Posts
Every 2 months Amazon.com delivers a box of these:
Every time it arrives I get hopeful that it will be the last time we need them and I can cancel the next delivery. But I always end up so disappointed.
I've been sentimental about other aspects of my boys "growing up too fast" but this is certainly not one of them. Once the diapers are gone I don't think I'll reminisce or get weepy that I no longer have a baby. I'm ready to close that chapter of my life. Yes I want them to stay little; I'd just prefer it if they could at least use the toilet!
Defiant is a fair word to describe Brazos. And believe me, I've taken that into consideration as I have attempted potty training with him. The kid just won't do it. Nothing has worked with him. I've tried encouragement, punishment, praise and bribery. None of it matters to him.
I don't want to hear "just give him time; he's not ready" or "he'll be ready for it soon enough" or "just wait, you're pushing him to do this too soon" or any other variation of the concept that we need to wait for him to show an interest in it. Here's the thing: he CAN do it, he just WON'T do it. Yes, I've been consistent but I know my child better than anyone and I know he has ZERO interest in it- not now and maybe not ever. Therefore I've tried to nudge, and sometimes push, him in that direction. Afterall, if we waited for our children to "be ready" they'd never have given up a pacifier or bottle on their own. If we allowed them to sleep in our bed with us until they were "ready" to sleep in their own bed then they'd be in there until they are teenagers. Likewise, do you know any third graders that were "ready" to learn multiplication on their own? Probably not very many.
So here we are- me, the parent, who knows I'm going to have to lead the way on potty training and my precious defiant child who does not want to be led. Maybe I should try reverse psychology on him- did that and it didn't work. Get him new underwear with tractors on them- did that and he didn't mind one bit if he soiled them. A potty party- he doesn't want to attend. A new tractor toy, reward/sticker chart, candy, even Dr. Pepper. The kid is willing to let it all dangle in front of him and doesn't make even the tiniest of attempts to earn any of it. If I leave him naked without a diaper then he's pretty good at going to the potty to pee, but he absolutely will not tell us he needs to go if he has a diaper or underwear on. As far as #2 is concerned it is not going to happen anytime in the foreseeable future. There have been a few days when I knew we didn't need to leave the house so I gave him a double dose of Miralax, stripped him of his diaper and waited. And waited. And waited. A few times he thought he needed to go but once he got to the potty he just refused to do it. How can anyone just command their bowels not to move? Somehow he has mastered it. He waited until bedtime when he got a diaper and you guessed it, went almost right away once he had it on.
He's not afraid of the toilet. He just flat out refuses to use it. I've tried to not make a big deal out of it and just catch him right when I notice he needs to go but that little stinker (no pun intended) waits until I'm doing something like washing dishes or hanging up clothes then he makes a fast dash to his room to the corner and takes care of business in a matter of seconds. And he's pretty much a once a day pooper so then I have to wait another day for my next opportunity. Needless to say I gave up on that method. I even just quit trying it completely for a few weeks to give him (and me) a break. When we started back at it he pulled the same stunts.
I'd like to just ship him off to Oma's or MiMi's house and let one of them handle it since he and I can't seem to work together on this. But I'm afraid he'd be there until he's five years old. He adores his dad but won't even do it for him. So what's a mom to do? Write on her blog about it and wish for the day he has a child of his own that is just like him.
No comments:
Post a Comment