*If my blog never teaches anyone anything but this, it will be worth it...here you go, people...here's the number one thing you need to know about parenting:
-- Do what is best for YOUR child, not what the books or family or friends tell you the child should be doing. As long as you are not physically or emotionally hurting your child, it's no one else's business!
Example:
Logan has been pretty bad lately. He's been crying hysterically when I drop him off at school in the morning, making my day awful from the beginning. He's been hitting, pushing, biting, throwing toys, etc. at school and at home.
2 weeks ago, we started potty training full-force. He was only wearing diapers at night and at times when we really didn't want an accident to clean up (church, etc.) Some days, he was great -- no accidents at all. Every time we were at home, he'd go every time we put him on the toilet. We definitely thought we were close to him being completely trained.
The daycare has a policy that if a child is having too many accidents after 2 weeks, they will put him back in a diaper and try again later. I was pretty upset that Logan had "failed" potty training. After all, everyone was telling me that he SHOULD be going, etc., etc.
Well, the past two days, he has been so much better! He doesn't cry when I drop him off at school. His reports from the school have been positive and he's been much more agreeable when going to bed in the evenings. Hmmm, think there's a connection? I do!
So....and this is hard for me....right now, we are forgetting what everyone is telling us as far as milestones, when they should occur, how Logan "should" be going on the potty, etc., and we are getting in touch with what is best for our little boy. (The hard part for me isn't doing what's best for him, but it's overcoming the urge that I have to do what everyone else expects of me.)
I have no intentions to stop working with Logan and potty training. But for now, we are watching for clues and doing what's best for him specifically. And you know what, it makes for a happier boy and a happier family!
There you go. Apply it in your own parenting and you won't be disappointed. And if people judge you, keep your chin up and be confident in knowing that YOU know what is best for your child. Don't feel guilty. Parenting stuff is hard on us, but imagine what the child is feeling!!
Random info:
*Last night, we were playing outside and I watched Logan smell EVERY SINGLE TULIP in our yard. We could learn something from that.
*Logan's current favorite song is "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by John Denver. The three of us can be heard several times a week belting this song out at the top of our lungs in the car. Often on the way to school, Logan was saying, "What are YOU doing?" to me. I'll say, "I'm leaving on a jet plane!" and he'll say, "I wanna hear that guy sing it," so I'll play it.
*The other night, Logan was sitting on the couch and had a sheet of stickers. He threw them on the floor, laid on his belly (on the couch) and reached to pick them up. He couldn't reach them, so he got down, picked them up and went to another part of the couch. He then threw them on the floor and tried to reach again. Here's what I heard "Reach. Ugh....reaching....ugh..I got it!" and then he'd get them and then throw them on the floor again.
*Logan and Zeb got me diamond earrings for Mother's Day (which they gave to me early) and Logan asks a couple times a day to see them. He has to look at both of them and then will say, "I got those for you? OOOOHH, neat!"
*We are going to be going to Chicago this summer, so Logan anxiously talks about "Cago" and says that when he goes to the aquarium, he's going to "eat the sharks!"
-- Do what is best for YOUR child, not what the books or family or friends tell you the child should be doing. As long as you are not physically or emotionally hurting your child, it's no one else's business!
Example:
Logan has been pretty bad lately. He's been crying hysterically when I drop him off at school in the morning, making my day awful from the beginning. He's been hitting, pushing, biting, throwing toys, etc. at school and at home.
2 weeks ago, we started potty training full-force. He was only wearing diapers at night and at times when we really didn't want an accident to clean up (church, etc.) Some days, he was great -- no accidents at all. Every time we were at home, he'd go every time we put him on the toilet. We definitely thought we were close to him being completely trained.
The daycare has a policy that if a child is having too many accidents after 2 weeks, they will put him back in a diaper and try again later. I was pretty upset that Logan had "failed" potty training. After all, everyone was telling me that he SHOULD be going, etc., etc.
Well, the past two days, he has been so much better! He doesn't cry when I drop him off at school. His reports from the school have been positive and he's been much more agreeable when going to bed in the evenings. Hmmm, think there's a connection? I do!
So....and this is hard for me....right now, we are forgetting what everyone is telling us as far as milestones, when they should occur, how Logan "should" be going on the potty, etc., and we are getting in touch with what is best for our little boy. (The hard part for me isn't doing what's best for him, but it's overcoming the urge that I have to do what everyone else expects of me.)
I have no intentions to stop working with Logan and potty training. But for now, we are watching for clues and doing what's best for him specifically. And you know what, it makes for a happier boy and a happier family!
There you go. Apply it in your own parenting and you won't be disappointed. And if people judge you, keep your chin up and be confident in knowing that YOU know what is best for your child. Don't feel guilty. Parenting stuff is hard on us, but imagine what the child is feeling!!
Random info:
*Last night, we were playing outside and I watched Logan smell EVERY SINGLE TULIP in our yard. We could learn something from that.
*Logan's current favorite song is "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by John Denver. The three of us can be heard several times a week belting this song out at the top of our lungs in the car. Often on the way to school, Logan was saying, "What are YOU doing?" to me. I'll say, "I'm leaving on a jet plane!" and he'll say, "I wanna hear that guy sing it," so I'll play it.
*The other night, Logan was sitting on the couch and had a sheet of stickers. He threw them on the floor, laid on his belly (on the couch) and reached to pick them up. He couldn't reach them, so he got down, picked them up and went to another part of the couch. He then threw them on the floor and tried to reach again. Here's what I heard "Reach. Ugh....reaching....ugh..I got it!" and then he'd get them and then throw them on the floor again.
*Logan and Zeb got me diamond earrings for Mother's Day (which they gave to me early) and Logan asks a couple times a day to see them. He has to look at both of them and then will say, "I got those for you? OOOOHH, neat!"
*We are going to be going to Chicago this summer, so Logan anxiously talks about "Cago" and says that when he goes to the aquarium, he's going to "eat the sharks!"
1 comment:
My son just turned 3 last week. He has wanted NOTHING to do with the potty - BUT, he told me when he turned 3 he would go. We have had GREAT success this past week. This, even with him fighting an ear infection. I, too, got looks and comments from people about how he "should" be potty trained before now. Do what is right for you, or it will make you crazy!
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