Do you ever post something on Facebook and wish that you could go back and edit it? Oh, wait, you can do that. But, I dont always like to. Sometimes I just let the comments roll in and read them when I can.
I posted this photo of Liam on the potty and a slew of advice and opinions came in. It was ... weeeeiiird.
I saw my parents raise 3 children and I can remember when the youngest two, just 19 months apart, were teething and learning to walk and potty training. Here I am, over 20 years later, with one single, spirited, powerhouse toddler and it's clear that parenting is very, very, very hard.
Here's what you may not know about this picture:
1) My son is intense. Like, very very very intense. 2) He's not scared of the potty. 3) He was SCREAMING because he wanted his "treat" when he hadn't even gone peepee yet. 4) I thought it was entertaining so I took a picture instead of LOSING MY MIND. 5) It's funny. 6) I am not taking potty training too seriously yet but what you may not know is that we are reallllly poor right now and not buying diapers would be really nice. 7) Obviously Liam isn't ready to potty train so I went out and bought more diapers. 8) Parenting is hard. Parenting alone is harder. Miss you, Dan.
Sometimes I get real angry; I am just as intense as Liam is but I am a thirty year old woman who can control her temper. When Liam was a baby I had this vision of him as a toddler, laughing with his friends. Since the move and staying home with him full-time, things were getting intense on the regular. I was invited to have some quiet time at a church I visited and I saw this visions again of Liam laughing. I had an epiphany: Make him laugh. Divine intervention! It works! If it gets too intense I try to make him laugh by making silly faces or telling him I'm going to make him eat a poop sandwich. Not conventional parenting advice, but this works for us. He's a happier boy because of it and I need it just as much as he does.
In conclusion: We're going to be okay. I'm going to potty train him when he's ready. And, regarding how poor we are, a bunch of checks got lost in the mail so we'll be back on our feet soon enough. We dont use credit cards so things were pretty scary for a minute. Thus, my previous post about not worrying.
In conclusion: We're going to be okay. I'm going to potty train him when he's ready. And, regarding how poor we are, a bunch of checks got lost in the mail so we'll be back on our feet soon enough. We dont use credit cards so things were pretty scary for a minute. Thus, my previous post about not worrying.
- How do you treat parenting advice? Do you crave it or hate it?
- When did your child potty train and what method did you use?
- What do you do when your toddler is losing his/her mind? (Tell them you're going to feed them a poop sandwich, right?! No? Just me....?)
I loved reading this! If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, I say! With three little boys, I will tell you that nothing gets a laugh faster than a good fart joke! (Poop sandwiches would also work... I'm going to have to try that!)
ReplyDeletePotty training is a nightmare. The twins were impossible! It was six months of poop in underwear. It was awful. For all of us. With the youngest, I waited a lot longer, and am so glad I did. Just listen to Liam, you'll know when it's time!
PS- I so enjoyed watching your foster-to-adopt video. So, so, so sweet.
Thanks so much, Shelly! Good to know about your kids. All kids are different and mama knows best, right?
DeletePotty training....I put my two daughters into panties cold turkey. My first was 2.5 and all it took was a few days of accidents for her to figure it out. I waited longer with my second daughter, she was closer to 3, and it was really smooth. But they were ready. I didn't rush them. Have fun :)
ReplyDeleteI seek parenting advice on the internet as I've built a community of parents with different styles over the past few years and they usually have some awesome tips/tricks that I can try. Also, there's so much to be said for trusting your gut. It's harder with the first, but now that we're on #3 it's a lot easier. That goes for potty training too. You know your boy, follow his cues. Have you read Raising Your Spirited Child? My two oldest are spirited and that book had some great new things for us to try out. Good luck! Parenting is HARD! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, June! Yes, Liam is off-the-charts spirited and that book has helped IMMENSELY!
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