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Original poster

Mother potty training her toddler in the middle of a hotel

34 replies

jenk1 · 24/02/2006 20:34

Title says it all really.
I went to the gym today which is in a hotel, a quite big hotel which has lots of guests, always business meetings going on,functions etc.

Well anyway i was sat outside the cafe waiting for DH to pick me up and a lady came out of the cafe, into the foyer of the hotel complete with a potty and 2 toddlers and sat one down then took the potty into the ladies toilet which was in front of her and emptied it.

I was gobsmacked, i dont understand why she didnt just take them into the toilet or at least to somewhere quieter in the hotel, but right in the middle that is full of people, surely thats not right?

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tillykins · 24/02/2006 20:35

bit odd, I don't think I would do that with mine, but then, we are gearing up to start potty training, so who knows?!

FrannyandZooey · 24/02/2006 20:37

I think it is insane. I think most potty training related activities are insane actually but that is just me.

mummytosteven · 24/02/2006 20:39

presumably her toddler really had to go literally there and then,so it was a better alternative than risking the floor???

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Original poster

jenk1 · 24/02/2006 20:39

but she was right outside the toilet mummytosteven, thats what i dont understand.

OP posts:

WigWamBam · 24/02/2006 20:41

Perhaps her child freaks out at the thought of a toilet? I know mine did. Perhaps she just couldn't wait - better that than peeing all over the floor of the hotel.

Not knowing the woman or her situation it seems unfair to judge.

FrannyandZooey · 24/02/2006 21:05

"Unfair to judge"? MN would go out of business if we all took that line, WWB

jowen · 24/02/2006 21:06

So she had two toddlers with her?

Let her do as she pleases I say, having two toddlers alone must be hard work enough. She didn't hurt anyone.

MaggieT · 24/02/2006 21:09

When they need to go, you need to get the potty under them that second. No time to get them into the toilet. Would you be on here complaining if they had wee'd all over the hotel floor? Probably.

FrannyandZooey · 24/02/2006 21:10

I would tentatively suggest that a child who can't hold on for 2 mins to be escorted into a toilet, should still be in nappies.

Original poster

jenk1 · 24/02/2006 21:11

Wow, i seemed to have caused something, i hope i havent offended anyone, thats not what i wanted to do, i just cant get my head around what she did in the middle of a large hotel thats all.

OP posts:

MaggieT · 24/02/2006 21:12

I would tentatively suggest that you've had very little experience of toilet training then

FrannyandZooey · 24/02/2006 21:14

No, I have had a great deal of experience, having worked as a nanny for 10 years. I think in fact too much experience, which I admit has coloured my view slightly

Original poster

jenk1 · 24/02/2006 21:14

Erm, MaggieT i am a mother to 2 children and i have had experience of potty training, what have i said to cause you to react so agressive like this with me?

And actually no if the toddler did wee on the floor i wouldnt be on here complaining.

OP posts:

FrannyandZooey · 24/02/2006 21:15

Yeah yeah jen, you always do this, post some innocuous thread about McDonalds opening times and then stand back and snigger as all hell breaks loose

FrannyandZooey · 24/02/2006 21:16

I think Maggie's second post was to me, jenk.

Original poster

jenk1 · 24/02/2006 21:17

Ah right, sorry about that, you,ve never forgiven me for feeding my kids macdonalds have you

OP posts:

hunkermunker · 24/02/2006 21:17

FaZ, will you come and potty train DS1 for me this summer? I'll knit you some lentil and breastmilk quiche for your trouble

Original poster

jenk1 · 24/02/2006 21:18

OP posts:

FrannyandZooey · 24/02/2006 21:21

Hunker, not even the finest millet can induce me to potty train another child ever if I can possibly avoid it. I am not potty training ds. Seriously. He can do it himself when he wants to. I am keeping out of it.

FrannyandZooey · 24/02/2006 21:22

Yeah jen, at least she didn't give her kids a McDonald's in the hotel foyer

Original poster

jenk1 · 24/02/2006 21:27

Franny, i take it you dont like potty training, do you mind if i ask you why?

OP posts:

FrannyandZooey · 24/02/2006 21:48

No I don't mind at all, but sorry if I don't explain very clearly as I am only just working it out myself.

I think I feel that it's an unnecessary interference into something that I believe should develop naturally, as all other children's skills do. In other areas of childrens' lives we let them go at their own pace and don't push them before they are ready. We don't "speech train" them or "walk train" them. We just show them what we as adults do, help them when they show an interest and encourage them when they try themselves. Whereas with potty training the parent arbitrarily decides when the child "should" be ready, and then what seems to me like a lot of controlling, coercing and interfering goes on until the child manages to produce the correct behaviour. I think it is often stressful for the parent and the child.

I am sorry if this sounds harsh but I do honestly think it is a bit crackers. They would all learn by themselves given time to do so. We seem to be so obsessed with getting them out of nappies - why? It's not like most of us are boiling them up on the stove every week, which is why the fad for early training arose I think.

As I learn more about home educating philosophies, I feel more and more that virtually any kind of formal teaching is flawed. Potty training seems like an extension of that, to me.

How's the home school thing going for you?

lunavix · 24/02/2006 21:53

I wouldn't do it in the middle of anything personally. If the child couldn't make it from a cafe into a toilet, in a nice hotel they'd be in a nappy.

However, saying that, wee grosses me out. I had a large blood transfusion once, and was told I wasn't allowed to go for a walk, or even to the toilet, as I had the pole and blood bag trailing me, and it would gross people out. However people and their manky catheters were about and flaunting it, which I personally think is far, far worse.

Orinoco · 24/02/2006 21:54

Message withdrawn

Hattie05 · 24/02/2006 21:56

Totally agree with you FrannyandZooey.

Left dd to train herself and had no problems at all.

Of course there needs to be demonstation, encouragement and opportunity to try. But no date setting, and not going out the house for weeks on end. The child will decide when good and ready!

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