After three attempts to get Andy down for a morning nap, I wondered if he was outgrowing the need for one. I've read that sometime during the second year, toddlers will downsize from two naps to one nap. I'm not ready for this to happen, and wanted desperately to consult a Book of Andy, to get a difinitive answer on the napping subject. Why didn't God give us a copy of such a book upon the birth of our darling bundle of joy? I mean, I pushed out all 8 pounds 11 ounces of him. I would have gladly delivered an instruction manual.
The answer, I'm afraid, is that there is no owner's manual because, although I am Andy's mother, I do not own him. The difficulty is finding the balance between his need for autonomy and my need not to spiral into a pit of depression.
I guess that sounds pretty dramatic. The truth is, now that he is finally down for a nap, I'm feeling much better. I also called Kristin, who filled me in on her own drama-filled morning with her nineteen month old daughter, Avery. Turns out they almost missed Kristin's doctor appointment because Avery decided to use the potty. Trouble was, she didn't quite make it into the potty, but all over the bathroom floor.
After hearing their tale, Andy's lack of nap, and lack of desire to sit in his new potty chair seemed less catastrophic.
Mike and I bought Andy a potty this weekend, and checked out books and videos on the subject of "infant potty training". We became interested in the idea when Lara and Eli's seven month old daughter Alyssa came to visit dressed in a cotton diaper without cover.
"No diaper cover?" I asked Lara. She told us that they were practicing something called "elimination communication". This involved watching Alyssa for cues to her need to pee or poo, then taking her to the toilet. Alyssa rarely goes in her diaper anymore. In fact, Lara had cancelled their diaper service.
Mike and I had never heard of this idea. We watched in amazement as Lara held Alyssa over the toilet several times throughout their visit. Alyssa did go in the potty. She did not wet her diaper once.
I thought about the expense of diapers, the stink of the diapers in their pail wafting into the living room. I thought about how Andy squirms and howls over diaper changes. I thought, this isn't a bad idea.
Well, three days into giving potty training a try, I'm ready to take the potty and throw it into the no-man's land that is the garage. Maybe in a few months we can revisit the idea of potty training. Andy is just unwilling to sit on the little potty or the toilet. There are too many other exciting things for him to do, and I don't want to fight him on this one.
Will he be ready at 18 months? 24 months? Three years?
What sayeth the Book of Andrew?
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