One of the big experiences that parents of toddlers encounter is potty training. This evening, I realized that Dylan really has not started potty training at all. He wants to wear training pants, but he does not want to stop playing outside or whatever else he is doing to let me know that he has to use the potty. He does not even tell me when he needs to be changed. It is probably a good thing that he has not started potty training, though, because I have not yet educated myself about how to do it.
I want to be kind, responsive, and sensitive as we navigate our way to potty time success. To that end, I looked around for some information about potty training that I can begin to integrate into our daily lives. I found some helpful tips on the Dr. Sears website – I often visit that web site for tips and advice and find it to be a good resource that is compatible with my parenting style.
The first thing that I became aware of is that I will need to be patient. Potty training is a complex skill that involves learning how to recognize certain sensations inside the body and then respond to those sensations quickly enough to complete all of the steps involved in getting everything into the proper place. It is going to take some time.
Another great reminder from Dr. Sears is that toddlers are, by nature, busy and that this can affect their desire to learn how to use the potty. That describes our current state of affairs in a nutshell. I have explained to Dylan that he can use the potty whenever he wants to. Sometimes he does pee in the potty in the morning when we go into the bathroom to change his night time diaper. After that, though, it is definitely not a priority. There is simply too much to do and see for him to concern himself with the potty. Right now may not be the right time, but I am going to keep educating myself about potty training so that I can know when the time is right and offer the appropriate guidance.
Photo by wax 115 on morguefile.com.