Two dreaded words for a mom who loves order, neatness, and predictability (don't we all?). The problem is, how I've been dealing with it. I should have spent Precious' naptimes reading my books about how to react to a potty strike. Instead, I spent the time working around the house...
What I did (wrong): made Precious stay until she eliminated. Yes, there were breaks when I let her roam the bathroom sans diaper, but we were back to the toilet after a minute or two. This afternoon, I tried to make it as fun as possible by going out on the deck diaperless in the warm April breeze. I had her sit on the potty periodically, but with little force. Finally she tee-teed. When she did, we had a popsicle and went exploring in the yard as a reward. A similar evening session was unsuccessful.
New Daddy came home, assessed the situation, and told me I was being way too hard on her. He was right, but knowing that did little to help my frazzled self :).
"What is going on?", I ask myself as I pick up Laurie Boucke's book to read the five pages on potty strikes. The first listed reason for a potty strike is "physical discomfort." Hmmm, didn't she have shots yesterday? Didn't the strike start after we got home from the doctor? Oops, Mommy. Apparently, I should have expected a potty strike.
I think I'll be going a little easier on her with the potty usage, at least until the red welt on her left thigh is looking better. Thankfully, these books also have plenty of great suggestions for dealing with a strike. Boy, am I still learning.
What I did (wrong): made Precious stay until she eliminated. Yes, there were breaks when I let her roam the bathroom sans diaper, but we were back to the toilet after a minute or two. This afternoon, I tried to make it as fun as possible by going out on the deck diaperless in the warm April breeze. I had her sit on the potty periodically, but with little force. Finally she tee-teed. When she did, we had a popsicle and went exploring in the yard as a reward. A similar evening session was unsuccessful.
New Daddy came home, assessed the situation, and told me I was being way too hard on her. He was right, but knowing that did little to help my frazzled self :).
"What is going on?", I ask myself as I pick up Laurie Boucke's book to read the five pages on potty strikes. The first listed reason for a potty strike is "physical discomfort." Hmmm, didn't she have shots yesterday? Didn't the strike start after we got home from the doctor? Oops, Mommy. Apparently, I should have expected a potty strike.
I think I'll be going a little easier on her with the potty usage, at least until the red welt on her left thigh is looking better. Thankfully, these books also have plenty of great suggestions for dealing with a strike. Boy, am I still learning.
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