Listen to your body

Sometimes I think I have a really good idea when dealing with a situation with my little man.  However, often times these great ideas end up back firing beyond my expectations.  One example of this is teaching Matthew to "listen to his body".

Potty training Matthew was pretty easy in the beginning.  This child really likes having control so once we introduced the idea that he didn't need to use his diaper anymore he was all for it.  However, in the past few months he has decided that he does not wish to use the potty EITHER.  He has a tendency to hold it, especially if I even suggest that maybe he needs to go.  There have been many times that everyone in the room knows that Matthew has to go and he is so darn stubborn that he will refuse to take care of business because he "doesn't want to."

I thought I had a wonderful idea of explaining that it's not about what we want to do, but what our body needs for us to do.  I told him that he needed to  "listen to his body."  That idea has never really gotten us anywhere towards a solution for the potty issue, that situation gets better the more we let it be his idea.   It has however,  provided us with some pretty amusing conversations. 

Matthew likes to use the "listening to your body" idea again me.  He will tell me that his body is telling him  "Matthew you need to watch Elmo (or eat cookies or play with a favorite toy)".  What makes the situations even more difficult to keep a straight face is that he uses a deep voice which I refer to as 'the voice of God'.  Why do our children have to learn to outsmart us at such a young age?  And if he is already outsmarting me this often at 3 what am I going to do when he's 13?  I guess I'll just do my best, enjoy, and know that although it's not always funny at the time I WILL laugh about it later..... potentially when I'm telling his girlfriends.  :)