Oh Crap! Potty Training

weeks on a Sunday. You will clear your calendar for a week, starting
with that Sunday.
I usually crack up at the look on moms’ faces when I say this. Jaws
drop, faces go white. What?! Yes, clear your calendar for a week.
(Don’t worry, working moms: we’ll hit day care situations in a bit.)
You will be home for the first few days, with small outings
planned. After that, you want to be at your child’s bathroom beck
and call for at least a week. The reason for this calendar clearing is
simple: if you have things planned, you’re more likely to get stressed
out. What if your child had a lot to drink in the morning and doesn’t
pee and it’s time for Music Together, story time at the library, a play
date, or whatever? You are more likely to pressure him or get
aggravated. You’re tempting fate with an accident in the car. What if
your child has to poop, and you’re in the one place that has an out-of-
order toilet? At this point, you will be only three days into potty
training; you will still have a way to go before you and your child
absolutely know his signals. Set up yourself and your child for
success!
I’m asking you to clear a small amount of time. I’ve had parents
practically flip out and tell me they can’t possibly stay home for a few
days, to which I respond that if you can’t stay home with your child
for a few days, you might want to change your priorities. At this age,
your child should be neither overscheduled nor overstimulated with
entertainment. If you and your partner are both full-time workers out
of the home, I’ve got a whole chapter on day cares; that is its own ball
of wax. In a full-time day care situation, it’s usually best to pick a
three-day holiday weekend, and maybe even take an extra day off to