Oh how we forget.....

Why is it that we look back on some events in our life and remember them as being easy or not as hard as we remember? I think God has a way of erasing some bad moments from our lives so we'll be able to go through it again. For example, the aches and sickness of pregnancy, the pain of childbirth and the mental torture of potty training!

For me, I remember numero uno being fairly easy to train - a chart, a few stickers, a toy on the fridge and he pretty much had it down within the first week (or so I remember it that way!) But little man (child #2) is totally opposite from numero uno so why did I expect things to go the same way?

I decided last week during his two year appointment (with advice from the doctor) that he was ready when he looks at me and says "poopie, mommy". I told the dr. "see this is what he does, he usually tells me before he needs to go" to which the dr. replies "oh, he's ready then!" I left the office thinking "but am I ready?"

The next morning after he pooped in his diaper, he went off and brought me back a clean diaper to change him with. I thought this is it - the last straw when you are bringing me a clean diaper!!! Plus I thought it's definitely so much easier to train him while being pregnant than it is with a newborn - I've been down that road before - not fun!

So some of you know I have a new hero...his name is John Rosemond and he's pretty much the only professional I'll take parenting advice from these days! So I googled what he thought about potty training which helped me make up my mind to start this mentally challenging journey. He basically says that teaching a child to potty train is no different than teaching a child to feed himself with a spoon. "Both are self-help skills, both are taught with gentle guidance, both involve the child making messes during the early learning phase, and both can and should be accomplished before a child is 2. Moreover, one does not have to "push" a child younger than 2 to learn to feed himself any more than one must "push" the same age child to learn to use the toilet properly."

Is that not so backwards from all the crap we are now being taught from our pediatricians and even our peers? Rosemond points out that in the 1950's (his generation) it was ABNORMAL for a child NOT to be potty trained by age 2 and now it's the total NORM for kids ages 3 even 3 1/2 to NOT be potty trained. He then poses this question: Is it easier to train a 6 month old puppy or a 1 year old dog? In fact, if one waits until a dog is a year old to begin training, the dog may not "get it" for quite some time. On the other hand, it takes a matter of several days to a week to successfully house train a puppy of three to six months of age, after which one need hardly be concerned with accidents.

Rosemond goes on to say "Ah, but the critical variable is not familiarity or understanding; rather, it is habit, and the longer one allows the dog/human to eliminate at will, without regard for circumstances, the harder it is going to be to teach the dog/human the "new trick."And yet the majority of pediatricians, following Dr. T. Berry Brazelton’s lead, tell parents that while it is remotely possible to train a child younger than 2, such training, because that age child is not generally "ready," will require "force." This is hogwash. The truth is that as a child ages beyond 24 months, and the habit of releasing at will strengthens, the more "force" will be required to break the habit, and the more "traumatic" the process will be for both parent and child."

So with Rosemond's advice I set out on the potty training journey knowing I have 4 months to complete it before baby#3 gets here. Don't ask me how it's going yet because I'll respond with "not super great" BUT I've started it with the mindset of there will messes, it's minor, no big deal and I know he'll eventually have to get it, right? After all everyone is potty trained at some point or another!!!! Even my stubborn stubborn STUBBORN little man!

P.S. This is my new favorite song right now!!!!!