Potty Training

Potty training is just one of those things that moms are expected to do. It's not something you get bonus points for, it's just part of the job. And not an easy part either.

I remember potty training Amanda about 6 weeks before she turned 3.

I did it by the book. This book, to be exact:

It went so well that I even spoke to a couple of moms groups to teach them how to potty train in less than a day. Yes, I truly felt that I had a handle on this. Perhaps I could even take my potty-training tips on the road!

Enter Megan.

She was 2 years old, and a good friend of mine was getting ready to potty train her 2 year old. Sounded good to me. Why wait and buy another year's worth of diapers?!

Uh, can you say, mistake?!

While my friend's daughter soared through the potty-training process, Megan fought me every step of the way. Not only did I not succeed in potty-training her in less than a day, but for the next YEAR we had accident after accident after accident. She even peed on people! It was, by far, the longest year of my life.

One day I remember in particular ... I was washing more poopie pants, and I was getting more angry by the minute. We'd been "training" for several months by this point in time, and I had HAD IT!! One mom told me that she'd threatened to throw away her son's super-hero underwear if he had another accident, and that's all it took for him to 'get it'. It was worth a shot ...

Me: Megan, the next time you poop in these Cinderella panties, I'm throwing them away. Do you understand me?

Megan: That's okay. I still have Snow White and Sleeping Beauty ones, momma.

I should have just handed her a box of Huggies right then and there and said, "YOU WIN!"

A few weeks later I remember expressing my frustration to a friend of mine, and I'll never forget his words:

"All I remember is that when our boys were ready, it was really easy."

Hmmm. Waiting until your child is ready? Interesting concept.

Well, he was right. It was a few weeks before Megan's 3rd birthday, and she was suddenly ready. There was no more forcing the issue with her. She was moving on ... and in the right (accident-free) direction.

Here's a photo of Amanda and Megan about 3 months into the year from potty-training hell:

Hard to believe that cute little girl caused me so much grief. Of course, it's my own fault for trying to make her do something she wasn't ready to do.

Let that be a lesson to the rest of you moms out there with infants and toddlers. "When they're ready, it will be easy!"