Elijah can also be a little "needy" and he is starting to experience separation anxiety. He loves for his mom or dad to give him lots of attention. I think it is important for us to give him attention, but there are times when we may need a moment to ourselves. I would like to share a story with you and ask for some advice. It may be considered a "taboo subject", but it is something that occurs daily in the Wyatt household and may provide you with a little comical relief. So, reader BEWARE!
I am currently working on a little pre-potty training with Eli. The purpose isn't really to prepare Eli to use the bathroom, but for him to learn to allow others to use the bathroom privately. Eli, when he sees I am headed that direction, puts his crawl or walk into full gear and races to beat me to the bathroom door. I usually win, however, there are times when he is quicker than my aging feet. If he succeeds at entering the bathroom first, he promptly heads for all of the areas I want him to avoid: the garbage can, the toilet, the toilet brush, the toilet paper roll, and the bathtub itself. As a last resort, when I carry him out of the room and tell him "no", he reaches for the cabinet doors or drawers and tries to swipe something within his reach. This is particularly amusing to him, but he panics when figures out his fun is over and when I begin to walk away to return to the bathroom.
His second attempt at racing to the restroom is rarely successful. Now, it may seem to you that I've won the battle--but it really depends on what you consider a "win". About 75% of the time Eli bangs on the bathroom door and screams for me to come out. Although I am alone in the room, (1 point Mom, 1 point Eli) it is anything but quiet. When I am finally reunited with my son, he then clings to my leg for the next 10 minutes as if I'd left him for a week or two.
So, my question to you is this:
How would you "handle" this little guy?
5 comments:
Consistency. Maybe practice a few seconds at a time. Ignore the screaming (I know, ya right!)and when you're reunited, lots of love and reassurance. When he "gets it", lots of praise. Just my "2 cents" of advice :-) Course it's hard for nana to believe he's so upset! (hehehe)
I think I'd go with a one-strike rule on this one. If he follows you to the bathroom and he knows you don't want him in there, whisk him off to his bed for the few minutes you need to have peace. He'll get the connection really quick :-)
Patty's got at good idea, I think. Also remember that "this too shall pass". In a couple of months (maybe several) it very well may not be an issue.
And Isaac had a lot of separation anxiety with Bible class this summer too, remember? It wasn't easy to walk away, but I knew I was leaving him with capable women who loved him too. I think it was the daily repetition of VBS that finally pushed him out of it.
Anyway, just be consistent and don't let it stress you because before you know it he'll be using the potty himself and tell you that he can do it by himself and would like you to go out so he can have a little privacy! Ha! Which one of my children could I possibly be thinking of?
OK; it has been almost 24 hours since I read this and began contemplating what great advice I would give you. So, here it is. Don't fret too much on this. By the time you get it right, Eli will have something new for you to wonder about. Enjoy each stage!
I agree with the bed idea.
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