Gina Ford must've been in cahoots with Pampers or Huggies or someone because as near as I can tell, she's to blame for this wave of potty training kids at close to three. There are a number of things that really bother me about this pervading methodology.
1. It is not based on the child's development.
Sure, there are "signs of readiness," but you'll have a hard time convincing me that these "signs" first manifest conveniently around summer holidays. It's such a disservice to so many parents to say that their child is incapable of learning how to hold it for the loo until they can remove their own clothing, and ask in a full sentence. There is no link between mastering those skills and mastering the skill of not peeing or pooing your pants. There is, however, a link between mastering those skills and a parent not having to do much to help the child use the loo.
2. It assumes that development occurs in giant leaps, instead of on a continuum.
Well, I'm sure that development does have several steps to it, but anyone who's had a child whose sleep is disturbed by developmental leaps knows that kids don't learn and master a new skill in a day or a week.
3. There is no accounting for the fact that some children are not adaptable.
... which is ironic given that Gina Ford is the Queen of the Schedule. Surely she understands that it's difficult for a child to adapt to a sudden upending of the status quo? It genuinely upsets some kids' applecarts that suddenly they are no longer ALLOWED to wee/poo where they've been doing so their entire life.
4. Not wallowing in your own excrement is its own reward.
I mean honestly, aren't you more motivated by not having to sit in a puddle of your own wee until someone gets around to checking your nappy than by a star on a chart or a chocolate button? And why oh why, is a poo worth two chocolate buttons but a wee only one? That is one hell of a weird value statement right there!
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