Back in July, we found ourselves faced with another momentous chapter of parenting our Little Viking. With it being the holiday month here in Denmark, the timing felt right to start making efforts in the realm of potty training. In all honesty, the sheer thought of starting the process was slightly overwhelming. But something had shifted. He was ready. With a willing participant, we set off on this new journey.
It’s important to note that the Danish approach to potty training is quite relaxed. Our job as parents is to encourage interest, but never rush the process. Somehow, it all works out in the end, “det kommer,” (“it will come”). And while I greatly appreciate this approach, I’m also realistic in the fact that winter will inevitably arrive, which brings with it layers upon layers of thermal clothing, chunky boots, and full-body suits (“flyverdragt” aka “flight suit”). A recipe for incredibly challenging bathroom visits (and laundry), even for an adult. New things are easiest tackled when the odds are not stacked against you. So, we continued with our plan of encouragement.
In preparation, I had ordered a few children’s books in English from the library. Many versions of “Where’s my potty?” later, things were progressing well. We quickly became tour-guide-level experts in locating the public toilets. When he returned to børnehave (kindergarten) we anticipated a few accidents and outfit changes, but things seemed to go a bit backwards. So, we returned to the drawing board to review our methods: we chatted with our son, compared notes with friends in similar situations, spoke with his pedagogues, and reflected on the journey. One afternoon, it finally dawned on us, a lightbulb moment…language!
What neither my husband nor I had factored in was the need to tackle this in both languages. You’re probably thinking, “But Emily, wouldn’t that be obvious?”. Yeah, you’d think. However, our job with language (as per instructions from our son’s pedagogues) is to focus on speaking English with him. Easier said than done when he often switches between languages. But we try our best.
Let’s just take a moment to acknowledge the crushing weight of his English language foundation being dependent upon our own English, as native speakers. Needless to say, we read A LOT of books together!
So, back to the library I went in search of potty-training themed books, but this time in Danish. Never in my life did I think I’d become so familiar with bodily functions in Danish. But, life is full of surprises. And the book that helped kick-start the process again? Superpølle and his fantastic toilet-themed superhero adventures. Yep, super poop. Bet you didn’t see that coming?
Does this mean we’ve ditched the diaper bag and wet wipes? Not entirely. But it does mean no more buying and hauling around packets of diapers. The lighter bag is also a reminder of how quickly our little boy is growing up, thankfully with the support of a community that refuses to rush him and always finds a way forward that works uniquely for him.
