Easing into Toilet Training

Potty? Check!
Toilet seat adaptor? Check!
The famous Israeli potty book by Alona Frankel, the girl's anatomy edition? Check!
Non wobbly step-stool? Not yet, d'oh!

Raphaela seems very receptive to the idea, she has made the association between what sits in her diaper and what should be in the potty or the toilet.  She has tried sitting on the potty, clothed, to see how it feels.  We have read the Alona Frankel book at least ten times in the last 24 hours.  I have also pointed out to Raphaela that in the Maisy book, "Maisy's Bedtime," Maisy the Mouse sits on the toilet, and her stuffed animal/best friend Panda sits on the potty.

Her nursery teacher suggested that since Raphaela is the youngest child in the Gan, she does not need to rush into toilet training, because the stress of the expectations of performance could turn this seminal transition into a negative experience.  I have introduced the concepts, and will let it ride according to Raphaela's motivation, though the heat of the Summer here creates an excellent excuse to go naked.  (And it would be wonderful to stop buying diapers on a regular basis!)

Little Black Cat

Ever since Raphaela was born, we have regularly read the book "Maisy's Bedtime" before sleep, and as she has gotten older, we have both become addicted to the series of Maisy books by Lucy Cousins.  In the past week, Raphaela has become amazed that these books seem to have come to life, in our little neighborhood.

For the past few days, we have fed a family of  a mother cat and her kittens, born in our neighboring building's front yard.  One of the kittens is Little Black Cat, the character who stars in the book, "Maisy's Fire Engine," among others.  This kitten jumps around and plays hide-and-seek in the bushes, and Raphaela watches and laughs, entranced by the performance.

When we go to the supermarket, Raphaela understands the concept much clearer thanks to  "Maisy Goes Shopping."  She delights in hearing the siren of a the fire truck, and I can't wait to take her to the beach, a place she recognizes from the Maisy collection.

As a parent, I recommend the series, though some are more compelling than others in terms of story telling.  Maisy can be used as a fantastic motivator as well, since Raphaela believes that the mouse character is one of her best friends.