'My child taught herself something at daycare she refuses to do with me'

"The kids daycare gets are not the same ones we get at home!” 

A Melbourne mum says she’s been “played” by her two-year-old daughter following an unexpected daycare discovery. 

Nicole hadn’t been actively trying to train her toddler how to use the potty. She’d been waiting for the telling signs of readiness. 

“We'd ask her regularly if she'd like to go to the toilet and it was always a firm 'no',” Nicole told Kidspot. 

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"Very on brand for this child to pull the wool over my eyes" 

So when she arrived at daycare for drop off this week, she was taken by surprise when an educator pulled her aside.

“I was just wondering why doesn’t she wear underwear?” the educator had asked her. 

Nicole explained to the educator that the youngster isn’t toilet trained yet. Turns out that couldn’t be further from the truth. 

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The educator simply said: "Yes, she is.”  

Turns out every day the tot turns up to school, and without a fuss, takes herself to the toilet. All while keeping her mum in the dark and continuing to refuse to use the potty at home. 

“It felt very on brand for this child to pull the wool over my eyes!” Nicole said. 

“It reminded me of how the daycare app tells me all the food she eats during the day, that she would never touch at home.  The kids daycare gets are not the same ones we get at home!” 

Nicole couldn't believe it when the day care teacher told her that her daughter actually is potty trained. Image: Supplied

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"They’re like capable little adults in tiny bodies" 

It’s difficult to say why our kids become a whole new version of themselves once they step into the world of daycare, but Nicole has a theory as to why her child does. 

She believes it all comes down to two big factors. 

“I am her comfort zone.  They know they can get away with more.  But at daycare, they're more likely to follow the rules.  Well my child clearly is anyway!” Nicole shared 

“The second reason is that they copy each other at daycare. They see other kids doing things and they want to copy.”

Taking to Tik Tok, Nicole told her tale and found she’s not the only mother to experience being hoodwinked by a toddler. 

“They’re like capable little adults in tiny bodies. The second they spot mum and dad they put their baby voice back on and act like bubbas again,” a childhood educator commented. 

A second person agreed: “kids like to make us look like fools.” 

“My son apparently loves eating veggies and trying new food at daycare. Won’t touch them or any new food when he’s home with us. I had to triple check that daycare wasn't getting him mixed up with another kid. But at least he's eating veggies somewhere,” a mother revealed. 

For now, Nicole plans to follow her daughter’s lead. 

“We're still sending her in pull ups for now. But I do plan to bring forward the at-home training, now that I know,” Nicole said. 

Originally published as 'My child taught herself something at daycare she refuses to do with me'