Monday, November 26, 2007

Know Thine Enemy

It has been a long day. Some have had worse days, no doubt. But still, a long day. The potty training has begun in earnest in our household and it is not fun. And not easy. I suppose part of me blithely hoped (or perhaps fantasized is a better way to put it) that one day Emma would decide there would be no more of this kiddie crap (no pun intended) and simple decide to use her potty chair. As the case seems to be, she is sick of wearing diapers and not yet ready to wear panties. Today, before noon, we had 4 accidents. Bad accidents. It has occurred to me that potty training my daughter is going to be far more challenging than potty training any of my numerous pets has ever been.

When it comes to pets you can simply throw them outside. Rub their nose in it. Scold them. Keep them outside until they behave. With a child? No such luck. Instead I think I will have to work some serious voodoo. A friend of mine told me today that all potty training really is brainwashing. This makes sense. Now the problem I face is that mine opponent is an abnormally smart two-year old with limited facilities. I have tried reminding her every 30 - 45 minutes to use the potty but all that really does is annoy her and stress her out. I have tried putting diapers on her but she simply takes them off. I have bought her pretty panties and that excited her and I think dismayed her more than anything else when they got dirty. (In all reality I think I was more upset about them getting dirty than she was because, well, I am the one that gets to clean them.)

Side note: Oh my heck, I have never seen any child get so excited over Thomas the Tank Engine undies. She literally jumped up and down with excitement. hehehehehe

I shall have to try a new approach. Diapers at bedtime with jammies on backwards so she can't unzip them. Panties during the day at home, an available potty and no pressure. I will win her to the cause (if I can't make her wear diapers I really don't have a choice in whether or not I potty train her) but I will do it subtly. I will let her do it at her own time.

Meanwhile, does anyone know a good carpet cleaning service?

2 comments:

Sarah said...

Lisa,
We have yet to experience th horrors of potty training. Right now we are cursed with our little girl being addicted to just sitting on the potty and doing nothing. She just wants to sit there. It is always just before bath and she sees the potty and want to sit on the potty and then she sits there for what seems like forever (5 minutes maybe more. What is bad is that we don't have a special little potty for her we have a little seat that sits on our potty so I get to either stand around or sit on the floor and wait for her to get off the pot. I don't want to "make" her get off because I don't want to traumatize her and then have her refuse to sit on the potty later. Anyhow, I guess I'm lucky she hasn't figured out how to get her diapers off, yet.

KMF said...

The things I have to look forward to! Although from everything I've heard, little boys are easier than little girls. Nick's Dr. said to me at his appoinment monday "No more diapers when the new one gets here." So I have 7 months and no more diapers.... well for Nick anyways. And there is always the fact that #2 will possibly be that "harder to potty train little girl!" Miss You lots, Love Erica