Potty Training Woes

Well, given that she’s almost 3 ½ and that the preschool won’t let me send her next fall in a pull-up, I can’t put it off any longer.  I’ve officially put Ashley in training undies.

I generally don’t like to talk about all the gross stuff.  I’m pretty squeamish myself and can’t stand reading other people’s gross stuff, depending on what it is.  But…She’s doing pretty good with #1.  #2 we have YET to ever go on the potty.  Some days she’s commando, some days undies.  Ultimately when she goes around with nothing, eventually we have to go somewhere and I have to put her in something, and then she goes #2. 

I really don’t want to hear about how that’s confusing her. I don’t see any way I can shut down my life for two weeks so I guess I will just do it this way for however long it takes.

I realize that if I would do a potty training boot camp, per se, that I might have more success.  But I do not have it in me to do that.  Kudos to those of you that have done it!  I don’t have the patience for it and I just don’t want to do it.  They’ll get it eventually.

At the same time, I’m already tired of the messes, and it’s only been a few days in undies.  I start losing my temper fast.  Thank goodness Reagan was relatively easy. She was the only one of the 4.  Hence, the reason why I have waited so long. 

Now, here’s a confession:  While I roll my eyes and want to barf over all the moms who happily announce their child trained in just a few days or a week, I also delight, just a little, when moms (especially new ones) announce their first frustration with potty training, when it isn’t going as smoothly as they’d anticipated, when they wonder what it is they’re doing wrong.  Is that horrible or what?  I’m not saying I wish it on people, I just think some people get kids that are easy and don’t realize the struggles other parents go through to potty train their kids.

Here’s a little secret: Yes, while there are definite yes’s and no’s on the best way to potty train, sometimes you can do EVERYTHING right, and the child still may just not get it or may not be ready. 

Here’s another secret:  I don’t want one more person to tell me to use M&M’s.  While they are helpful, just because that’s all you had to do for your child doesn’t mean that’s the one and only secret to successful potty training.  After a while the M&M’s aren’t a big deal anymore.   Also, this is my 4^th child to potty train, I’m pretty sure I’ve got that part of it down.  In fact, I think the best advice I’ve ever heard regarding potty training is to not get into a power struggle. I’ve been down that road before.  So I’m trying with these two to not do that, but Ashley’s getting old enough that I DO have to make her go.  Thankfully she’s not as head-strong as my older girls!

Okay, so yes, I am venting today. Let’s face it: potty training isn’t pretty.  On the one hand, it’s just part of parenting. And in perspective of what really matters in life, it doesn’t matter at all.  So forgive me for whining and complaining, but just because it isn’t life or death doesn’t mean I have to like it.

And where is all this animosity coming from?  In my frustration of disgusting clean up two days in a row, and in my frustration of some other very bothersome things going on (not necessarily in my life but people close to me), I made the mistake of venting on Facebook.  All I said was “I HATE HATE HATE potty training.”  Don’t we all? Most people rallied behind me in support!  But what do I focus on?  My loser ex-I don’t know what you call him- from college says “Quit having babies.”  Oh yeah? You suck!   And a well-meaning friend who gives me the rundown on how to potty train.  He does know I’ve already potty trained three other kids, right?

So I am being harsh and unfair.  Oh well.  Sometimes I have it in my personality to be irritable.  Cleaning up poop (the kind where they not only poop in their undies but then try to take them off) brings it out of me really fast.

Sigh.  Deep breath.  Perhaps tomorrow a better day.  And perhaps I’ll just stay off Facebook for a while.  Yeah right!  

P.S.  I haven't even gotten this whole thing posted and she runs down to me screaming that she just went poop in the potty!  Well, what do you know?  Perhaps if I write about my messy house it will magically clean itself up!  Hallelujah - a turning point hopefully!