For those of us who are facing “potty training”  with our toddlers,  just remember you will need endless patience, a sense of humor, and plenty of time to spend in the bathroom. The transition time between diapers and using the toilet has been a source of angst for numerous families.  And I am seeing that the pressure is really on working parents now that many pre-schools and classrooms require the child be out of diapers by the time they reach a certain stage.  It seems ridiculous to give a toddler a deadline doesn’t it?  These expectations have caused many to “push” potty training- but the results can have the opposite effect.

My husband and I are facing this pressure now as our daughter is moving rapidly through toddler-hood.  We see other children her age that are successfully potty training- and we hear the comments of their proud parents (don’t even get me started on competition).   However, we are extremely fortunate that her caregivers share our belief that she will be potty trained when she shows us that she is ready.  See Rachael’s tips on Signs of Potty Training Readiness to get a better understanding of what those signs are.

We decided to adopt this attitude of patience after watching my brother and sister in law go through an enormous amount of stress as they struggled to speed along the potty training process for our niece a few years back.  They, like many working parents, succumbed to the pressure that was placed on them from their daughter’s pre-school to get her out of diapers so she can move up to the next level in the classroom with the rest of her peers.

As a result- our niece developed anxiety towards the potty and would put her little body through great discomfort to prevent herself from “going” so she could avoid the process all together.  Obviously, this increased the tension and was a real cause of concern for my her well being.

I am happy to report that after months of patiently working with her to banish her potty fears- our niece is completely trained and was able to move along in her pre school program.   My brother and sister in law have also decided they will not rush the process with their second child…they will wait until he is good and ready and rely on their parental instincts to go through this process.  While I hate that they had such a difficult time as a family, I am grateful that my husband and I were able to learn from their experiences and have decided we will not let ANYONE tell us when our daughter should be using the toilet and trust that she will let us know when the time is right. We have a potty for her- we talk about the potty- but that is all I can do for now.   We will eventually add Training Pants to the mix- but we have to take it one step at a time.

Whenever I begin to question my abilities as a Mom- I remind myself of Rachael’s last rule from her post about Potty Training: Don’t give up hope. He or she won’t want to wear a diaper forever.

Photo Credit:  The Green Baby Guide