My toddler suddenly refused to sit on the potty! Zoinks!
Posted by Jennifer Fuentes on Mon, November 2nd 2009 in Parenting "Tools"
Wise mama Jennifer Fuentes of Milagros Boutique shares a tip for supporting potty-learning toddlers.
Over the summer my two year old son Gael learned how to use the potty. It seemed almost effortless. There was a lot of naked down below time, no worries if there were “misses” (we have hardwood floors and I can always do laundry), just a nice transition out of diapers. And then two months after feeling like he was officially potty-learned, it happened.
He suddenly refused to sit on the potty! Before, if he was hesitant at giving sitting on the potty a go, I could say “I’ll go first, and then you can have a turn” and everything would be fine. But this time was different. Little fella would firmly say “NO!” and lock up his little body, so no one could even guide him to the little potty. Ugh.
Then it hit me. “Hey, maybe if one of his toys goes potty…” And I am please to say that it worked! Whether it is a stuffed animal or a Tinker Toy, if he is not willing to sit on the potty, but we offer for his toy to go first, he then changes his tune! The little toy “goes potty” (sometimes he has a Lego grunt like it is pooping…cute!) and then he has his turn, and all is well in the world again. A simple reminder to me that when things get tricky, sometimes the remedy is thinking outside of the box.
