• Hopes of potty-training him by the time he is three have been crushed
Image: PIXABAY
It has been a challenging couple of weeks in our household with potty training, tantrums and the looming big three.
While our son is officially turning three next week, we can definitely see early signs of growth and personality changes. He’s moodier than ever and he’s getting more difficult to anticipate.
For instance, three weeks ago, he would fight with all his might against midday naps, but recently, he settles himself in without a problem. He was also quite the outdoorsy kid, yet when we tell him to go outside, he just ignores us and carries on inside.
My biggest hope was to completely potty train him by the time he is three and before he goes back to daycare. However, recent events have crushed that hope into a million small pieces. The kid was simply not having it. For 10 days, we slogged and tried to no avail. On the final day after our kid had pooped almost 10 times in his underpants, we looked at each other and decided it was time for a break.
The break is not just for our son, to wait until he is ready. It is also for us to breathe, recharge and start again. Frustrations were running high after putting in so much work with little fruit. We were afraid of pushing the kid too hard for something he just wasn’t ready for. We need to regroup and start afresh.
Meanwhile, the changes in behaviour and personality have been so evident. The confidence, the sass, the certainty is unmatched. He doesn’t waiver in his wants and dislikes. The tantrums come by the barrel, sometimes at home, sometimes in public, sometimes even in his sleep!
The public tantrums have been the hardest to deal with. Not only because they happen in front of strangers who are silently judging you but also because the child’s behaviour itself is very testing. Often wanting to do things that are impractical or impossible. Then screaming at the top of his lungs when he doesn’t get what he wants.
Sometimes I look at him and he looks like the cuddly itty bitty baby he was just two years ago. Other times I see a curious growing boy who seems to be in a hurry to jump from his toddler years to his preteens (another growth stage that scares me). While he is a raging terrible two turning into an unpredictable threenager, I must admit that there are some positive sides to this milestone.
Our son is a sponge, ready to learn and memorise all that we teach him. During this holiday break, he has shown us that his preferred physical activity is swimming. The kid will spend hours on end in the pool outswimming many older kids. He has proven to us over and over that he can survive several days without screen time. He’s even eager to go back to school!