Oh Crap! Potty Training

training. You deserve it.
After this first day of potty training, you should have a relatively
good idea of when and how often your child needs to use the potty.
More important, your child should have a relatively good idea of
when, where, and how to pee.
Chances are Block One has left you either elated or bummed. You
may be stoked that you and your child both have a good handle on
this potty training thing, or you may be feeling like your child
absolutely didn’t get it. If you’re feeling like this first day didn’t prove
so successful, examine where and when things might have gotten
tripped up. Check in and be honest with yourself on what you may
have done to hamper the process. I really encourage you to look at
your own behavior during potty training rather than putting it solely
on your child. Many parents have told me that their child is too
intense, too stubborn, or too something, but—and I say this without
judgment—usually these parents tend to be the same. So not only
have the parents passed this trait on to the child, but they (the
parents) act this way during the process of potty training. Know your
own style and be willing to adjust accordingly. Try to strike the
careful balance of being extremely attentive without being
overreactive or overbearing.
At this point I also feel it’s worth mentioning a particular
phenomenon I see as a mom and as a potty trainer. Parenting has
gotten oddly competitive in a strange way. Most of us know it’s not
healthy to push our children to see who can read sooner and who can
spell or do whatever else better. Still, there’s an odd thing happening
that I don’t even think most parents are aware of, which is a sort of
reverse competitiveness. It’s as though parents are competing to have