So, I'm considering starting potty training Emyri and I'm realizing this is another one of those "I have no idea what I'm doing as a parent" types of thing. And although I have had plenty of these dumb founded situations, believe you me, they still always seem to jump out of the bushes of nowhere and leave me stumbling around blind for a good week.
So I've heard, "Wait until their ready", which I totally agree with; there's nothing more humiliating than being forced to control your bodily functions when you're bodily functions have no intention of being controlled.....we'll I'm assuming.
I've also heard "Wait until they show interest" which makes sense.
Then in talking with one of my fellow softball teammates, mother of five successfully potty trained girls, she said that with her girls there seemed to be a window of opportunity when they were really interested and if she waited too long or until she was ready to take the task head on, she found it was almost always too late, and the process was a lot longer and harder.
Great!
So I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm feeling the pressure of this small window of opportunity that may or may not have already passed and wondering how you really know if you're child is truly ready for and truly interested in the big "plunge"; pun intended. Emyri showed interest in pottying a long time ago, but at the time I was thinking she was way too young for the real thing. Now, I'm sitting here asking the girl if she wants to potty as she's telling me "No, I'm fine" and wondering if her toilet attraction has long been gone and if she's going to end up at her Jr. Prom sporting a fashionable dress, jewelry to kill, and.......a pull-up.
Okay, so I know it's not that bad....and honestly, despite my continual dazed and confused parenting states Emyri has survived and even thrived in her two years of life. I know in the end we'll master this phase as well, but I guess I just need some help to know where to even start.
Do I just keep asking her all day if she needs to potty? Do I periodically put her on the john throughout the day to see how it goes? Should I just straight up get her pumped about big girl panties and let her pick her own out and go cold turkey with the diapers? Are pull-ups better? Should I use behavior-mod and give her potty treats? Is she really ready or should I just bag the whole thing and wait another six months?
What have you experts found to work best for you? Any advice would be greatly appreciated: )
Man...I've been busy and absent. Sorry, but here's a little "10 second Interview" I enjoyed from my friend Kevin's facebook, so I decided to give it a whirl: ) Here goes....