Increased Awareness - Or Why The Potty Training Might Have Taken So Long
Jaimie on Dec 8th 2008
In the past three to four weeks, I have noticed that CJ is telling me things he hadn’t really ever before. they are not earthshattering secrets, but they show an awareness for him of things that he might not have completely been consciously aware of before. In that, until a few weeks ago, I don’t recall him ever saying one of these things to me. I should have noticed, but I didn’t - I didn’t realize that this fundamental connection between self and the world was missing. But now it’s not.
He’s telling me “I’m hungry” when he wants to eat. “I need to pee (or poop)” when he needs to use the bathroom. “I’m tired” when he is sleepy. Connections between internal feelings, speech to express those feelings, and fulfillment of said feelings.
Now of course, he’s realized that he was hungry since birth. that’s one of the fundamental cries of a newborn - I need food. But until recently he hasn’t, of his own accord, made that fundamental connection with words and expressed it to us. He’ll answer yes if we ask if he’s hungry, but not initiate it. Until now.
So maybe that was the fundamental disconnect with the potty training. If he wasn’t recognizing the feelings he had as a need to pee, then he couldn’t translate that into using the bathroom appropriately until it was too late.
Maybe. or maybe he’s just stubborn. Whatever it was though, I’m glad it is a hurdle we are mostly past.
On to Alexa I guess… 
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My son is starting to make connections like that. He hasn’t expressed the need to go yet so we haven’t started potty training. I’m thinking it will come soon. It should be an interesting experience!
I know exactly what you’re talking about. I actually noticed it a long time ago in Charlotte. I noticed that if she was thirsty she’d just go find her sippy cup. And, of course, I always had a sippy cup of water available to her. And I pretty much had her on a good eating routine … so she probably never got hungry, or I just could tell and would always ask.
When I realized this, I stopped offering drinks. I also remember noticing that when she first realized that she could use words to ask for water … she’d go stand in the kitchen and “announce” she wanted a drink of water. and then I’d scurry from wherever to get her a drink. Eventually I stopped responding, and waited till she found ME and asked ME (not the kitchen) for a drink.
Like CJ though … I think it’s just been recently that she has started saying, “I’m hungry” or “I’m thirsty” rather than just ask for food or drink.
It’s fascinating isn’t it?