Potty Training

Ugh. That is the only word for it. There are so many times that I wish I could push a button on my son to have him potty trained. I have tried everything. My daughter was a snap. My mother-in-law came over, thanks again mom, so that I could devote all of my time to my daughter. I told her what we were doing and she just got it. Don't get me wrong, it was work, none of this party for the potty stuff. But after a good 24 hours of working on it, she just got it. "Okay, that wasn't so bad," I thought, "What is all the big deal about?"

Advice for all of you newer moms, don't ever think that you have it all figured out because God will bless you with another child that doesn't do anything similar to your first! My goodness boys are different than girls. My daughter is thoughtful, creative and enjoys developing make-believe worlds. My son on the other hand, was just running in a circle from our kitchen to the living room to the dining room seeing how many times it took for his pants to fall down as they were too big. He would laugh, pull them up and do it all over again. He is my child that gets into everything from chapstick to toilet paper, chocolate to cd cases. He can destroy things that I thought were indestructible. He jumps off of everything, climbs on anything he can and always has to pick up sticks, rocks, worms you name it. He truly is a very boyish boy!

Trying to get this boy to potty train is insane. There is no other word for it. I have put him in underwear. I even bought new pull ups that get cold when he pees in them. "Don't pee on Buzz Lightyear or he will make you freezy," I told him. Do you know what he said after he peed in them for the first time about 2 minutes after I put them on? "Mom, I peed in my underpants. No importa." So I can teach my 3 year old Spanish but I can't teach him to pee in a potty. Go figure.

"No importa" or "it doesn't matter" is a great phrase to hold onto. My son is over 3 and isn't potty trained, "no importa." My mothering style isn't like those other moms from my child's preschool, "no importa." I don't look like I belong on the cover of a magazine, "no importa." Now the thing that is "importa" is rejoicing in the days that God has given to us. "This is the day which the Lord has brought about; we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24 Amplified Bible). I want to be glad each day. I made it through yesterday and I look forward to tomorrow, but I want to be GLAD in today. God is with us in the little things as well as the big. I pray about potty training my son. Someone actually laughed that I prayed about that. But guess what, we serve a big God who wants to help us through whatever we face including those little things that your kids deem as "no importa!"

Find joy and even laugh when you feel like you want to run in circles, scream and shout as my grandmother used to say. One of the best things I have found to dispel my anger and frustration with my kids is to laugh right out loud. REJOICE. Sometimes I even have to give myself a pep talk. In fact, my daughter has asked me before, "who are you talking to mom?" Mommy is just giving herself an encouraging word my dear. King David had to do it too. So take a moment today and just REJOICE. Go ahead and laugh. Make sure that things that aren't important aren't making you lose your joy! After all, this too shall pass. My son will wear underwear, even if it takes him until he is 5!