The last few days have been particularly full. Of excrement. And related body fluids. Baby is not into diapers and often resistant to going to the potty of late. So we let her scamper across the bed and then have to change the sheets or duvet. Or wipe off the top of the table (mom, don’t tell dad!!). Or mop the floor. Or today, twice in a row, clean out the poopy diaper. I can’t tell you when the last time was that she went in her diaper. But today she would not, did not go on the potty.
The results of today’s incidents highlighted for me the reasons to use elimination communication. It is so much nice for everyone involved! Poop goes straight into the potty instead of being smeared ALL OVER the nether regions. Clean-up is faster, too, much better for a back-lying-resistant baby. And being diaper-free must be much more comfortable.
So I greatly want to make the leap forward to full positive potty use. However, I’m not sure how to do it. I feel like we’re stuck in the middle: missed doing elimination communication properly – we were never really diaper-free – but also too young for the reasoning stage of toddlerhood. On our side: she’s a smarty-cakes. And she already signs “potty”, usually at the right time. Against us: winter is coming, kind of cold for diaper-free; and she’s pretty independent.
Any suggestions welcome.
I have to admit that her assorted extracurricular potty activities really strained my inner peace today. WHY does she resist getting on the potty when she has to go??? WHAT do I need to do to communicate better with my daughter? WHERE did I go wrong so far? (okay, the third is maybe going a bit far. So I haven’t measured up to my expectations: things are still going fine. But still disappointing not to be where I want as a parental communicator. And note I didn’t say “so far wrong”).
Facing up to the situation; taking advantage of what feels like a transitional time to move ahead; and remaining positive and loving are my strategies for this issue. Interested to see how it unfolds!