Well, we're going to be singing it a lot today at Me Show HQ because Olivia Lee, feculent genius that she is, just went poopy on the potty like a big girl! Hooray! Viva! And, yes, it's possible that some smug childfree douchebag is going to submit this to a certain snarky website that encourages parents to shut up, but nothing - NOTHING! - is going to stop this family from celebrating a successful poop!
For those curious as to why I'd even bother putting my not-yet-10-month-old on a toilet, let me explain. I've been interested in a newfangled phenomenon called Elimination Communcation ever since I saw Mayim Bialik talk about it in some celebrity parenting nonsense interview on Yahoo News. She was quite convincing in her argument that it's illogical to raise your babies to eliminate into a diaper and then BAM! switch things up on them and start talking about potties when they're toddlers. Why not pay attention to their potty cues and help them to use the toilet when they're younger? And, while this sounds like it could easily become one of those strident lightning rods for parental judgment (See: arguments over working vs. staying home, breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding, cosleeping vs. sleeping solo, homemade organic babyfood vs. jarred storebought babyfood, and EVERY OTHER PARENTING CHOICE AVAILABLE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF PROCREATION), most of the material I've read about EC is very welcoming and tolerant of experimentation and partial practice. Plus, since all the best parenting advice comes from Blossom, I thought I'd give it a try.
So, when Livy started "poopsqueaking," her unique tell when she's about to drop a bomb (the kid's got no poopy poker face to speak of), I rushed her to the toilet instead of to the changing table. Et voila! Merde!
Yes, I know that this is uncommon and might not happen again for months. And, no, I'm not giving up on diapers, nor is that my aim. But if, as my friend Katie, who gave birth in a Honda Civic and is one of the most level-headed parents I know, says, if it saves one diaper a day, then that's progress toward ecological soundness and potty training. I can live with a goal like that.
So when you make your poopies on the potties today, readers, give yourselves a big high five and know that Olivia Lee is with you!
"Dear God, please let this have disappeared from the interwebs before my 12th birthday. XOXOXO, Livy Lee."
2 comments:
This blog post almost made me poop myself, I was so amazed!
Also, I sorta love Blossom. Did you see her on What Not to Wear? Awesome. She just did a guest post on Fallen Princess, the blog of former Sassy writer Christina Kelly. Blossom + Sassy = Truth
http://christinamkelly.blogspot.com/2010/05/fps-first-guest-blogger-mayim-bialik.html
you are my soulmate, clearly.
i re-found mayim bialik on wntw, then looked her up and found the interview. she's awesome! i love that she used her Blossom money to go be a nerdy grad student. makes you wish we'd gone down the path of novelty hats, yes?
also, i pine for sassy every time i read a magazine. and christina, for obvious reasons, was always my favorite writer.
thanks for the link!
Post a Comment