Oh Crap! Potty Training

Let me repeat that. You, you, you, you, you, you.
YOU are the parent. YOU provide safety and boundaries for your
child. YOU are the teacher. YOU provide a loving environment
where it’s safe to grow. Again, YOU provide the boundaries. It is your
job to nurture your child to their fullest potential. It’s your job to
instill dignity and self-respect.
More than just you, it’s your commitment. This is a big deal, your
commitment. Potty training is not rocket science by any means. I can
tell you what to do until I’m blue in the face, but until you decide you
are committed to the process, it’s not going to fly with your child.
When I say “commitment,” I mean your commitment to
consistency. This is a new skill you are teaching your child. Humans
learn by repetition. I repeat: humans learn by repetition.
Even as an adult, have you learned a skill and then not used it
consistently and lost it? Of course you have. Pick a skill. I’ve tried to
learn knitting for years. I start, and then I don’t do it enough, and I
forget. I have to learn all over again every time. It’s ever so slightly
easier the next time, but not by much. How about playing a musical
instrument? Consistent practice is vital. Very few people make
significant progress by playing just once in a while. Think of your job.
Skills that are now second nature once took a lot of thought and
concentration. After enough repetition, things just sink in.
While potty training, you need to be consistent and firm. By firm,
I mean “without question,” not aggressive or pushy. I would say firm
can be a pretty contentious word in parenting these days. I have so
many clients who are afraid of being firm. Being firm and meaning
business is good, and it doesn’t have to look mean. Many modern