It's All Part of the Plan...Sort Of

Like most new moms, I too had high expectations of my children when they were first born and what was appropriate or not at a certain age.  But after learning how difficult it sometimes was to help your children through some of those developmental stages, I changed my opinion a bit.  For example, it seemed like 2 was a reasonable age to potty train and it certainly seemed like by age 3 all children should be completely diaper-free.  Ha...ha...ha...

Potty training my older girls was a nightmare. I started at 2, and by age 3 they were still not getting it. I was pregnant with another set of twins and preschool was starting and they said no diapers.  It was bad for all 3 of us.  Luckily, one of them pretty much got it once school started.  The other....well let's just say I am STILL dealing with accidents 3 years later and she sleeps in a pull-up.  There are many reasons for this that I won't go into, but my point is, sometimes our kids just aren't ready for whatever it is we want them to do, no matter how hard we try or how well-intended we are.

So with the second set, I was much more relaxed! As most "seasoned" moms are.  Isn't it great to be a seasoned mom?  I love it.  So with most of their stages I have just said it will happen eventually.  Yes they drank out of bottles until they were nearly 2. It wasn't that I didn't try, but I can't force them so what more can I do?  I don't worry about these things too much anymore.

So I have been putting off potty training.  Who could blame me?  Why even bother?  They're not going to go to kindergarten in a diaper.  And they will be 3 1/2 at the beginning of next school year, so we've got plenty of time.  I have said since the day they were born that I would not attempt potty training until they were nearing age 3, unless they just did it themselves.

Well....they are 2 years and 8 months.  Ever since they turned 2 I have been putting them on the potty at bathtime only (per their request)...and nothing. Fine with me!  Wasn't something I wanted to fool with yet.  But lo and behold, in addition to recently giving up her binky and now climbing out of her crib and giving up the nap, Reagan has started going potty.  She is just doing it herself. I am not carving time out of my schedule. I have not dragged out the little potties.  I am not reminding her to go. She is just doing it. It's not all the time, but it seems like every day she's going more and more.  I am of course giving her an M&M each time (which she calls a "lemonem," a cross between lemonade and M&M).

But...Now this I like!  I am not getting my hopes up completely.  Every time I thought one of my older girls had it licked they later regressed back to old ways.  But still, it's coming from her and not me.  This was all part of the plan.  Yahoo!  What was NOT part of the plan?  Giving up binky and going into big girl beds and starting school and potty training all at the same time.  But hey, maybe she's a multi-tasker!