My daughter is two and a half and is showing all the signs of being ready to potty train. I’m very keen to do it. I work three days a week and my mother looks after Emily. I have heard my mother telling Emily how horrid and disgusting her dirty nappies are and I think Emily has become anxious now as she often cries when she has done a poo.
Your mother’s generation tended to potty train much sooner than your generation. This was because terry nappies were much more of an ordeal to clean that our modern, disposable nappies. Possibly your mum thinks Emily should have been out of nappies long ago and is registering her disapproval with your daughter. I think it’s very important to avoid anxiety about pooing as it will make potty training much more difficult and could even lead to long-term problems. Try and explain this to your mother and ask her to stop using words like ‘horrible’ and ‘disgusting’. Get her involved with helping you follow my programme. If you begin training on the first day you are home, you would have four good days at it before you have to go to work and the majority of the training would be done. Many mums who leave it until their child is older find it can take just a few days.