In which I break silence with a few words relative to autonomy.
From just before nap this afternoon, around 2:00 PM. Daughter L. hasn't peed since her 8:30 diaper change. She is wearing big-girl underpants.
G.: "Do you want to go potty?"
L.: "No."
G.: "Not even for a sticker?"
L.: "Noooo! I don't wanna go potty!"
G.: "If you go potty you get to wear your big-girl underpanties [as they are called around here] to bed."
L.: "NO! I don't like the potty."
G. (after a pause): "Well, you know what? There's nothing you could say that would make me let you use the potty. You can't use the potty."
L.: "I WANT TO USE THE POTTY!"
G.: "Nope, sorry."
L. (running into the bathroom as she pulls down her pants): "I'm gonna use the potty!"
We need dads like you on our new parenting board! Please take a few moments to check it out and pass the link on to other dads. We would really like to have an equal balance of mos and dads on the board!
Thank you!
Posted by: My Beach House Resort | May 25, 2005 at 07:10 PM
You so remind me of my own dad. He used that very same phrasing in the "Fine, then you can't go to bed..." context.
Posted by: jess | May 26, 2005 at 02:23 AM
Kids are great when they're too dumb to catch onto reverse psychology, aren't they? Enjoy it while it lasts, because she's gonna learn to game the system soon enough, and next thing you know, she'll have the keys to the car and you'll think it's a good idea.
Posted by: Orange | May 26, 2005 at 10:51 PM
Ah reverse psychology. Now the tables are turned slightly and I use it on my mother. But she still manages to get me every now and then.
Posted by: hannah | May 27, 2005 at 07:41 AM
Sneaky.
Posted by: frog | May 29, 2005 at 09:06 PM
Just as an update for interested readers: This reverse psychology approach continues to work with Daughter L. It's the first technique we've found that's worked for more than a few days. Maybe we'll get this kid potty trained yet!
Posted by: Wife B. | May 31, 2005 at 08:24 AM
All right, all right. It's been two weeks. Really, can you not find any time at all to write another post? Is there nothing else that you can procrastinate on in order to write for Your Audience? Please?
Posted by: Orange | June 08, 2005 at 09:16 AM
With our 3-year-old, my husband actually told her that if she didn't use the potty all the older kids in daycare (and school when she gets there) will laugh at her and make her cry. I was pissed he said that but bizarrely enough it is working...at daycare. She has had 100% perfect pottying at her daycare and about 70% record at home.
I'll try that reverse psyche thing, though, since I know she's never going to think I'm going to make fun of her for pooping in her pants.
Posted by: amy | June 11, 2005 at 08:06 PM
way to go, dad :)..
Posted by: guile | June 16, 2005 at 09:59 PM
Sounds like when we told Bombaloo she had to take 6 more bites of Lasagna and she counter offered with "How about 5 bites 2 times?" We readily agreed.
Posted by: Homer | June 16, 2005 at 11:36 PM
reverse psychology does work! can't wait to try it on my 2 year old when I start potty training him.
Posted by: Melissa | June 27, 2005 at 05:32 PM
I love that story! I live it everyday!
Posted by: Genuine | July 13, 2005 at 03:59 PM
LOL, the other night DH told DD she had to take one bite of chicken and she countered with, "How about two bites?" Sure!
Posted by: purple_kangaroo | July 21, 2005 at 10:10 PM
*laugh* That story TOTALLY made my evening.
Probably because I'm just usually on the other side of such displays of reverse psychology.
Posted by: Annie | August 13, 2005 at 12:30 AM