Mum’s funny toilet training strategy goes viral: “I’ve no idea what I’m doing”
If you’ve ever toilet trained a child you’ll know that accidents and puddles are often par for the course. It was with this in mind that one mum cobbled together a strategy for getting her child out of nappies and into undies. So far, so good.
“Am I doing it right?”
UK mum Shona McLoughlin took to Facebook to gather a little more intel on toilet training. She was aiming for success as she took her daughter out of nappies, protected the floor and offered her a very fancy baby-toilet type potty. (It’s actually the very same one Chrissy Teigen uses for her daughter Luna.)
Shona wanted to be well-prepared and this was the first attempt at toilet training for both mum and toddler. Hoping to give her Facebook buddies some context, Shona snapped a few photos of her preparations uploading them with the following caption:
“DAY ONE. Am I doing it right? Sat here waiting for her to pee. Do I just keep sitting her on the potty and hope she gets it? I’VE NO IDEA WHAT I’M DOING.”
The images show the floor of Shona’s home covered with what she later revealed to be adult incontinence pads. The aforementioned miniature toilet – which is actually a potty with its own authentic ‘flushing’ feature – sits on top of all the pads.
And those pads? There’s a ridiculous amount of them. Like, the room is freaking carpeted with the suckers.
? DAY ONE ?Am I doing it right? ? Sat here waiting for her to pee. Do I just keep sitting her on the potty and hope she gets it?I'VE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING…Shona McLoughlin Photography
Posted by Shona McLoughlin on Tuesday, 8 January 2019
I thought this was normal?
The post quickly went viral with parents across the globe delighting in this very preparation-heavy approach.
“Bit overboard on the pads like lol,” one commenter wrote.
“I thought this was a normal thing people did!?” Shona admitted on Facebook.
“This looks like some kind of weird art installation,” one man decided.
“This is ace,” another person posted, spotting the practical appeal in an instant. “My 2 both shat on the rug way too many times.”
Posted by Shona McLoughlin on Tuesday, 8 January 2019
Shona’s taking zero chances when it comes to accidents in her home. She’s hidden the sofa under a layer of pee pads impressing everyone – except the bewildered cat – with her thorough approach. (See above)
“This has amused me!” one mum responded. “She will almost definitely find an uncovered spot to pee on!”
“Not when … she’s caged,” Shona wrote, posting the photo below and not gonna lie, she might be a genius.
Posted by Shona McLoughlin on Tuesday, 8 January 2019
You win some, you lose some
When friends later enquired about how things were progressing, Shona revealed that in retrospect the pee pads might have been overkill.
“WE’VE GOT A HOLDER-INER!” she wrote of her toddler daughter on Facebook. “Not a single accident. She just waits until I pop her nappy on while she’s sat at the table eating, then tells me she’s going and demands I change her straight away!”
“Noooo but very good signs,” one buddy responded. “Coz she can clearly hold it and knows when she’s weeing!”
Godspeed to you, Shona! Thanks so much for a brilliant giggle!