Learning to not be the crazy, psycho, potty-training Mom

I'm slow. I have to learn a lesson over and over and over (and over and over) before it really sinks in. You see, I am a TERRIBLE potty-training Mom. At least in the sense of getting it done and getting it done fast. Not a one of my kids has been out of diapers before the age of 3 and all have them have been at least 3 1/2. ( I think Savanna may have slipped in at 3 yrs and 5 months.) Each experience of potty training has been pure torture~certainly for me and in all honestly certainly for the poor child involved. You see, strangely, (can you see the sarcasm dripping) I get really uptight when I have to clean up bodily function messes. I have been known to yell, cry, scream, throw things. Eeek that is really bad andI'm very sorry for doing it.

I often thought before I had kids that the worst part of being a parent would be potty training and I was RIGHT. Yep I said it I WAS RIGHT! It sucks.

I have read the books, viewed the methods tried to apply just about everyone of them at one point or another, and it still stinks...literally and figuratively. I have friends that have had kids just up and got rid of diapers at 16 months one day and went on their merry little way with nary a mess to follow. To them I say, while I love you...I hate you. ;) No not really, I guess you probably have to deal with other not so fun issues like keeping clean underwear in drawers and knowing where all the restrooms are in any given 5 mile radius.

I have had looks, whispers all out shock at my 'too old' unpotty trained kids. To them I say...do you want a crack at it?

So through it all, I ask myself. Why is this so hard for me? Am I just potty training impaired? Am I lazy? Are my kids lazy? Well maybe, the jury is still out, but while they are debating I have decided that I really can't face becoming the crazy, psycho, potty-training Mom again so I MUST do something different. But what can you do different when you've tried all the 'things to try?" There is only one answer...

ATTITUDE

And much to my chagrin that doesn't mean the attitude of my sweet, stubborn three year old. Unfortunately the only attitude I can change is my own.


And on that note...I'll leave you with my potty training gratitude list:

1. Home Depot! Ethan is about a third of the way through his sticker potty chart and the reward at the end is a trip to Home Depot to buy a tool with Dad. I sure hope they don't pick out a $300 drill.
2. Pink Pull-UPs. At least they gave me a laugh. We were out of pull ups the other night and Mike managed to scrounge up one last princess pull-up from Savanna's day. When I went to help Ethan put it on he balked. He was a boy and a BOY DOES NOT WEAR PINK PULL-UPS. I told him he did if that's all we had. So the next day I decided to go PINK. When I got them home explaining that all the boy pull-ups were mysteriously 'out of stock' so I had to get pink I hoped he would go directly to the bathroom, do not pass go and well...go. But alas his reply was "I like princesses" Grr...
   
3. TWO stickers. For the last week Ethan has had one success a day. He felt it quite unnecessary to be successful more than that. "Ethan time to go to the potty" "No, Mom, I already did today..." So today, we set a goal to get TWO stickers. YEAH FOR ETHAN FOR MEETING HIS GOAL.
4. Finding success amidst many failures. Just like in life you can look at the bad things that happen or you can focus on the good. My tenure as crazy, psycho, potty-training Mom has included WAY too many bad thing episodes. Today I am committing to focus on the good.
   

(Please reassure me that he will be done before Kindergarten!)