So lately Ethan has been showing some signs of interest in the potty. It began with a love for flushing; getting to throw bits of toilet paper in and watch them disappear. Then the words started coming...first "potty" and "flush," then "toilet paper" and "pee and poop," although I think he's still mixing up which is which.
He hates feeling wet and now nearly every time he pees or poops, he says "pants wet" and tries to take them off. Usually his pants aren't wet but it's his diaper (those darned newly formulated Pampers that are giving kids rashes and are LESS, not more absorbent). Sometimes he stays dry for naps and once or twice he did it overnight.
These are all great signs, and Ethan is 2 1/2 after all. But he's a 2 1/2-year-old boy on the autism spectrum. Most typical boys are barely potty training yet. Usually with autism kids are 3 or 4 (except for the really severe cases). I don't know how much I should push this, when there are so many other things we're working on.
Still, I thought we should get a little potty for him, since our old one for Anna collecting dust in the basement is missing the boy "pee shield." So the other day we stopped by Babies R Us on the way home from church and got the cutest little froggy potty chair. There's a problem, though.
The chair is "too" cute. And it looks nothing like a potty. Ethan doesn't want anything to do with it.
You know, back when Dan and I were dating we used to have this running joke. I don't even remember how it started anymore. I just know that I would tease him about being so literal. I'd do the "L" sign over my forehead and it didn't stand for loser but instead that he was being literal yet again. Literal would describe Ethan and most kids with ASD to a "T." They don't usually get euphemisms and figures of speech, sarcasm, that kind of thing. They are concrete, and to Ethan, a potty is the toilet in either the upstairs or downstairs bathroom. It's not a colorful froggy that looks more like a chair and can be moved anywhere. He even went up to it and said, "Flush? Work?" meaning "Where's the flusher? How can this work without one?"
So maybe we'll have to find another use for the frog. Maybe I need to find that Sesame Street toilet seat we used to have for Anna. Although it doesn't solve the pee shield problem. Ugh, I can't even think about trying to decide how to teach him how to stand vs. sit and pee. But I'm glad to be discussing these issues now, at age 2. He's showing an interest! It's a start, froggy seat or not.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Wow I had no idea. And potty training Oh I wish we were there. Not exactly loving two in diapers. Though I think the birth of our son has delayed this process. I've read about it and it's normal. Still I'm envious at the progression in the bathroom you guys are having. You will get there. Those potty seats are super from what i hear. We have the model that doesn't have a flusher. Whatever works
right!? :-)
I've been reading but don't always have time to comment. Just thought you should know.
Don't beat yourself up, Rebecca! It is so hard to potty train when you have a new baby. That's just too much of an adjustment and if you had started with your little one I bet she would've regressed once he was born (that's what happened with Anna, and she was 3 1/2). The cliche is true -- every kid is different and almost 2 1/2 certainly isn't "late." That's just when we started with Anna. We're not even really doing potty training with Ethan yet. Just introducing the idea. Thanks for reading! :)
Post a Comment