The Original Bipolar Disorder

So I know bipolar disorder is thrown about as much as OCD, but I've come to the conclusion that ALL toddlers are originally bipolar. Only they can go from "I love you. I'll do whatever you ask. I want to be babied, yada yada" to "NO! You're mean and unjust and I can do it-but I won't because you can't make me!"

Sometimes it's almost laughable, watching the transformation happen as fast as you can blink, but then it's somewhat terrifying as well. The potty training on my daughter is going good, for the most part. Diapers and pull ups do NOT work-my daughter knows she can just go in them and she does. Underwear works for the most part and she's excited to announce to the entire house that she's going to the potty-yay! But then she has weird moments, like even when she's in pull ups-where she actually hides-usually because she's going number 2. She will suspiciously disappear from the room and I'll find her hiding in a corner or by the table and when I ask her outright she will lie or say something like, "No thanks." Not sure what that's about. In all the books I've read when you start potty training you pick WHICH training you're doing. In some cases, it's easier to train on the movements because they're more obvious, have more warning, the kid's more aware, etc., but they're less frequent. To get the idea ingrained it's easier to just start with pee training and forget about nighttime training for quite a bit as well.

I wasn't in a hurry to train my daughter. She wasn't going into preschool so no pressure there and well, the toddler's bladder is quite small and they don't develop muscle control for holding it for some time. With me taking her out to do things and socialize, I was content to leave her in diapers so we weren't stopping every 10 minutes to find someplace for her to go. However, now we're getting to the point where in her classes or birthday parties, she's one of the few still wearing them for her age so I'm trying to make a push for it now, but careful not to push against her own will on the matter. THIS is going to be a phase I'll be glad to get past. Not being around kids or having younger siblings I've been playing the whole thing by ear and reading and trying everything but every kid is different and well, looking back, 2 to 2 1/2 would have been an easier time to get her potty trained because the bipolar toddler personality hadn't come fully into fruition. Alas, we'll get there some time. :)