Since Bug decided she was, in fact, a big girl now, she spent two days in big girl panties with 100% success and enthusiasm. She started out wearing a shirt, socks and big girl undies, but yesterday I was able to get her into pants. I was hoping for three days in a row before she earned a spontaneous frozen reward, but she wanted to wear a diaper this morning after I changed her from overnight. I am still completely thrilled for our success and the plan is to just follow her lead.
I am starting to realize that humans are hardwired just as any other animal. Sure, they model behaviors after their caregivers and learn important life skills from us, but there are some things they just do on their own time. I cannot force Bit to roll over, I cannot force Bug to fall asleep at my whim, and I cannot make Muffin write me a romantic sonnet. I am now a believer that children potty train on their own time. I taught her the process at 18-months. She knows the procedure and how to do it. But the motivation to finally let go of what she has always known is something she has to muster for herself.
Her desire to know that Mommy will change her butt is just as strong as her belief that milk tastes different if it isn't in a sippy cup. We have discussed that after Santa comes to visit, her sippy cups will be thrown away and she will have to drink milk the same way she drinks juice. She had difficulty transitioning milk from bottles into sippy cups as well. It seems that my oldest girl is brave when it comes to trying new frivolous things, but when something is truly important (like milk or Mommy changing her) she is not easily convinced that change is a good thing. So, if potty training is any indication of the future, she may be a girl who needs a few more hugs during the beginning of school. She may have a hard time sometimes with the uncontrollable outside world or accepting new approaches to learning when she has mastered the old way. And I'm okay with this because, honestly, she really is just like her mother and her father.
Or she could completely surprise me, and be just like Bug.
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