Potty Training Success

My sweet baby girl is potty training. You know you're supposed to potty train a nearly-three-year-old when she stops what she's doing, tells you she needs to sit on the potty, turns around, and then does her business on the potty! So, when she did that, we knew she was ready and we'd better start.

Let's suffice it to say, I've learned a little about potty training over the years. When my son, my firstborn, was around 1 and a half, I tried to force the issue, listening to some well-meaning friends, and in my mama-immaturity, comparing myself to them. Well, that didn't go so well for mama or son! And then I tried to force the issue again when the boy was a little past 2. Again, a too-little boy with a very frustrated mama. Finally, I listened to my pediatrician, who had 5 of her own children. "Just wait," she wisely said, "when they are around three it will be so much easier because they can understand the concept better and their bodies are more physically able to 'hold it'." So, I waited and yes, at around 3 years of age, it was much easier. One week and the boy was trained!

I took these lessons to heart with my middle born daughter. I was going to wait until she was 3 as well. I had been changing diapers (often for more than one child) for 4 years straight at that point and had another baby by then, so I just waited. Until one day when we were at an amusement park with our extended family and my sis-in-love took her to the potty. And she went! Another week with some practice and she was trained as well! So, in reality, my sis-in-love potty-trained my sister, I always say.

Now our baby, and probably last child, is potty training. And she is doing so well. Really very few accidents. And I really attribute it to waiting until she was almost three. She is so proud of her new accomplishment and loves the skittle that awaits her with each new success.

So, my baby is pretty much potty trained in less than a week (not nights yet, of course) and so that means many fewer diapers, and one more way in which I'm gaining awareness that the "baby stage" in my life is coming to an end. Bittersweet.