Potty Training
So you know how life can sometimes be described as a series of successes and failures? Well, today was a combination of both. We’ve been trying (on and off) for a while to get Mekayla potty trained. Now, my older daughter (in case you don’t know) is one of those strong-willed persons. She has one of those “I’ll do it when I’m ready and not a moment sooner no matter how much you plead, beg, cajole or bribe me even though I know perfectly how to” attitudes. And of course, she has decided to assert this one admirable but frustrating trait with her potty training which is probably why her dad and I have not really pushed it on her and have been working with her on and off.
Well, over the weekend, while I was at the Women of Faith conference, Daddy seemed to have made some headway with her potty training. It involved letting her walk around the living room sans pants with a potty accessible and within close proximity. Well, guess what? On Friday, she knew when she had to stop playing, go sit on her potty and pee on her own!!! Wow!!! I was so impressed when I got home Friday afternoon. Saturday however was a “I think I will assert my free will today” kind of days where she ended up peeing on her Rainbow bear and in the corner of the living room, anywhere else but in the potty. Oh well, successes and failures, right?
So, it’s now Monday morning… Day 3 of potty training adventures… (Sunday doesn’t count – it’s hard to potty train with church and lunch and all – I can’t very well, let her walk around town without pants or diapers on) I am up in the study checking some stuff up on the good ole Internet when I hear peels of laughter… I hear Mekayla laughing…. Nadia laughing… I think “Oh cool! They are having fun together… That’s so sweet.” More Mekayla laughing… Nadia laughing… Mekayla laughing…. Nadia laughing…. Hmm…. I’d like to think that they are playing some fun innocent game together but really, I should know better by now. I’m starting to hear red alert sirens and I think “Oh God, what am I going to find when I turn around the corner and look down?”
This is the scene that greets me… Nadia is standing, holding on to the coffee table, with both her feet in the potty. Only, the potty is not empty like I’d hope. Mekayla is standing off to the corner (out of reach of the splash zone) laughing and watching her sister happily wade in her ankle-deep contribution. Ordinarily I would have been thrilled for there to be light yellow liquid in that pristine white potty but not at this moment. I am inundated with conflicting thoughts. I want my older daughter to have had a successful potty episode but at the same time I pray to God that this is not one of those times. God doesn’t always answer all our prayers. I know He has been known to raise the dead and part the Red Sea but I have yet to see Him remove pee from a potty. Both girls look up at me. They have expressions on their faces like “This is fun Mommy!!! But now that you are looking at me with that look of horror in your face, I’m not so sure anymore.” The following conversation ensues with my oldest:
Mommy: Mekayla, did you go potty? (Stupid question… I know what the answer is… But I ask it anyway hoping for a different answer)
Mekayla: (Gleefully) Uh-huh….
Mommy: (Rushes down the stairs) Oh dear… (Nadia splashes some more) Nadia!!! No!!!!
For the record, this is not the appropriate response when your potty training child just successfully peed in the potty.
Mommy: (Picking up Nadia) I mean good job Mekayla but it is not good for Nadia to play with the pee...
Mekayla: But why?
Mommy: (Oh God save me – I’m walking to the bathroom while dangling Nadia in front of me) Because it is dirty and it’s making everything wet. Oh and good job on peeing in the toilet Mekayla.
Mekayla: Oh….
I now begin the process of washing Nadia’s hands and feet with copious amounts of soap and water whilst simultaneously keeping her from tasting the potentially pee laden soap suds. My next 10 minutes includes the following flurry of activity (not necessarily in this particular order because I can’t quite remember all I did in the aftermath of said destruction)… Dry Nadia’s hands and feet. Grab Clorox wipes. Put down Clorox wipes. Wipe down Mekayla (with baby wipes, not Clorox wipes). Remember to give Mekayla reward of Cookie Monster sticker and 4 M&Ms… Trade out extra brown M&M for blue M&M per recipient’s request… Pick up Clorox wipes. Walk into living room. Ask Mekayla where her sister is wondering what other trouble she is getting into. Wipe up little kiddy chair, coffee table and surrounding 5 feet radius around potty, wishing pee was more viscous and did not splash so well. Pick up pee laden potty and carry quickly to bathroom. Ask Mekayla where her sister is again. Wash potty. Wrestle with bottle of Clorox wipe to get 2 sheets out to wipe down potty. Quickly put down potty so I can grab Nadia and keep her from chewing on the rim of the toilet bowl… Wash Nadia’s hands again… Prevent Nadia from eating more pee laden soap suds… Return potty to living room for future potty training episodes… And it is only 10:30am.
I call Carter to relate all this to him and he suggests that this is a good one for the blog. My response is, "And let the world know what a failure I am as a mom??!!!" My ever optimistic husband’s response? It has some success in it too.
I’d like to say tune in for more potty training adventures but in all seriousness, I hope not. Till next time, remember, God has a sense of humor… We should too.
Well, over the weekend, while I was at the Women of Faith conference, Daddy seemed to have made some headway with her potty training. It involved letting her walk around the living room sans pants with a potty accessible and within close proximity. Well, guess what? On Friday, she knew when she had to stop playing, go sit on her potty and pee on her own!!! Wow!!! I was so impressed when I got home Friday afternoon. Saturday however was a “I think I will assert my free will today” kind of days where she ended up peeing on her Rainbow bear and in the corner of the living room, anywhere else but in the potty. Oh well, successes and failures, right?
So, it’s now Monday morning… Day 3 of potty training adventures… (Sunday doesn’t count – it’s hard to potty train with church and lunch and all – I can’t very well, let her walk around town without pants or diapers on) I am up in the study checking some stuff up on the good ole Internet when I hear peels of laughter… I hear Mekayla laughing…. Nadia laughing… I think “Oh cool! They are having fun together… That’s so sweet.” More Mekayla laughing… Nadia laughing… Mekayla laughing…. Nadia laughing…. Hmm…. I’d like to think that they are playing some fun innocent game together but really, I should know better by now. I’m starting to hear red alert sirens and I think “Oh God, what am I going to find when I turn around the corner and look down?”
This is the scene that greets me… Nadia is standing, holding on to the coffee table, with both her feet in the potty. Only, the potty is not empty like I’d hope. Mekayla is standing off to the corner (out of reach of the splash zone) laughing and watching her sister happily wade in her ankle-deep contribution. Ordinarily I would have been thrilled for there to be light yellow liquid in that pristine white potty but not at this moment. I am inundated with conflicting thoughts. I want my older daughter to have had a successful potty episode but at the same time I pray to God that this is not one of those times. God doesn’t always answer all our prayers. I know He has been known to raise the dead and part the Red Sea but I have yet to see Him remove pee from a potty. Both girls look up at me. They have expressions on their faces like “This is fun Mommy!!! But now that you are looking at me with that look of horror in your face, I’m not so sure anymore.” The following conversation ensues with my oldest:
Mommy: Mekayla, did you go potty? (Stupid question… I know what the answer is… But I ask it anyway hoping for a different answer)
Mekayla: (Gleefully) Uh-huh….
Mommy: (Rushes down the stairs) Oh dear… (Nadia splashes some more) Nadia!!! No!!!!
For the record, this is not the appropriate response when your potty training child just successfully peed in the potty.
Mommy: (Picking up Nadia) I mean good job Mekayla but it is not good for Nadia to play with the pee...
Mekayla: But why?
Mommy: (Oh God save me – I’m walking to the bathroom while dangling Nadia in front of me) Because it is dirty and it’s making everything wet. Oh and good job on peeing in the toilet Mekayla.
Mekayla: Oh….
I now begin the process of washing Nadia’s hands and feet with copious amounts of soap and water whilst simultaneously keeping her from tasting the potentially pee laden soap suds. My next 10 minutes includes the following flurry of activity (not necessarily in this particular order because I can’t quite remember all I did in the aftermath of said destruction)… Dry Nadia’s hands and feet. Grab Clorox wipes. Put down Clorox wipes. Wipe down Mekayla (with baby wipes, not Clorox wipes). Remember to give Mekayla reward of Cookie Monster sticker and 4 M&Ms… Trade out extra brown M&M for blue M&M per recipient’s request… Pick up Clorox wipes. Walk into living room. Ask Mekayla where her sister is wondering what other trouble she is getting into. Wipe up little kiddy chair, coffee table and surrounding 5 feet radius around potty, wishing pee was more viscous and did not splash so well. Pick up pee laden potty and carry quickly to bathroom. Ask Mekayla where her sister is again. Wash potty. Wrestle with bottle of Clorox wipe to get 2 sheets out to wipe down potty. Quickly put down potty so I can grab Nadia and keep her from chewing on the rim of the toilet bowl… Wash Nadia’s hands again… Prevent Nadia from eating more pee laden soap suds… Return potty to living room for future potty training episodes… And it is only 10:30am.
I call Carter to relate all this to him and he suggests that this is a good one for the blog. My response is, "And let the world know what a failure I am as a mom??!!!" My ever optimistic husband’s response? It has some success in it too.
I’d like to say tune in for more potty training adventures but in all seriousness, I hope not. Till next time, remember, God has a sense of humor… We should too.
Labels: kids
posted by Sheac Yee | 8:36 PM
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