Oh Crap! Potty Training

For example, one of the biggest challenges parents today face
during potty training is getting their child to sit on the potty. Yes,
you can read to them or sing to them. I say it’s okay to play with a
mobile device as a distraction in the very beginning. But really, when
you ask your child to sit to go potty, your child should sit. Now, to a
lot of people that sounds harsh. But if you take it out of the context
of potty training, it sounds perfectly reasonable. Say it’s time to sit
down for dinner, and your child keeps bouncing up (assuming they
aren’t buckled to a chair of sorts). You tell your child to sit and they
don’t. How do you handle that?
I’m asking because—whatever your response—that’s how you’re
going to handle it during potty training. When it’s dinner time, it’s
time to sit and eat. When it’s potty time, it’s time to sit on the potty.
Same thing.
Whenever you encounter behavior during potty training, do your
best to put it into a different context. That will help you figure out
how best to handle it in the context of potty training. It’s totally your
parenting call. I do not nor have I ever felt comfortable telling
people how to handle behavior in general. That’s why I’m giving you
a framework to work within, and you can make your own parenting
decisions.
Many parents say, “I don’t feel comfortable making him sit.” I
agree. I don’t think you should force your child to sit. However, it’s
worth pondering just how fearful we’ve become of transition to the
potty. Many parents fear doing anything negative around potty
training. Using a firm or stern voice sounds negative to these parents,
and they’re concerned about traumatizing the child. This is where
another scenario comes in handy. Every single one of us has held our