The last week and a half have been spent as vacation time. My husband's been off work, so we filled the time with fun family activities: a trip to the amusement park, swimming, hiking, camping. For me, staying on plan is pretty easy during vacation. The pressures and stresses of parenting are shared between two parents while the joys seem amplified.
Coming back to reality is different. While I love being a stay at home mom, there are a lot of days and hours that can be very frustrating. My daughter's favourite words are currently "no" and "mine". My son is proving to be resistant to potty training, and we have a deadline since we want him to attend preschool in the fall.
So, today, first day back on my own with the kids, I'm instituting potty training boot camp. What does this mean for staying on plan? It means it gets that much more difficult. I'm committed to staying at home for most of the week. Probably at most backyard play. If things go really well, maybe some trips to the park. This means I'm likely bored. I'm likely frustrated. And, I have the contents of my pantry and fridge at my disposal...
So, how do you deal with it when you know you're going to be faced with a challenging time period?
First step is recognizing it - the point of this post.
Next step is to identify the specific challenges: Being bored and being likely to grab poor food choices in moments of frustration.
Now, I need to think of other ways to deal with it. Boredom? Well, I can play games with my kids. I can start cleaning my house. I might be able to relax a bit and read a book. Bake some cooki- um, okay maybe that one isn't the best choice.
Frustration? Quite frankly, I just need to keep things in perspective. There are constant sharing issues and testing of boundaries. That's just life with toddlers. Potty training isn't going to go perfectly either.
The other thing is making the easy to grab foods good choices. Once I finish my morning blogging session, I'm going to go cut up some celery and carrots. I have some hummus in the fridge.
And I get breaks this week. I'm back to my running, so I get to do that 3 mornings this week. When my husband gets home in the evening, I'm entitled to take the break I need, whether to go to the pool for my swim or go for a little shopping excursion.
And I should consider the positives. This house has hard, wipeable floors and my couch has a slip cover which can be taken off and cleaned...
What are your challenges this week?
Good luck with the potty training!
ReplyDeleteI think you have a good plan in place for this week. It's really important to set yourself up for success, and do everything you can to prepare for slip-ups and excuses. Running will definitely help you burn off any frustration or feelings of boredom!
This week looks promising. No big barbecues, no weddings, no parties. No reasons to skip the workout and overindulge. Hopefully I can stick to it!
I remember the potty training days. My pediatrician recommended taking the potty chair outside in the yard when my son was playing so that we didn't have to worry about accidents on the way. It worked like a charm-oh, and I didn't have to clean up messes off my carpet either!
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
Hi Deb! I'm new to your blog - found you through the Freedom Challenge. I'm enjoying what I've read so far. You said the magic words in your goals - hiking and biking. Those are my two favorite activities so we have that in common. I will enjoy following someone in Canada. Would love to know which Province or Territory you are in. I've been in Ontario and Quebec, but that's it. I plan to see em all!! Good luck on the challenge this week.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back from vacation, and good luck on the potty training! That's quite a challenge you've set before yourself, but I know you'll get the job done.
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