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I've gotta keep my eye on this one.
Oct. 12th, 2010 11:20 amI swear I had already posted this! Anyway, in the interest of clearing out the backlog...
I was having a rough day with Jonahyesterday two Friday's ago. He was increasingly defiant and suddenly, after several weeks of cooperating with potty training, had decided that he was going to revert to being a baby and consciously avoid using the potty. I went over the myriad of other things that go along with being a "big boy" versus the limitations of being a baby.
Nope. He's cool with that. Well, some of it.
Seeing the downsides to his choice to go backwards in life as I was trying to get him to help clean up his room, he pondered for a minute.
"No, I wanna be a baby while you're cleaning up [my toys]. Then when you're done, I'll be a big boy again so I can play."
On the outside, I wanna yell, "GO TO TIME OUT!" (But I didn't, I just kept working different angles until I found something to which he'd agree.)
On the inside, I'm saying, "way to try to logic your way out of that one, son." Also, "damn it, this kid is going to keep me on my toes."
His teacher relayed a similar story on Wednesday. He wasn't wanting to get on his mat for nap time and she typically counts down from 5 when she needs them to do something and they're resistant. She said he just stood there and she had gotten to 3, then 2 and she asked him why he wasn't moving. He told her, "I'm waiting for you to get to 1". She said she laughed and remarked to me that the thought processes behind that are pretty advanced. At home we count to 3. Generally at 2, he'll start doing what you're asking him to do (the consequence of reaching 3 is usually time out), but he'll often yell 4 at me as he does.
He knows his boundaries and pushes them right to their limits. It's nerve wracking for his parents and care givers, but he knows exactly what he's doing. It's the same as him going right to the edge of the driveway without placing so much as a toe in the street. That's a physical boundary that he toes quite deliberately (and literally).
By the end of the day we had a small victory and his excitement for the rewards of potty training were renewed. It seems we're back on track for now, but it's only a matter of time before his impulsive nature kicks in and he decides he doesn't care about the rewards anymore. Like I said, always on my toes. I have to constantly come up with new ways to keep him interested.
I was having a rough day with Jonah
Nope. He's cool with that. Well, some of it.
Seeing the downsides to his choice to go backwards in life as I was trying to get him to help clean up his room, he pondered for a minute.
"No, I wanna be a baby while you're cleaning up [my toys]. Then when you're done, I'll be a big boy again so I can play."
On the outside, I wanna yell, "GO TO TIME OUT!" (But I didn't, I just kept working different angles until I found something to which he'd agree.)
On the inside, I'm saying, "way to try to logic your way out of that one, son." Also, "damn it, this kid is going to keep me on my toes."
His teacher relayed a similar story on Wednesday. He wasn't wanting to get on his mat for nap time and she typically counts down from 5 when she needs them to do something and they're resistant. She said he just stood there and she had gotten to 3, then 2 and she asked him why he wasn't moving. He told her, "I'm waiting for you to get to 1". She said she laughed and remarked to me that the thought processes behind that are pretty advanced. At home we count to 3. Generally at 2, he'll start doing what you're asking him to do (the consequence of reaching 3 is usually time out), but he'll often yell 4 at me as he does.
He knows his boundaries and pushes them right to their limits. It's nerve wracking for his parents and care givers, but he knows exactly what he's doing. It's the same as him going right to the edge of the driveway without placing so much as a toe in the street. That's a physical boundary that he toes quite deliberately (and literally).
By the end of the day we had a small victory and his excitement for the rewards of potty training were renewed. It seems we're back on track for now, but it's only a matter of time before his impulsive nature kicks in and he decides he doesn't care about the rewards anymore. Like I said, always on my toes. I have to constantly come up with new ways to keep him interested.
