Three Reasons To Potty Train While You Stay Home

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I never would have guessed that I’d be writing about potty training during a pandemic but here we are. I know this may not be what you want to read. Sure, we all wish the answer to the question, “what should I do during quarantine?” is “drink wine, take a hot bath and watch Tiger King until you fall asleep.” But alas, let’s talk about poop and pee, shall we? As it turns out quarantine is the perfect time to potty train. Here’s why you should consider trying to potty train while you stay home:

You’re Not Going Anywhere

If you’ve potty trained a child before you know that it’s best done at home. Potty training is a messy affair and expecting kids to alert you that they need to use the bathroom and then successful pee in a loud and busy public restroom on a gigantic automatically flushing toilet … well, you may have better luck asking your two-year-old to cook you a three-course dinner. Many people take time off work and pull their kids out of daycare to focus on potty training. I chose to potty train my first child during a long weekend for just this reason and by the evening of day two I was climbing the walls and desperate to get out of my house. This seems funny to me now as I’ve rarely left my home in four weeks. And it perfectly illustrates my point. You’re home anyway, you don’t have anywhere to go or anywhere you can go. You’re going to kick yourself if you put this off and then have to stay home on a perfectly good weekend after quarantine has ended to potty train, so just do it already!

It’s A Great Distraction

I wrote before about how I’ve had to step back from both news and social media during this time. When world events become too much to handle and worry and anxiety threaten to overtake me, I respond by distracting myself. My mind seems to rest by focusing on something else. And boy, does potty training give you something else to focus on. That thing is often poop or pee, but hey, I promised only a distraction, not a pleasant distraction. By taking your mind off world events you’ll find yourself calmer and more centered when you choose once again to wade into those waters. So, when potty training, turn off the TV, step away from the phone and focus only on the task.

You’ll Accomplish Something Important

Potty training is a vital life skill and a significant accomplishment. By helping your child achieve this milestone you’ll be doing something tangible during this time of quarantine. It is easy to feel as if you are not productive when you don’t leave your home. Many of us cannot offer skills on the healthcare front. Instead, the best thing we can do to help those on the front lines is to stay home. But while we’re there we have a duty to our families, to answer questions, provide information, and offer a sense of stability. In ways both small and large potty training is part of this. And if your child is of the appropriate age and you feel ready, there is no better time.