Potty training. Depending where
you are in your phase of parenthood, you either read those two little words
and: a) wistfully smiled in your naivety; b) shuddered; or c) sighed in
remembered relief that those days are now behind you.
If you answered A, I feel your
current struggle. You’re worried the cost of diapers will put you in the poor
house. Well, you’re in luck; those monetarily-challenged residents probably
don’t want your bare-bottomed babe snuggling up to them – not while she’s as
likely to inflict a deluge of poop as the peskiest of pigeons. Right, then. Now
you’re worried the cost, and subsequent lack, of diapers will move you to the
outhouse. Super.
If you answered B, I empathize
with your struggle. You’ve dived into the world of teaching a tiny person how
to pee into a large pot. Not only that, but you’ve also resigned yourself to
sidling up beside said tot on an uncomfortable bathtub or a too-small step
stool. You’ve accepted the fact that sometimes you’ll need to read five stories
before she will rid herself of the poop that just last week took seconds to
push into a diaper. Oh, and don’t forget the never-ending supply of candy it
takes to positively reinforce the idea that using the potty is amazing. (By the
way, I feel it necessary to mention that my own 2 year old matter-of-factly
told me that grown-ups don’t get candy for going on the potty. That’s just what
we do.)
If you answered C, I applaud you
for making it to the other side. I also smile in my own wistful naivety at the
idea that it will get easier by the time I stand where you are. (I’ll continue
when you’re finished laughing.)
While potty training is certainly
not without its challenges (keep the Lysol handy for those living room floor
accidents), it can also be pretty great in the end. Yes, saving money on
diapers is awesome, but it’s more than that. It’s the first time that tiny
person tugs at your arm and says, “Mommy, I gotta go potty!” (Which is also the
time when you realize what a fast sprinter you are.) It’s the way she beams at having done it all by herself. It’s the truly special sense of
pride you feel knowing that your child is becoming an independent person,
capable of anything.
Ok, so maybe potty training isn’t
so bad, after all.
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