the potty dash!

Potty training..the mere idea of it ignites the senses of all sorts. It's a fear and yet an excitement all it's own. Like pregnancy and labor, potty training is an experience individual to that parent and that child, no two are alike. With that, like pregnancy and labor everyone has an opinion, and because we are women and feel the need to HAVE to share it, everyone always hears/shares it. There is advice about it everywhere you turn along with hundreds of books that help both the child and the parent survi..ah, excuse me, learn the best method for the pair.


Personally I found potty training to be a bit of a pain in the ass! Trying to remember to watch the clock or set the timer so that I can have the "let's just try and sit on the potty" battle every 1.5 hrs is like dragging your own nails on the chalkboard, an unnecessary self-inflicted headache. It's slightly less than my usual fun and quite honestly on the verge of obnoxious-to put it lightly. Admittedly, I would have weeks where I would be great with her and then that after one really long day at work and being quite preggo (never the two combined, lol) I would find myself not even putting in the effort for the fight, "just get me a diaper I don't have the energy." As I write this I realize how this sounds, but come on, tell me (in your mind) if you've been through it, that you haven't had these thoughts at least once or twice. Bottom line here, I realize I wasn't helping the situation but I'm hard pressed to say I was hurting it. We tried every type of bribe, at least all of them, and you can only exhaust the "but you're a big girl" phrases in such a variety of ways, honestly there are only so many you can come up with. For a while she was doing great and we got really close and then...it happened. I.had.another.baby. It is undoubtedly, mom's fault (never realized that started so early on in parenting btw, but I digress) Everyone warns you of the potty-training regression but most people, myself included, think nah, that's their story, not mine. She'll be different...WRONG! #epicfail

My daughter went through 5 straight months of complete regression; she wanted to be a baby just like her sister (well, of course, she was "getting all of the attention" :::Eyeroll:::) The pediatrician even said, don't even bring it up, she'll do it on her own (we weren't exactly buying his sell) but he was right! One day she just decided to do it and has been going strong since and we don't have to worry about the timer or the questions; of course we check in with her and car rides are always a little nerve wracking but she's doing really well. Thankfully, I've lived to tell the tale that even the biggest non-believer was proven wrong and it's totally true, your kid will not go to college in a diaper (although, with a beautiful little girl, I was starting to get okay with the idea..it'll keep boys away.lol)

but! here's where the dash comes in, while my daughter is doing awesome at potty training I was (again) ill-prepared for the drama of the potty in public. Public restrooms have become a circus side-show. We have to visit EVERY ONE in each and every place we go. As a supportive parent you know you never second guess a potty-train(ed/ing) child when they say they need to go but this past weekend I spent close to 30 minutes in the potty at the local craft store. My daughter went in did her business and they realized there were 2 stalls not just 1, mistake! she had to visit both of them. She also recently discovered (after going into the stall by herself) the little trash bins, ladies, you know what I am talking about! These have to be the most unsanitary things in the whole bathroom (yes, toilet included). So, finally after having a ridiculous conversation to coerce her out of the potty and back to business in the store we get to the other side of the store only for her to loudly say "mommy, poop's coming out..." i.e. the potty dash!

If you haven't been there yet, you will, and when you do good luck, it's worth it, it's always worth it but nothing can prepare you for YOUR "potty dash."