Use the potty or else!

So I just came back from parents' orientation meeting at Peanut's new pre-school. Despite some of my earlier reservations, I'm feeling better and think it's going to be a great school for her. The people are very friendly and nice and welcoming and seem to all really love kids.

But one little thing does have me kind of cracking up. As you know, we're having a little trouble with potty training. And this school wants them to show up ready for toilet duty (or would that be doody?? Heh. Sorry, but 9-year-old boy humor is tough to avoid when discussing poopy diapers).

Anyway, diapers are outlawed - the closest thing allowed is a pull-up. Only the two school administrators are licensed to clean up "accidents," so if a child has an "accident," the teacher has to march them up to the front office to get changed. (I put accident in quotes, because I don't really think it is in an accident if said child deliberately and happily poops in her pants and has absolutely no problem WHATSOEVER doing so.) AHEM. Not that my child does that or anything. . .

During orientation, one of the administrators said it's perfectly normal for a child to regress at the start of preschool, and they fully expect lots of accidents for the first few weeks, but (and I quote), "if it's still happening in December, you'll be getting a phone call from me." Oh yeah? Saying what? That contrary to what all the experts say I should start pushing her to use the toilet? That accidents are bad, bad, BAD and little girls who don't use the potty get monsters in their closets?

Maybe I can sit her down and take away some of her future privileges. Use the potty or you're grounded for the junior prom. Every day you don't use the potty is one day in the future you'll be denied the keys to the car.

I could try scare tactics: I'm going to tell all your future boyfriends that your pre-school administrator had to make THE PHONE CALL to Mommy because you wouldn't use the potty.

I suppose could try grounding her, but that's probably a greater punishment to me than to her.

Her teachers were actually much more reassuring, telling me that a little peer pressure is a wonderful thing and seeing the other kids in her class use the potty is often just the trick that's needed. Which made me feel a WHOLE lot better. Until I realized that Peanut is currently the only girl in her class. But now I'm ready. And when she comes home and pees standing up I won't make a fuss, so long as she hits that little plastic bowl.