We wake up pretty early in my house having a toddler and a puppy too.  You never know which one is going to wake you up.  Today on the Today show they had an interesting segment on “Princess Culture.” Having a daughter myself, it is something that I have been concerned about for sometime.  Luckily, my daughter is a little over two, so princess culture has not hit her yet, although when she starts preschool next year I am sure that we she will want to explore it.  Author Peggy Orenstein in her book Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture discusses how media and culture are influencing  girls at an early age that appearance and being “saved” by their prince charming take precedence over values such as hard work and intelligence.  I really think that this is an interesting read since girls at an earlier age seem t o be growing up so quickly. The message that I liked from the interview is not to forbid your daughter from seeing or liking princesses, but instead to expose them and immerse them in other things as well.  I think that is the best thing you can do as a parent is to expose your child to all different experiences relevant to their age.

I was watching the Today Show and saw the interview with Amy Chua author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.  In Chua’s new book she describes her experiences in what some would call “extreme parenting.”  I really think from a sociological perspective this book explores different types of parenting, which as a parent, is always important to study.  Some people suggest that her way of being a “Chinese Mother” as she describes in her book is harsh and at times cruel.  I really think that the whole point of the book is to explore a different approach to parenting with more of a focus on hard work, determination and not letting your children settle for less.  In her interview Amy Chua even admitted that she learned herself that some of her techniques needed adjusting, but I think that is the point of parenting.  Honestly I think that it is worth a read, weather you agree with her techniques or not.

I must say that these are the cutest set of ice cream cones that I have ever seen.  My daughter received the Smart Snacks Rainbow Cones by Learning Resources for Christmas and they are an excellent edition to her play kitchen.  The colors are nice and bright- and they are the true ROYGBIV colors which makes them easy for small children to identity. The scoops easily attach to the 2 cones that come with the set and stack neatly one on top of the other, which is great for young children to do to practice their motor skills.  The thing I like about this toy the best it that it is multifunctional- it is educational yet it can also be used in a play kitchen as well.

So with the beginning of the new year, I have decided that I am going to take the plunge and dive in head first into the world of potty training.  I should actually clarify, my daughter was using the potty to go pee pee for about a year now, but we have never been successful in achieving diaper independence.  I credit this to myself, not transitioning her into training pants and not sticking to a schedule of following up with her.  The other thing I think is that we did not use training pants we were still using diapers, and honestly diapers just do too good of a job keeping kids dry.  I am going to try the cloth ones so she “feels” the wetness.

As I prepare to start the new year off right I am going through the list of things I need to start this journey.

Potty- Check

Potty Seats- Check

Timer To Remind about going- Check will use my phone

Training Pants- Check

In the past we used stickers as rewards for using the bathroom.  While the stickers worked initially, it just really did not excite her that much as a reward.  I tried offering her a quarter for each time she went.  That didn’t work either.   My daughter is a very spirited toddler.  Whenever I ask her if she has to go, she says emphatically “No!”, which is a very common toddler answer to any question that is asked.  We have poop corner in our house- the corner of the living room between the bookcase and the couch.   She walks behind there and you can hear the little grunts which signals that the pooping has commenced.   Then it is off to change the diaper, which has always been a battle with her.  You would think great she doesn’t like her diaper changed then perhaps she would like to use the bathroom then.  No she just likes to be very independent.

In the bathroom, she knows how to use the bathroom- dump the potty, close the lid, flush, & wash hands.   I just think at this point we need to dive, be persistent and begin the journey.