Every day children are learning how to regulate their feelings and emotions. Shoot! Lots of adults are still learning to do this. Our family is coming off of a week up North on a lake with non-existent bedtimes, way too much sugar, and possibly more fun than our five year old can handle. In our house, this is a recipe for very tired children with big emotions. And I’m sure I am not alone in this this summer. I’ve been finding myself checking in with how I can help my daughter cope with all of these emotions while she takes a few days to catch up on sleep. It can be so easy to get caught up in those emotions with her, but I am trying to be purposeful in how I support her and all the feelings, especially the negative ones.
Culturally, this generation of parents tend to look at potty training, or toilet learning, as an extreme thing that has to be done to their child. When in reality, it is just a normal part of development and not a huge deal. In fact, it will MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER! Just think how nice it will be to not carry around a huge bag with all those diapers and wipes all the time.
Let’s look back on a little bit of history to see how diapering and toilet learning have changed. Disposable diapers were invented in 1948, however, it wasn’t until the 70’s that they became widely used and distributed. Before disposable diapers, families used cloth diapers and most children had complete toilet awareness by 18 months old. So why is it that many children are learning to use the toilet much later nowadays? Well…