I LET POTTY TRAINING GET THE BEST OF ME YESTERDAY MORNING.
AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, OUR LITTLE LADY HAS TROUBLE GOING NUMBER TWO. WITHOUT GOING INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL, IT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN A CONSTANT, CONSISTENT AND EVER PRESENT CHALLENGE FOR HER SINCE AGE ONE. (I WILL STOP THERE AND SPARE YOU THE GRAPHIC DETAILS.)
AND, WHILE I'M THRILLED TO REPORT SUCCESS WITH GOING NUMBER ONE, SHE IS BOTH RESISTANT AND DETERMINED NOT TO GO NUMBER TWO ON THE TOILET. IN FACT, SHE IS DOWN RIGHT DETERMINED TO STOP THIS NATURAL BODILY PROCESS ALL TOGETHER.
I KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS STRUGGLE AND THAT MANY HAVE GONE BEFORE ME, BUT WHEN YOU ARE IN THE MIDST OF PAINFUL POTTY MOMENTS, WHICH INCLUDE FITS OF SCREAMING AND PLEADING, IT IS HARD TO SEE CLEARLY LET ALONE SEE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, OR DRAIN IN THIS CASE.
AFTER PUTTING MY SWEET ONES TO BED, I HAD A MOMENT TO SIT QUIETLY ON THE COUCH AND JUST BE ALONE WITH MY THOUGHTS. I PRAYED AND CLOSED MY EYES ONLY TO WAKE AN HOUR LATER FEELING REFRESHED AND FULL OF NEW IDEAS TO HELP ENCOURAGE OUR LITTLE LADY IN HER POTTY ENDEAVORS. (APPARENTLY, POTTY TRAINING IS NOT ONLY EXHAUSTING FOR TODDLERS, BUT PARENTS AS WELL.)
ONLY HOURS BEFORE I HAD FELT DEFEATED, WAS FRUSTRATED, AND WAS RUNNING LOW ON PATIENCE. AFTER REST, IT WAS I WHO HAD A NEW DETERMINATION. I WOULD NOT LET THE BOWELS OF A CHILD GET THE BEST OF ME. IT WAS IN THAT MOMENT THAT I REALIZED TWO THINGS. AS A MOTHER I HAVE (THE AWESOME) RESPONSIBILITY TO MOTHER OUR CHILDREN THROUGH EVERY SINGLE KIND OF SITUATION, EMOTION, EVENT, CHALLENGE, AND SUCCESS THEY WILL FACE. WHAT A CHALLENGE. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE! WHAT A TREASURE. I NEED TO FACE POTTY TRAINING WITH THE SAME ENTHUSIASM AND ENERGY AS I WOULD PLANNING HER THIRD BIRTHDAY. TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF OUR SWEET GIRL, BUT TWO THAT ARE EQUALLY IMPORTANT. EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT, I WAS REMINDED THAT OUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS PRESENT AND CARES FOR EVERY ONE OF OUR NEEDS. IN FACT, HE INVITES US TO CAST EACH AND EVERY CARE UPON HIM, AND THAT INCLUDES THE FRUSTRATIONS AND WORRIES THAT GO ALONG WITH PARENTING. WHAT A PROFOUND THOUGHT!
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may LIFT YOU UP in due time. Cast ALL your anxiety on him because he CARES for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the word are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself RESTORE you and make you STRONG, FIRM and STEADFAST. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen."
1 Peter 5:6-11 (emphasis mine)
LORD, PROMPT ME DAILY WITH THE REMINDER OF YOUR UNFAILING LOVE, COMPASSION, AND CARE.
*IF YOU ARE A PARENT OF A BACKED-UP TODDLER OR HAVE EXPERIENCED SUCH PAINS, GIVE ME A SHOUT OUT OR SEND ME WORDS OF WISDOM. MUCHAS GRACIAS!
Oh Becky, so sorry to hear Char is still having trouble with this! Not fun for you or her!!! I do have a good friend (college roommate) who is going through this same thing with her almost 3 year old son right now, and I know she is at wits end too. I will message her and you together on facebook and see is she has any other knowledge/wisdom to share! Hang in there friend. You have an amazing perspective, and I really admire that! Love ya. Sara
ReplyDeleteI certainly understand where you are coming from. Emily was bad. But Claire was worse. She started about 1 year of age too. She was potty trained for #1 around 2 years of age. Probably she was closer to 3 before she improved with #2. She couldn't even do it in a diaper. I think I even became a support in the problem. After she would go #2 very painfully and longly and difficult, I would breathe a sigh of relief that I could concentrated on something else for a couple of days ---or longer, until I had to address that problem again. So here's what worked. When she reached times of having to go no matter what and I could see that happening or beginning, then I would frequently put her in the tub ---2-3-4 times a day. keep here there as long as possible with the water as warm as possible. I even tried having her stand with her bum in the water while pooping to try to help it come out. (sorry for graphic nature). It gradually became that she was doing #2 in the tub. She began to cry when I turned on the tub. But I plowed on and forced her in. Once she had that association of doing it with the tub. I actually began to be in control of when she would do it. I would turn on the tub ritual once I saw signs of her back-up difficulties. She would only do it in the tub. Humberto said, "gross". I said "yah". I was able to gradually increase the frequency of going #2. ANd eventually transition it to the potty. That was the easier part. So I don't know if this will work for Charlotte. But I know that associating #2 with water worked and then after awhile, the water became a trigger. Don't know if this will work for Charlotte any if there could be any other associations that could work.
ReplyDelete