"Mommy not mad?"
That was the first thing out of Norah's mouth this morning, and all I needed to confirm that the decision I had made the night before was the right one.
As previously posted we have begun potty training Norah in earnest, and with only one accident, the first day was a fairly successful one. The second day was even better as there were no accidents! I thought we were on a roll until we hit the third day, which apparently is not the magic number in this house . Norah was busy watching Finding Nemo and I knew that she would be distracted by it, so I continuously asked her if she needed to use the potty. She told me "no" each and every time, only to have an accident literally moments later. By the time the third accident occurred I was completely frustrated and told her that I was very sad that she wasn't telling me when she needed to use the potty. She was getting upset because she was picking up on my rising level of frustration.
I need to point out that I was mostly frustrated with myself. I know that potty training is a lengthy and difficult process for most kids. I was NOT expecting her to just "get it" and be totally trained within the week or even month. I had just been very encouraged by the first few days (not to mention the months leading up to this). I knew I was part of the problem and couldn't seem to figure out what I was doing wrong, or how to change it. After watching her come up to me the rest of the afternoon asking if I was happy, I knew that I needed to be the one to change how we were doing things.
So my answer to that question was "No, Mommy's NOT mad. Mommy's very happy to be with you and Justin. I love you so much!" At this point we have taken a step back, and I am fine with that. Today I didn't break out the big girl panties or even the pull ups. I just asked her occasionally if she needed to use the potty, and didn't push it when she told me "no". It's not easy to admit that I was making a mistake, and even harder to document it. However, I want both Norah and Justin to understand that learning is a continuous process. That when we find ourselves failing, that we can step back, re-evaluate, think creatively and outside the box, and then continue moving forward. That a road block does not have to be a dead end.
I have not yet figured out my game plan for the coming months as we continue to potty train her. I know that I will need to change things, but will just have to be more creative. So instead of being angry or frustrated with Norah, I owe her my thanks. As usual, my children are teaching me.
That was the first thing out of Norah's mouth this morning, and all I needed to confirm that the decision I had made the night before was the right one.
As previously posted we have begun potty training Norah in earnest, and with only one accident, the first day was a fairly successful one. The second day was even better as there were no accidents! I thought we were on a roll until we hit the third day, which apparently is not the magic number in this house . Norah was busy watching Finding Nemo and I knew that she would be distracted by it, so I continuously asked her if she needed to use the potty. She told me "no" each and every time, only to have an accident literally moments later. By the time the third accident occurred I was completely frustrated and told her that I was very sad that she wasn't telling me when she needed to use the potty. She was getting upset because she was picking up on my rising level of frustration.
I need to point out that I was mostly frustrated with myself. I know that potty training is a lengthy and difficult process for most kids. I was NOT expecting her to just "get it" and be totally trained within the week or even month. I had just been very encouraged by the first few days (not to mention the months leading up to this). I knew I was part of the problem and couldn't seem to figure out what I was doing wrong, or how to change it. After watching her come up to me the rest of the afternoon asking if I was happy, I knew that I needed to be the one to change how we were doing things.
So my answer to that question was "No, Mommy's NOT mad. Mommy's very happy to be with you and Justin. I love you so much!" At this point we have taken a step back, and I am fine with that. Today I didn't break out the big girl panties or even the pull ups. I just asked her occasionally if she needed to use the potty, and didn't push it when she told me "no". It's not easy to admit that I was making a mistake, and even harder to document it. However, I want both Norah and Justin to understand that learning is a continuous process. That when we find ourselves failing, that we can step back, re-evaluate, think creatively and outside the box, and then continue moving forward. That a road block does not have to be a dead end.
I have not yet figured out my game plan for the coming months as we continue to potty train her. I know that I will need to change things, but will just have to be more creative. So instead of being angry or frustrated with Norah, I owe her my thanks. As usual, my children are teaching me.
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