Parenting/Pottying the Strong Willed Child

Before any of you read this, let me preface it by saying this is NOT easy - BUT with that being said, I can honestly say that I can't even believe he would SIT there!

As I write this, little man has been sitting on the potty for a little over an hour (I'm updating the blog as we go!) When he woke up this morning, I told him "today is a new day" to which he burrowed his eyebrows and looked at me with this expression that said "what are you talking about, Willis?" I continued, "today we are going to poop on the potty, okay?"...........he simply said, "Okay."

I fed him breakfast, he watched a little tv with big brother and then I took him in the bathroom as I was told to do and simply said "I've talked to your doctor and he said you can go in the potty so you are staying in here until you go poop in the potty...call me when you're done" and walked out. At first he said "okay" and I started thinking if he immediately poops on the potty, I'm going to freak out. But after an hour I realized that wasn't going to happen. After the first 3 minutes, he started yelling for me "mommy, I'm done" to which I went in there and nothing. In the span of one hour's time, this has probably occurred at least ten times. I just keep saying "the doctor says you can do this...call me when you are done." One time I went in and he was crying so I leaned down to hug him and I literally didn't think he was going to let go....that broke my heart but for the most part he's just sitting in there. At the hour and a half mark, he opened the bathroom door to which I walked over to see what was going on and he immediately shut it....I said "that's what I thought".

Hour two - I'm starting to get weak but I just keep repeating Matthew 5:37 "Let your message be "yes" for "yes" and "no" for "no"..." I wonder if this smart little two year old can tell that he's breaking me down? I'm trying so hard to remain calm.....After continuing to pick him up, turn him around and put him on the potty too many times for this pregnant mom, I hear him opening the door so I go to check on him and he's CRYING!!! Um....he has pooped on the floor - exactly what we thought he would do! It's so close to the door that I have to smear it all over the floor to even open the door. I'm wondering why in the world is HE crying? I'm so frustrated and don't even know where to start cleaning this mess up that's all over the floor, on the rug, all over him....UGH! So I take him up to my bathtub and completely clean him up, get him dressed and direct him back downstairs with big brother. That is when I completely lose it - is it crazy for me to be in tears over this? Everyone says you have to remain calm - yeah right!!! It's so hard to remove yourself ESPECIALLY when your pregnant, exhausted and hormonal! So once he's downstairs I figure I can let my guard down and lose my "calm" demeanor...As I scrubbed my bathtub clean of his feces on my hands and knees, I couldn't stop crying - the crying continued as I was on my hands and knees in the downstairs bathroom as well. I was exhausted, defeated and I had to get out of this house. So we went and met some friends (the friend that seems to be there everytime I'm crying!) I'm sure she thought I was a joy to be around today! But it was so nice to get out of the house....came home & everyone took naps! I wanted to stay in that bed until daddy came home and physically lifted me out of it but we were all up to welcome him home.

This is where it gets even worse.....I know you wonder if that's possible. We all sit down to eat dinner and afterwards little man is dying to get down from his seat - so he's still in a booster that buckles so we unbuckle him and he's playing on the floor as far as I know....oh no, he pooped his pants AGAIN! Daddy took over this time knowing I didn't have it in me and that's when the tears revisited....I needed a break which I took in my room/bathroom for close to two hours...The kids would come up & bang on the locked door - "mommy's taking a break right now!" I woud hear daddy yell upstairs "get back down here, I told you not to go up there!" I did come out a little bit restored but....tomorrow is a new day - and we will be in that bathroom again until he poops on the potty!