Mummy, I thought I had my nappy on’. To which I replied: ‘I thought so too, darling!!!’
This post was first published here. For more from Tales From Mamaville click here, or check out some of the recent posts below!
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