Understanding Your Kid's Vibe

Every child has a unique temperament and it’s important that we as parents recognize this.

If you have two children, you may have one that potty trains easily. One day they just hand you their diaper and say “I want undies” and another child who literally could care less that they’re walking around with a turd in their underwear at age 3. It’s important to understand the unique nature of our children. You could have a child who is “the heck yea kid,” or one who is the “I don’t know how I feel kid,” or “the I do what I want” kid. 

The “heck yea” kid is a kid who is excited about the process. You may find that very little prep is needed because they’re already excited about this idea.

The “I don’t know how I feel” kid is unsure. They’re more cautious around the toilet. Afraid of the noises the toilet makes, or isn’t sure how they feel about using a toilet. For this type of kid, prep and talking about the process in an uplifting way is helpful.

And then we have the “I Do what I want” kid… This kid just has zero desire to do this even though they may be ready. They’re more strong-willed and against the process. This child (like actually all children), will NOT respond well to pressure. When you have a strong-willed child to potty train, they may fight the process back and our first reaction may be to push more and apply more pressure. BUT, we have to do the opposite and step back and say “Okay. I trust you. The potty is there if you need it” and mix it with strategies you will learn in this course. 

Think about what your child is like and remember that as you navigate the rest of this course. Now let’s go to signs of readiness and prepping them for success.