We are Potty School Drop Outs...

I am a potty school dropout. My potty train has jumped the tracks. I have become everything I never thought I’d become. 

Before you start giving me all of your advice, I will lead with this: I potty trained my first three children within a week. With RARELY no mistakes afterwards. And I pretty much thought I was the cock of the walk. I mean, how can people think this is hard? You just get rid of the diapers and set the timers and voila, underpants city. It’s easy peasy to use the potty.

Then came Rowan, child number 4. And the universe sent me a little humble pie: I have been trying to potty train this child for 2 months now. And I got nothing. Nada. Zilch.

Two weeks ago I decided to go "all or nothing". Telling myself real parents don’t give up. Real parents get shtt done. 

We did everything we could right out of the gate on that Monday. We set a thirty minute timer for two days straight. We ate candy. We clapped just getting him on the potty without a fight. The older kids got in on the excitement, high fiving the little bro and sitting alongside him as he did his time on the throne. 

We also did only underwear and plastic covers, which meant I was washing a load of undies every evening...and cleaning shit out of at least 1 pair a day. Whatever, I just wanted to get through to this child and get it done.

But then the screaming started. He would scream and fight me just to sit him on the potty. He refused the potty chair, refused the kid urinal, refused the big potty. Just flat out refused.

And so. Two days after buying a ticket for the potty train, we hopped off. Back to diapers. 

I know. I can’t believe it either. But you know what, it’s just better. 

I’m just over stressing about crap like this. This kid will not go to college in a diaper. Probs not even pre-school next year. And hopefully, we didn’t do any permanent damage with our little attempt at the world free of undies. 

I plan that once school is out, I will just let the little Mr. run around nakie nakie all day and then move into undies when we have some better success. But for now, we are back in diapers for this little dude. And I am officially a potty school dropout. And as much fun as it was to imagine my household diaper-free and to skip down the sidewalk in my dreams, I honestly feel very little stress over the whole situation. And it’s just further proof to me that in motherhood and life, you gotta do what works for you. 

So for now, we’re stickin’ with the diapers. We still promote the potty and have the candy jar out and all that jazz. But as for me, it is what it is.