Early Potty Training? Toddler See, Toddler Do

My husband and I recently hosted a small get-together. Friends, family and a few kiddos joined in the fun, and in the midst of all the mingling, my daughter, all of 16 months old, seemed to steal the show. Although the midday party was in celebration of my husband's birthday, people were more interested in our little showstopper, who always seems to do the funniest things at the most inopportune times.

While I accommodated the guests at our small party, my mother-in-law was to keep an eye on my daughter, just to make sure she didn't do things like stop up the toilet, which is her new favorite pastime. Anyhow, in the corner of my eye during a conversation with a guest, I saw my MIL speaking with a group of fellow partygoers, and my kid was nowhere in sight. "Please excuse me for a moment," I said to the person I was chatting with so that I could locate my unattended daughter.

From the guest bathroom, where my daughter's potty sits, came the excited call: "Mama! (pause) Mama! (pause) Maaa Maaa!" I rushed across my house to see what the problem was, thinking the worst, and unbeknownst to me, guests followed. I opened the bathroom door, and there she sat, on her potty, fully clothed, ankles crossed, holding a Prevention magazine across her lap. In the distance, about three feet of toilet paper blanketed the bathroom floor. "Honey?" I questioned, staring down at her, somewhat relieved. Her response: "Piiieee!" which is her word for "potty."

Well, I'll be … she actually was paying attention every time I took her to the potty with me! She remembered everything I did from crossing my ankles to reading a magazine! From behind me came pats on the back for me and calls of "way to go" directed at my little potty girl.

Since then, I haven't pushed the potty thing. She's only 16 months old! But I do continue to take her to the potty with me, and every once in a while, with magazine in hand, she actually "goes." Guess this goes to show that toddlerhood really is all about "toddler see, toddler do." Next goal: checkbook balancing.