Many of you have asked how Tori is doing with potty training. I am thrilled to report that she is doing amazing! She has been wearing "little girl underwear" for almost two weeks with only 1 or 2 accidents. They are "little girl underwear" because as Tori says: "I am not big. Becca is big. I am a LITTLE girl." But we are rejoicing with how easy the potty training has been! I knew that she was ready, but didn't want to do it before our big move with all of its changes. There are aspects that make potty training VERY easy in China and others that pose some difficulties. First off, accidents are no big deal. She pees on the floor of the grocery store - no problem. This is because most babies in China (especially from smaller cities or more rural areas) don't wear diapers. They wear clothes that have a split in the pants so that they can just go. Time or place do not matter! Didn't you REALLY want to know that information?! [I should say that if that grossed you out do not read on...] Thankfully, we haven't had such accidents (though I have seen children go in crazy places like the store). Tori can be very meticulous and does not like to be dirty or wet, so you can imagine the trauma that her few accidents caused.
On the other hand, China is difficult to potty train because Tori will hold it rather than use a squatty potty. Just for clarification, a squat toilet is one where you (even girls) squat to go. These can be anything from essentially a trough with rough dividers between them to an actual toilet that flushes. The picture above is a mid to upper grade. And I say again, didn't you REALLY AND TRULY want to know this? ALL public toilets in China are some version of the squat toilet. In Beijing, there is even a ranking system that tells what quality the toilet is. How funny is that? I think that my favorite is when you see a "Western toilet" that has signs in Chinese and English telling you not to stand on the seats (because people are so used to squatting not sitting)! All this to say that going to the bathroom in public (never easy while potty training) has posed some challenges for Tori! I am sure that eventually she will break down and use one, but for now she is simply refusing. This does not even go into the whole hygiene factor - I cannot tell you how many times we are in a public bathroom and I exclaim, "Don't touch anything!" I am sure that I have given you all way to much information, but c'mon people you don't really experience a culture until you have crazy potty stories! Just to give you perspective and what life is really like in China, I will be on the hunt for a gross one and post a picture.
So what do they do when a child pees in the grocery store? Is it like Petsmart where they provide you with paper towel and spray to clean it?
ReplyDeleteThere are people that are constantly walking the aisles with mops. Not necessarily for when people pee, but that is just their job. In fact, I think that I see at least 2 people mopping every time I am at the store - sometimes more! Besides if you pee in the store, that is the store's problem!
ReplyDeleteMike talks about these kinds of toilets when he goes to Turkey on deployments. He said it's a real treat for the women wearing flight suits to squat... ugh!
ReplyDeleteHey, I saw a "SOLD" sign on your house! Congrats!!
Oh Sarah,
ReplyDeleteYou've brought back so many memories of my trips overseas. At least you don't have to pay to use the beautiful squatty potty! In some of the places we were in, you actually had to pay the equivalent of like a dime or quarter to use the bathroom.
I think the signs about not standing on the western toilets might be my favorite!
I haven't seen one that you have to pay, but it is definitely BYOP (Bring Your Own Paper). Even in nicer places (like department stores or restaurants)!
ReplyDeleteWe're on vacation and I'm just catching up but had to comment on this. All I could think was I bet the Wilcox girls wished they weren't so tall when using these squatty pottys! Strong quads you will have. :)
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