Friday, June 24, 2011

I Hate Potty Training

I just walked into the living room and slipped in a puddle of pee.

Literally. Slipped and almost FELL DOWN in a puddle of urine.

I came up mad. Especially when I saw that Baby Boy had his pants off. Which means that he just peed on the floor ON PURPOSE!

ARRGGHH!!!!

So I start with the positive self-talk.

Take deep breath. Count to ten. Try to look on the bright side. Remember it could be worse.

1. We have linoleum floors through this whole house, so no need to get out the rug cleaner.

2. He peed on the floor, not the area rug, so ditto.

3. Maybe he was on his way to the potty, so it really was an accident.

4. He did take off his pants, so they’re dry.

5.…..

These positive things I’m trying to think of are getting lamer. I’m stuck on #5 here.

Can I point out that he had two other accidents this morning? I only have nine pairs of big-boy underwear in stock here, kid!

Of course, he’s doing better than his twin sister, who refuses to even SIT on the potty.

There’s nothing like potty training to drive a mother up the wall.

I remember how horrible it was with my older kids, too.

There was the one who kept having accidents while we were out, forcing me to tell store clerks about the puddle we’d left in aisle three. Embarrassing!

There was the one who habitually peed on the floor NEXT TO the toilet. Frustrating!

There was the one who kept peeing in a bucket in the yard so she wouldn’t have to come inside and use the bathroom. Disgusting!

News flash, little girl: It’s only acceptable for BOYS to pee outside. It’s not fair, I know it. Take it up with Gloria Steinem.

I remind myself that all three of these kids are now old enough to use the potty all the time, unsupervised by me.

It DOES get better.

Of course, then they have OTHER problems, but we’ll cross that bridge later….

3 comments:

  1. I love how you talk with yourself to calm down. I do the same with my husband. :) My first daughter was easy to train, but my second! She would go stiff as a board when I tried to put her on the potty. I just gave up for a while and then tried again. I kept telling myself, "She won't be in diapers when she is 16."

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  2. I know what you mean! But sometimes it FEELS like they WILL be in diapers at 16...

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  3. I loved this post. I found it while searching the interwebs desperately for hope, or some sort of light at the end of a very wet tunnel we're currently wading our way through. I love that you've been there before and can testify it will get better...but still hate being in the muck, so to speak. It helps me believe it can be this bad and still turn out okay.

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