Oh Crap! Potty Training

Self-talk is what helps your child learn to control his impulses. Self-
talk develops with your child and becomes his inner voice. Some
experts suggest that children who develop strong self-talk skills make
better choices throughout childhood. We may be talking about pee
and poop right now, but eventually, it’s going to be smoking and
drugs and sex. With the constant barrage of noise around us in
modern society, adding our own voices to the cacophony is not
always helpful. When your child talks to himself, he’s sorting out all
the information he takes in and is making it his own. He’s learning to
make good decisions for himself. If you are talking, this can’t happen.
Furthermore, when you’re talking to your child—about potty
training or anything else—you’re generally also worrying about things
along the lines of: “Is he even listening? Or comprehending?” This
adds another layer to the talking problem. There’s emotion under all
that talking. With regard to potty training, that emotion is most
likely fear and anxiety (on your part). Children attend to your vibe
far above your words.
The bottom line is that most parents talk endlessly to their
children about the steps involved in potty training. And most of the
time, the kid can recite those steps right back to you. If your child
can tell you where the pee and poop go, but he’s still peeing on the
floor, it’s time to stop talking. Instead, use simple directives without
a lot of explanation. Then be quiet to give your child room to process
the information for himself.

Having Trouble with Releasing or Hating the Potty