Oh Crap! Potty Training

they won’t read this book (or at least, parts of it). I’m telling you
straight up, this is going to be a problem.
I think there are a couple of reasons some dads don’t jump at the
opportunity to potty train. I think one of the major ones is that they
aren’t used to doing the bulk of the potty-related work. Often, they
didn’t change the majority of the diapers, and they don’t expect to be
the major potty trainer. It’s a common joke that men won’t stop for
directions. Well, consider this book “directions.” And for a guy who
doesn’t want to ask for help, advice might be unwelcome. Period.
Also, the majority of dads are working, and I suspect that many
come home and want to be the “good guy.” Further, they are tired and
cranky themselves, so containing crap is not their idea of fun. I get it.
But remind them that this is temporary.
Some men are superlinear thinkers and don’t really connect with
the chaos of the toddler mind. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve
seen a situation like this: Mom’s been working her butt off to potty
train the kid during the day. She leaves the child in her husband’s
care for twenty minutes. The child has an accident. Mom asks Dad
what happened, and he says, “I told him to go and he said no.” I think
dads really expect that you only have to tell your child that he needs
to pee in the potty one time and the child should fully comprehend
and comply.
If you sense resistance from your mate, try to get to the bottom of
it before you begin. If you begin with a recalcitrant mate, potty
training becomes straight up crazy. You’ll spend your time battling
and trying to prove yourself rather than teaching your child to use
the toilet. This process of proving yourself to your mate will
undermine your success by putting you on edge. It will also put a ton