When approaching potty training, some parents get push back from their toddlers. “No potty! I like diaper!”
To a grownup, that doesn’t make any sense. How can someone prefer to poo in their pants and carry around the warm, sticky result of their efforts until a grownup happens to smell it?
But look at it from the child’s point of view. They don’t know it’s suboptimal because they have never tried any different waste disposal strategy. They’ve been pooing in their pants for literally their entire life.
Makes you wonder… What are those bad habits you have that you keep repeating because you don’t now any better?
It takes loving caregivers to help a toddler move on to a better defecation technique. Likewise, as a grownup trying to break away from limiting behaviors, it helps to talk with a friend or hire a coach to work with.
If a toddler has an accident during potty training, getting annoyed at them can derail the whole process. The same goes for changing your own habits. It takes time, and there will be failed attempts along the way. The best thing you can do is be kind to yourself and keep trying.