Potty Mouth

My daughter is potty training this week, and so far, so good. Yes, there have been accidents, but she is taking this very seriously. I compare her to a little army cadet, keen on impressing the brass, following the instructions to the letter. What makes me so proud is how HARD she is trying...she will sit on that potty for 20-30 mins, even though I tell her we can try again later! And if I walk away to tend to her siblings, she will still be there when I get back, calmly looking at a book, waiting for the 'big' event.

This is in stark contrast to her big brother, who you had to watch like a hawk because the second he had a chance, he would get bored and go pee wherever he felt like it!

I give my daughter two little stickers every time she has success. One goes on her hand, and one goes on her potty to "decorate" it. We went from one little sticker to about a dozen stickers all over the arm rests. I look at the mishmash of stickers, from cows and bunnies and stars and hearts, and I am so proud. She picks them herself from a large sheet I bought at the dollar store. She takes the sticker choosing very seriously too!

In those moments when we are waiting for the 'event', the conversation inevitably turns to anatomy:

Girl: Mommy, where's my penis?
Mommy: You don't have a penis, sweetheart.
Girl: Why?
Mommy: Because girls don't have a penis. Only boys have a penis. You and mommy have a vagina.
Girl: Why do I have a 'gina?
Mommy: Because God made us that way. You are a girl, and He made you just perfect.
Girl: Does my brother have a 'gina?
Mommy: No, your brother is a boy, he has a penis.
Girl(panicking, searching): Oh no, I lost MY penis!

And so on and so on and so on... I don't know if I am giving her too much information, or if its not enough information, if I'm causing gender confusion or what! It's hard to put in perspective because I would NEVER ask my mother questions like that! Everything I knew about "biology" and "physical functions" I learned from books when I was old enough to read. My research was done on the fly, eg: when doing an assignment on endangered birds in Grade 4/5, I would make sure no one was looking, and then my hand would 'slip' between the pages on "Peregrine Falcon" and "Penis" in the Encyclopedia Brittanica in the school library. Good thing it was illustrated!

Anyhow, back to my kid's anatomy lessons, there are also the occasional arguments I overhear from the kitchen:

Brother: "I'm the boy."
Girl: "NO, I'M THE BOY!"
Brother: "No, I'm the boy!"
Girl: "NO, I'M THE BOY!"

I think she thinks he is boasting when he says he is a boy, so she thinks she should be the boy too. Kinda like "I'm the best!" "No, I'm the best!" Creeps me out sometimes, that being the "boy" is equated to being the "best" in her mind...but I think we are still a little young to be reading too much into things. I suspect its just a semantics problem that comes with being a 2-year-old.

Besides, I can already see the little woman she's going to become. Strong and caring, willful yet sensitive, bright and hard-working. And if mommy has any influence, she will be fiercely proud to be a woman, with all the hardships and talents and joys and miracles that come with it.