Potty talk

For those of you that have kids, you know that after you have a baby you can forget about ever going to the bathroom alone again. For those you who don't have kids, or don't have kids yet, this may fall under the TMI category. Either way, consider this your warning that I'm about to use some potty talk.

Since my daughter was old enough to pay attention to where I take her around the house, I have been narrating our adventures. One of her favorite trips is to the potty. I think it's a mix of looking and smiling at herself in the mirror and mommy saying "Mommy go potty" with lots of excitement. (I'm about 8 months pregnant, so this happens quite often during our day)

Each time I say the words "Mommy go potty" I also do the sign for POTTY. (The sign for POTTY is the ASL letter T shaken slightly left to right) A few days ago, as I said and signed my potty mantra, I looked over and my little signer was signing it with me! So, now when she gets that strained look on her face and I know she is in fact going potty herself I sign POTTY and say "Tori go potty". She is only a year old at the moment, but by assigning a word and sign to this action, I hope to eventually make the transition to potty training that much easier.

There has been an added bonus to this lesson as well. Being a year old, she is also experiencing a bit of separation anxiety. So, if there is another person in the house (Daddy, Grandma, Deb Deb the babysitter, etc) I can let her know when I leave the room that "Mommy go potty" and to her that means I'll be right back. It works to an extent right now, but after a while I'm hoping it will help her understand the difference between leaving the room and leaving the house. When I see her sign POTTY I know that she understands, and to me that is comforting.

ALL-DONE!!

One of the milestones a Baby Signer will reach is learning how to apply their sign vocabulary to different scenarios. My little signer has mastered the sign for ALL-DONE in her high chair and has been using it for months already to tell me when she is full and ready to get out of her chair, but I was so proud of her when she took that sign and applied it to another appropriate situation. After taking care of her business, um hmm, she walked right up to me and signed ALL-DONE! She wanted to let me know it was time for a diaper change and she was so proud of herself for telling me. She has also used this sign to end tubby time and when her favorite cartoon has come to an end.

The best way to make this transition is to take the lead and model the behavior. When you see that your little signer has really begun to understand a sign like ALL-DONE, just begin speaking it and signing it in new situations. After a poop is only one of the options, there are several others that work as well. Every family will have their own opportunities. For example, you can model the sign after a favorite video, after a bottle or sippy cup is empty, or when you are ready to end tubby time. Using the sign will help facilitate communication between you and your baby and ease that frustration a baby may feel when they are not understood. Now that's worth a try!