So, that lovely time has come to me again, the time when I have to potty train one of my babies.
I have 3 little girls, Sophia10, was my first experience potty training a human so I really tried my best, I had no much of a clue about how or when exactly to start potty training a baby until family members started asking me: Is she still on diapers?
I think she was 3 to 4 years old when I told myself: "I gotta get this potty training thing done",
So, I armed myself with a sophisticated potty toilet (with lights, music, stickers, and Diploma included) lots of book and the "Elmo' goes to potty" videos running in the background of my house 24/7 and I started potty training my first girl.
I don't remember being in a difficult situation because I think I was not going out as much as I go out now, so she was pretty much all the time at home and if she had a little accident here and there it was nothing to panic about because we were right next to the toilet, she used pulled ups or easy ups for a while especially at night, I was paranoid about her wetting the bed and she barely did
For my second child it went down even better, I was now feeling more confident and expecting a smooth transition, so I used the "mimicking technique" like showing her how her big sister (or mommy) does it, I remember bringing her with me to buy cute underwear, getting her into a no water after 6pm routine etc.
So she did it easier than my first one, except that this time we were going out a little more, so I remember having to make few stops at public restrooms for her, luckily, I found out about these toilet seat covers that I used to take with me everywhere and Stella loved to use them and it gave me a piece of mind when we were outside. Stella had a good transitioning and also used pullups for a while before going completely on underwear for a whole day and night.
Now for my 3rd child (and hopefully my last), things were going a little bit more wild and messy.
So, since my house now is usually crazier and messier than what it used to be, I didn't have the time to prepare myself this time around... no pull-ups, no fancy potty chairs, no Elmo singing "accidents happen and that's ok,...", no diplomas or stickers... she basically started potty training herself even before I even realized she was "ready", Why? well, because she had the big sisters influence!
Since she is the little one she is always behind her big sisters trying to imitate them in everything they do, that includes the toilet and when I saw her being interested I asked my husband to bring back our simple and basic potty chair from the attic (we had a couple of them) and let it being there next to the big toilet in the girls bathroom to see "if" she would like to try... and she did! and plenty times!
She was actually a pro in the matter, taking down her diaper, sitting in the chair and calling me when she was done!
I felt so successful!
...like Ok, We're done!
But, not so fast she seemed to tell me... after a good couple of weeks of trips to the "big girl's potty" she was not feeling it anymore, she started to be afraid and holding herself back.
So I said we need more time in diapers, she was only 2 and a half, so I didn't need to hurry.
Then time passed and she turned 3, during months she was in this love-hate relationship with the toilet, having many, many accidents at home and still using diaper for when we were in public and definitely at night, I got her pull-ups and cute little underwear, but she was still not feeling the potty at all, Why? I really don't know, all I can think is that she maybe realized that it was just much easier to stay in diapers all day.
It was a frustrating game seeing her going back instead of forward to her goals, so little by little we tried and tried again with all the little tricks I knew... singing songs, having her watch little potty training videos, coming with all of us to the potty and even giving her prizes everytime she would successfully go to the toilet, and finally; slowly but shortly; with accidents here and there and many many stops to the public restrooms, she started to go back again to the potty.
She is now almost 3 and a half and is rarely having an accident and she goes without a pullup during the whole night, she sure feels like one more big girl in the house and she is totally in love with her little underwear.
As a mom is so hearted melting and reliving seeing her going on into a healthy development and getting to be a real big girl, is also a relieve no to have to buy diapers anymore in this household, it is a great sensation, I feel happy for her and I feel this journey can be at times frustrating and stressful but with patience and little tricks here and there it is a transition that will happen to every baby.
So I guess I officially have no babies anymore, just big girls around here, I know you may think I'm crazy if I tell you that after all this effort to help her get there, now I miss my baby with diapers...
I know, I'm crazy like that, It's similar to when you were miserable being pregnant and couldn't wait to give birth but then when you are not pregnant anymore you look back in pictures or touch your belly and wish for a moment you would have your baby back again inside of your tummy, or when you couldn't wait to stop using huge diaper bags and dream about going lighter with a tiny cross body purse (I used to dream about that) but then you think how useful that huge diaper bag was and wonder if you could use it again?...
Well, that's motherhood to me... it's all the feelings at once, I just can't win.
You'll always be missing something from the past but will go crazy to get to the next step.
If you are a mom, I want to send you right now a huge hug, if you don't know it or if no one told you today: you are doing a great job!
Just by caring and loving your baby you are the best mom in the world, don't ever forget that!
Xo: Natalia.
