and cows go moo

Butterfly had her 18 month check up today (and a shot), and the nurse, well she annoyed me! [though not as much as when Butterfly went in last time. I think big difference is that she is much much much more bubbling now and she does have a word or two]. So nurse goes on about how it's important to expose Butterfly to children and children's songs for her to develop language, talking about the rhythm and the repetitiveness. And well I'm not saying no to that, though I don't think it's a must! But then [Butterfly now sitting at a table looking at a book with animals] she [nurse] goes on to how I should show Butterfly pictures of animals in these hard baby proof books and how I should make the animal sounds so she'll learn. When I was reluctant, she said I could take her to a nearby farm for her to see hens and cows herself. Well yes, that would be much better. But still not very real. And I ask - why? why is it important that little kids know that that animal is called a cow and that she goes moo? I am sure she will not go through life not knowing what a cow is, so why is it important to push this word onto them? I mean if we were living in a farm or overwise seeing cows daily, then yes, that would be one word I think my girl should know.

Same with body parts. Why is it important to teach them head and eyes and ears? Why can't we leave them to learn these words by themselves? I mean we do not teach them eyebrows or cheeks or kidney or heel, and yet they do acquire these words later on in life. Because at this early age I very much believe in real, authentic "teaching". Everytime Butterfly wants to hold my cellphone, I tell her to put it (the lace onto which it's tied..) around her neck. She might not exactly know what a neck is, but she has an idea. This is real. I do not point at my/her/a doll's neck and say repeatedly neck [which my mum sometimes does with words like nose, and drives me crazy].

And you know, we go for a walk every (or almost every) morning. And while I don't so much, but showing her the different plants, maybe naming them (which means I need to know the names..), that would be much more real. These plants we pass by are part of her life, she sees them, sometimes picks their leaves or tries to pull a branch etc. A cow is not part of her life, not her world. Teaching her that a cow goes moo, in my eyes is nothing more than taming her. Showing her this plant or that plant on our path, I believe is expanding her world.

P.S

98th percentile for height! (95 head and I think it was 87 for weight). I know she is tall for her age, but oh my, she is almost off the chart!! [and don't ask me how that's possible as I am not tall and I don't think donor was too tall..]

And now to the Proud Mummy section..

I haven't much talk about how our toilet training/EC is going, mainly because there is nothing interesting happening :-). Around her birthday I was very eager to start toilet training (after we've been doing Elimination Communication almost since birth but haven't been too successful with it). Well we started of [off?] nicely but then, well it just went back to nothing. But I did (DO) still dress her without a nappy (unless we go to a doctors appointment etc. and of course she wears a nappy with the nanny) because when while I haven't succeeded in toilet training her, I do believe in not peeing/pooing on oneself! And I will add that she is - a. most certainly aware of her pee/poo and where you should do it; b. she CAN hold herself. Anyway, with the poo lately it's going well. If I see she is about to go [or if there is a smell of poo - one of the signs she is about to go, is the smell, yes before she does..], I will sit her on the potty (and bring madam her bottle of water..) and she'll be okay.

Then about a week ago, I wasn't feeling good so I lay down in bed and let her play. Will add that she was bottomless. Anyway at one point she comes into the room with the potty in her hand, and yes she has done a number two! Mummy was so proud!!

And today.. I wasn't in the room with her, and then I see her trying to take off her trousers. Now she does that a lot, trying to put on and off clothes, but somehow I could see that this was for real, so I took them off for her [I usually try not to help her, I hope to write about that in another post] and put her on the potty. And oh yes did she deliver! I was so so proud of her!

Of course writing this is going to jinx it, but I think I can say that as for #2 my girl is toilet trained. Now lets master peeing in potty!