Oops! I forgot to toilet train my son – but I don’t think I’m alone
My son turns three next month, and he’s JUST started toilet training – because I simply forgot to do it. It only dawned on me when I was writing his party invitations that he probably should be out of nappies by now. Oops!
He’s my second child and when I think about it, I may have missed a few other parenting must-dos with him too. I’ve confessed these to friends and thankfully, they admit to also dropping the mum-ball with their subsequent children too (we all agree we were much more on top of things with our firstborns, though).
Here are a few things my mum friends and I have forgotten to teach baby number two, three and so on.
1. How to use the toilet
As mentioned, I forgot to toilet train my youngest. I think this may be because I am always asking his brother if he needs to wee and wiping wee spills off the bathroom floor. So. Much. Wee. Sigh.
As a result of my mumnesia though, it turns out that toilet training a tot when he’s a little older couldn’t be easier, especially when he has his big brother to show him the way. He’s almost there! So quick, so easy!
2. How to blow his nose
My friend tells me her step-siblings only learned to blow their noses in primary school thanks to her own mother. They had just never been shown this most basic hygiene step.
My little guy also surprised me by blowing into a tissue a few months back. It turns out his grandma had shown him how to blow. Thanks Gran!
3. How to always have tip top manners
My little Sam always says, “You are most welcome” in response to me thanking him for something. He says it like a true Englishman and while thrilled with his manners, I’m a little ashamed because I know this line has come from kindy and not me. I’ll take credit for the other good manners, though!
4. How to dress
After watching me help and instruct his brother on how to thread his arms through a t-shirt, my little guy got all “I can do it myself”on me the other day when I went to dress him. Well it turns out, he sort of can.
I watched in amazement as he sat on the floor and carefully put his legs through each undie leg hole and then stood up to pull his toddler trackies up and over his little bottom. He didn’t need me to show him at all.
5. How to swim
My friend Karen went to all the mums and bubs swimming lessons with her first water baby. When her second little one came along though, he didn’t get any infant swimming lessons. She was too busy drowning in nappies herself.
It wasn’t until her second child was almost five and frolicking in the toddler pool at the beach that she thought it really was about time he’d gotten swimming lessons. As a result of being a little older though, he’s learning to swim very quickly and was not at all freaked out about putting his head under water.
5. For older kids, how to empty the lint filter
Then there is my workmate who admitted to me that she only showed her almost adult kids how to empty the dryer lint filter the other day. The were shook by the idea that a lint filter even existed! Quick, call the fire brigade! #Whoops
So it seems I might be looking down the barrel of years of forgetfulness. But I am definitely not alone in having the odd parental oversight.
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