Kudos to every Mom and Dad out there. This isn’t the first time I’ve said it, nor will it be the last but parenting is ridiculously hard work with a ridiculously small salary. I’m tired. All the time. Not just when I don’t get any sleep or spend too much time processing pics when everyone else is gone to bed. It’s because I am a parent who has two kids that wear me out. The sad part is that I have excellent kids. So what’s my excuse, really?
Well for one thing, this potty training stage has every one of my creative juices maxed out. How many times can you make it fun for a toddler to pee in a toilet without him looking at you and saying “no mommy. all done. play"? Games, stories, songs, reward charts. It’s all been done. And I’m still doing it. Even when I’m sure he’s given it an earnest try and put his “bo-bo-boys” back on (that’s lingo for “big-boy-pants”) and then says “mommy. pee.” referring to what he just accomplished in his underwear, I calmly tell him we need to clean up, remind him what we’re suppose to do and try to thing of another way to give him the almighty “Aha!” moment.
Accidents. Pee puddles. Am I suppose to ignore them? Just clean it up? Sit him back on the potty? Put him back in a diaper? That book said this, this book said that, a website is spouting off “train ‘em in a week! 3 days! 1 day!” Do I buy more potties and spread them from one end of the house to the other? What about grocery shopping? Seriously. Where’s the toilet in IGA? Do I run from one end of the Superstore to the other? Crap. I have an infant in a snuggly/carseat. Where does she go? Now there’s a puddle on the floor. Breathe. Again. BREATHE!
Monitor his fluid intake. Time his poops. Regular schedules. Schedule schmedule. I don’t do everything the same everyday. We’re busy people. We’re normal. There are Dr. appts, hair cuts, shopping, mail pick up, house chores. I don’t doubt that if I sat around all day long staring at my clock, I would have a really kick-ass schedule. But there is always something that interrupts me (a whole other blog, trust me!). For starters, I have a teething infant that doesn’t always eat or sleep when it would be most convient for me. She does it when she feels darn ready. If she’s eating, then I’m sitting and my toddler is peeing on the floor. Breathe.
On top of that, I am trying to convince my very curious, playful and loving toddler that stopping in the middle of the day, putting down the toys, coming in from the gorgeous sunshine to have a nap is a good thing. Staying in your bed is even better. And because I’m either stupid or a sucker for punishment, I am trying to do this while maintaining his level of independence and respect suitable for his age without losing my patience. Gritting my teeth and trying to say in a calm matter, “GET in YOUR bed.” Ahhh, contemporary, modern discipline. It’s the way of the future. Back and forth between toddler and infant all day long.
It’s a wonder sometimes how I can actually do anything else at all.
And now I have to go again, as my baby’s awake. The third time in under an hour. Poor lil’ girl and her brand new tooth.
Cheers!
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All your hard work is really noticed and appreciated.
ReplyDeleteLove , Papabear
I am with you, Heather. Keep up the great work!!
ReplyDeleteAh, potty training. I remember training Wil, who would gladly pee in the potty (shooting for cheerios in the toilet bowl was too much fun to pass up) but wouldn't poop anywhere but in a pull-up. 2 days before his 3rd birthday, out of nowhere, he just asked to poop in the toilet. Magic. We were done. We trained Serejane in the summer. We stayed outside all day, so the potty came with, and the deal was she didn't have to wear clothes if she peed in the potty. Otherwise, it was a diaper and clothes. We opted for training pants for our outings. She was night and day trained just after her second birthday.
ReplyDeleteSo what if not every kid likes being naked enough to use that as a motivator?
My point is simple - do whatever works for YOU. If that's establishing a pattern of training pants for away from the house and putting a potty in the backyard, or going to the potty once an hour on the hour, or treats, sticker charts, and new ginders - there is no right, single, tried and true way that works for every child. I think as parents when our children don't respond the way the books promise they will or the way we fantasized about it, we get frustrated, and can end up feeling like failures as parents. And then, once 'it's' over, whatever 'it' is - teething, potty training, colic, writing their name, riding on two wheels - we look back and sigh and say, "Ah, so THAT's what it took."
In the same token, I'm glad it's YOU and not ME. But, I'd trade you the trials and tribulations of PT for hormonal pre-teen and teen angst and 2-wheeling our 7 year old sissypants daughter any day...
Much love,
~H.