15 February 2010

make-do chart

when you have a grandchild around, there's never a dull moment. the little girl surprised us all yesterday by announcing she wanted to use the toilet - and she did, three times! she wants to put stickers on her "potty chart", she says, because she did it. i try to explain that the potty chart is not here, it's at her house. but she used the toilet and she wants her stickers! so we improvise and use labels from fruit - bananas, apples, pears - placing them on the refrigerator calendar. works for me and works fine for a two and a half year old who's learning to be a big girl!

34 comments:

Cherie Blessing said...

Oh, how sweet! I love being an auntie for precious moments like these.

Stacey said...

That is precious.

Truth Ferret said...

How precious of a story and a time with your little girl.

We are still enjoying the everyday new things our little grandlove can do. He's learning to express himself with subtle signs for what he wants. I can't wait for the oral expression to catch up with his active brain.

Matt Conlon said...

There are few milestones bigger than the first time you can walk by the diapers at the store and say "Don't need em now."

My list of child-milestones in chronological order (Not necessarily order of importance, mind you!) are as follows:

1 - Sleep through the night
2 - Hold your own bottle
3 - Feed yourself
4 - Done with Formula
5 - First word
6 - Done with diapers

Anonymous said...

I am a recent follower, so I went back to read a bit more about your "little girl". You truly are the grandmother that I dream of being in the future! My oldest is only 13, so I have (hopefully) many years to go until that happens, but I'm taking notes.

P.S. How do you force paper white narcissus? I'm a city girl, but that seems like something I might be able to do.

Leenie said...

I understand the grandma thing AND the potty thing. Hooray for both of you!!!!

Lady Wordsmith said...

Excellent idea! :D Why use expensive stickers when fruit labels will do?!

Sugar, spice and everything nice said...

So Sweet...love the innocence of children...

Nancy Grossi ~ Churned In Cali ~ The Wife of a Dairyman said...

Love it! Smart girl with motivation!

Nancy/BLissed-Out Grandma said...

Ooh, good point. We need to have stickers on hand for when the grandkids finally decide to use the potty, which shouldn't be long now. I love how you improvised!!!

Amanda said...

That is adorable!!! You gotta do what you gotta do to make the kids happy :]

A Friendly Stranger said...

Just the begining of the many milestones she's gonna accomplish...
Love for your little one...

Kitty said...

aww to cute!!!

Ashley Stone said...

cute!!

Chrissie said...

That's gorgeous

Jenn @ My Not So Glamorous Life said...

LOVE the idea! Great improvising, thanks for sharing!

Karen Richards said...

That is so sweet! We passed the milestone with our youngest about 6 months ago. It's been great!

Kelisa said...

why can't more adults be as accomodating as a 2 year old?

Alle said...

My daughter is two and a half and has just finished potty training it's so wonderful watching them learn and grow!

Sadie Allie said...

Makes me giggle to remember how demanding a 2 year old can be. Makes me miss my babies, and love my grandson even more. (He's 9 months)
Thanks for sharing that tidbit. It's so sweet.

Yamahamamomma said...

I love it! I have a two year old Grand Daughter learning to potty train too and I love this! I am new to the blogging world and love your site!

chris said...

all you grandmothers: don't you love it when your improvisations work?? when you can make your little one happy with things you think will never work? i do need to lay in a supply of stickers, tho. there are only so many fruit labels here and i refuse to use postage stamps!

mattconlon: love the list-the little girl is almost through it! interesting to revisit those milestones, tho. seems not so long ago...

lowermainlandmom: forcing paperwhite narcissus is pretty easy. gravel or aquarium rocks in a shallow pan, paperwhite bulbs on top, then keep the bottoms of the bulbs in water. they root around the rocks and bloom in about 3-4 weeks. btw, being a grandmother is the BEST!

nomadcraftsetc said...

How cute! Those are the perfect stickers!

Vanessa said...

That is so cute, I love the banana sticker!

Yvonne said...

Isn't being a Grandmother one of life's most rewarding adventures?

Anonymous said...

You gotta love the grandma that can improvise so cleverishly,

Aiden said...

Aw, how cute. I may sound mean, but the best moments I have with kids is when I outsmart them and they like it ...

chris said...

nomadcraftsetc & Vanessa: this weekend i was in a store and had stickers in my hand. then i thought, nah - i'd just come from the supermarket and had bananas, oranges, grapefruit. i'm good for over a dozen potty successes!

Yvonne: being a grandmother is the BEST! people tried to tell me but i had no idea!

Anonymously Obscure: ha! you made me laugh - and i know exactly what you mean!

Meg said...

You GO Grandma!! Love it!! My oldest granddaughter is coming upon 2... so I am going to bookmark your blog!! I am going to need all the help and humor I can get!!

meg in mo... p.s. I too like to take pictures!!

HamzaSidra said...

so simple....yet it worked....(the fruit sticky labels).....she was happy and so were the granparents :-)

Anonymous said...

how cute. My twins love stickers on fruit and ask for banannas and apples just to get the stickers - yeah for stickers on fruit!!!

A*CaramelHoney said...

Awww my son only poops in the potty but we're getting there. I might use your idea. That is so sweet.

Lilly said...

Adorable!

Juanita said...

My little grandson is forever making it known that 'I did it!' or he uses his name 'D***** did it!!' He is 17 months and wanting to 'do' everthing. When he doesnt know what something is he will grab my finger and point it at the object so that I will name it. Amazing what you notice with grandchildren because you have time to truly pay attention.