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Posted: 08 May 2007 at 7:31pm | IP Logged

I'm lucky with my mil, but not her sister, Mike's aunt. She's a bit of a dragon and to this day insists that both of her children were potty trained from about 6 months. The way my mil remembers it is that the babies were sat on the potty and forbidden to move until they had dome something, and then an hour later plonked back on again and forbidden to move until they'd done something else, and so on throughout the day. She also remembers them having accidents a-plently when they were out and about. Hardly the same thing. This same auntie took it upon herself to potty train her grand-daughter when she had her for the weekend, without any consultation with her parents! She used the same technique, and brags about the fact that the little girl always has accidents at her other granny's and at home, but never at her house - it's only because the poor kid doesn't get a chance to get off the loo!

I think the pressure was there, like Lynie said, because of terry nappies and washing them, and the problems they caused with nappy rash. Not only has technology moved on, but developmental experts have shown that very few children actually have the control they need until about 18 months, and some don't even have it at 3. It's hardly something they'll be bullied over at school when they're 14, "Oh I was in big-boy-pants before you..."

Smile and nod, then do what you know to be best.

Posted: 08 May 2007 at 9:04pm | IP Logged

Gawd!!  I asked my HV about potty training.  She didn't potty train her youngest boy of 3 till he was 3 years old.  It took a weekend to potty train as he was totally ready.

Some folk have been blessed with a nice MIL and thankfully i'm one of them!  Hope yours shuts up and realises it's hard enough, without having MIL breathing down your neck, he did this she did that AND have a tiny mini greeds aswell!

Smile and nod and get the odd comment in!!  Oh and invite your Mum to stay sounds a great idea, maybe she'll back off!!!!!!!!!  xxx

Posted: 08 May 2007 at 9:23pm | IP Logged

my mum was the one that kept going to me u 3 were all on the potty as soon as you could sit up.

i never pressured svannah into using it but just thought one hot day in april i leave your nappy and shes been dry ever since, she is even dry at night so im glad i never pressured her like my mum wanted me to.

Posted: 08 May 2007 at 10:37pm | IP Logged

my mil always brags bout dh and how great he was when he was little-at everything!

i ignore her-as is my want! if im lucky i only see her 3x per yr

think ill try lily in the summer as she hates dirty nappies and has told us for ages when shes been/about to go

to all those without mils-think yourselves lucky

anyone want mine? dyed blonde hair/lots of bad big gold jewellry/yorkshire squeaky accent/scary clothing/bad perfume....am i selling her well?

Posted: 09 May 2007 at 12:03am | IP Logged

advice I was given.....no child starts primary school in a nappy..dont worry about it.

Kind of stuck to that one..and all is well....just got to work on the night time nappy thing..fahhh summer hols are coming up..will do it then lol

Posted: 09 May 2007 at 8:12am | IP Logged

Thanks Chris, this really makes me feel so good...NOT!

How embarrasing

Posted: 09 May 2007 at 1:48pm | IP Logged

lmao jen! 

lol jopsy, you can keep your MIL...I've got a step-MIL that sounds like yours altho mine is pissed most of the time and constantly paws at my arm!  She is phoning every day at the moment asking me if Hannah has caught chicken pox "NO, HOW MANY TIMES DO i HAVE TO TELL YOU, THE DOCTOR SAYS SHE'S TOO YOUNG" and "Are you still breastfeeding?"  and then snorts when I say "yes" "WHY THE BLOOMIN HELL WOULDN'T I BE, IT'S NOT LIKE SHE'S STARTING SCHOOL OR ANYTHING!!"   agghhhhhhhhhhh