Little Kian, as some of you know, absolutely hates it when I use the toilet. I'm not sure why. Maybe he views it as a needless interruption of mommy-time, and KC is nothing if not possessive of his mommy. In any case, merely hearing the words "I have to pee now" sets the whining in motion. Sometimes he will fling himself at me bodily, as if to drop me to the floor in an immobilizing toddler embrace before I can reach the bathroom. And for as long as I am seated on the dreaded "potty," KC will stand in front of me, howling and wringing his hands. (Yes, he wrings his hands when upset, like a 20s actress.) Even invitations to help me pull some toilet paper from the roll or promises that he can help flush often fall on deaf--and enraged--ears.
Last night I got him to quiet down to the proverbial dull roar with my current favorite tantrum-defuser, "Hey, let's talk about it." Lately this is how I introduce explanations for such unreasonable mommy behavior as brushing the boy's teeth, stopping him from pouring water on the carpet, and making him wear clothes when it's cold. Astonishingly enough, KC will usually calm down a little and listen, even abandoning the tantrum entirely in some cases, although whether that is because my explanations are convincing or simply an effective distraction remains unclear.
"Mommy has to put her peepee the potty," I explained. "Remember, everybody has to put their peepee either in a diaper or in the potty, and Mommy doesn't wear a diaper." At that, little Kian stopped mid-whine, turned and pointed firmly at the bag of maxi-pads beside the toilet, and then firmly again at my underpants. His tantrum was entirely put aside, and there was even a triumphant gleam in his eyes as he presented me with this perfect solution to his woes.
It took a bit more explaining to convince him that those were not, in fact, diapers for mommy and were in no way adequate to the peepee challenge. Thankfully, it took enough explaining that the hated visit to the potty was completed without further drama. But really, you got to hand it to the kid for his problem-solving skills. If everyone would just be reasonable and wear their diapers, we could end the scourge of bathroom breaks at long last!
Last night I got him to quiet down to the proverbial dull roar with my current favorite tantrum-defuser, "Hey, let's talk about it." Lately this is how I introduce explanations for such unreasonable mommy behavior as brushing the boy's teeth, stopping him from pouring water on the carpet, and making him wear clothes when it's cold. Astonishingly enough, KC will usually calm down a little and listen, even abandoning the tantrum entirely in some cases, although whether that is because my explanations are convincing or simply an effective distraction remains unclear.
"Mommy has to put her peepee the potty," I explained. "Remember, everybody has to put their peepee either in a diaper or in the potty, and Mommy doesn't wear a diaper." At that, little Kian stopped mid-whine, turned and pointed firmly at the bag of maxi-pads beside the toilet, and then firmly again at my underpants. His tantrum was entirely put aside, and there was even a triumphant gleam in his eyes as he presented me with this perfect solution to his woes.
It took a bit more explaining to convince him that those were not, in fact, diapers for mommy and were in no way adequate to the peepee challenge. Thankfully, it took enough explaining that the hated visit to the potty was completed without further drama. But really, you got to hand it to the kid for his problem-solving skills. If everyone would just be reasonable and wear their diapers, we could end the scourge of bathroom breaks at long last!
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