So there’s good news here. I always look for the good news first.
Either you or she or maybe both of you are fully aware of the feeling
of having to go poop. That’s awesome! The sitting is good, she’s
probably just having trouble releasing the poop. The Play-Doh trick
(both in the book and on YouTube) is an awesome fix for this.
Sometimes children just need a visual for what’s going on. The other
big fix is to start using a term for releasing the anus/sphincter
muscles. Most kids really resonate with “your poop gate.” “Just open
your poop gate and let the poop slide out.” Use passive words like slide
as opposed to push. Using language like “open your poop gate” sends
the message that this is something your child is in control of and that
is super helpful for the child to know.
- You make it sound like potty training after three years old is
going to be horrific. I was scared that I had waited so long, but I
had tried before, and my child just wouldn’t potty train. Well, I
found your book, and it went great! Why do you make it sound so
awful for three-year-olds and over?
Yay! I’m so glad it went well for you. I make it sound horrific
because in my experience it usually is. The threes are an incredible
time of developmental growth for children. They begin to
individuate, which is the psychological process of learning they are
separate from you, the parent. This brings about huge leaps in “free
will” as witnessed by the tantrums and amount of “no”s you get once
your child hits year three. Yes, a three-year-old will have more
language and more understanding, and that might ease the process of
potty training. However, a three-year-old will also have more
understanding of your buttons and when/how to push them. If you