A few weeks back, in the baby aisle at the grocery store, we passed by a Dora potty seat and Bella said to me, "I want that, Mommy." I kind of knew that she only wanted it because of the Dora factor but I explained to her that it was meant for going potty.
Me: "Do you want to try to use the Potty?"
Her: "Yes, Mommy. I want to use that Dora potty."
Sold. The potty seat came home with us. My first attempt to put her on it went something like this.
Me: "Bella, should we sit on your new Dora potty?!"
Her (in a full high pitched shriek): "NOOOO!"
Later that day I decided not to ask her and just pick her up, before putting her in the waiting bath, and sit her on it. Yeah. Ever tried to put a cat in the tub? She basically folded completely backwards, smashed her head off the back of the toilet, leaped six feet into the air and clung onto the ceiling with her bare hands.
Since then, I've tried a few more times to coax her to sit, with absolutely no success whatsoever. Instead, whenever we're kind of milling about upstairs, doing our wake up or bedtime routine or even just playing around, I leave the potty seat sitting on the toilet and casually mention it from time to time. She's getting used to it being there and sometimes I catch her just standing next to it, looking at Dora and Boots and talking quietly about "the Dora potty." She even says, "Goodnight Dora potty," after she brushes her teeth before bed.
Friday morning I was in my room getting dressed and Bella was milling around with her toys, waiting until I was ready to go downstairs and get breakfast. I came into the bathroom to finish up my make up and saw this:
Is she ready yet? Not quite. But I'm proud of the progress that Alex the Monkey is making, and I'd say that my own monkey is likely not that far behind.
