Just the other day my 2-year-old came up to me and said,
‘Momma, I want to go potty.’
Hmm… I thought that was a little unexpected but we had been working on this for a bit. He just hasn’t been interested. He wasn’t ready.
He had the sticker chart posted by the bathroom wall and over the past few months, he had accumulated quite a few stickers. He asked for another sticker when he was finished and then asked me if he could get some ‘big boy’ underwear. I explained to him that he needed to fill up the sticker chart and he would get to go on a shopping trip to pick some out.
Excitedly he skipped off telling everyone he was going shopping. Maybe an hour later he wanted to go again. So we went and another sticker was earned. And several more were earned throughout the day.
‘Momma, can I wear big boy underwear now?’
I told him he could start wearing big boy underwear after he had started using the potty more. That was last week and he has not had too many accidents since then. By last Friday he had completely filled up his sticker chart and had already decided he wanted some dinosaur underwear.
We went to town and didn’t find dinosaurs but we found some with some of his favorite characters on them. He was overjoyed and held them the whole way home. He had to show them to everyone and asked me to open them. Then he insisted we put a pair on over his pull-up and he said he wouldn’t potty on them.
Guess what? He has pretty much potty trained himself in less than a week!
Is it a miracle? No.
Was there a special secret? Not really, except that he was ready. He has matured enough to realize that he wanted to be a ‘big boy’.
Did I push him? No. After the 8 kids before him, I pretty much knew that he would eventually get there on his own time.
He had already noticed that ‘babies’ wear diapers and need someone to change them. He wants to be independent and in his little mind that meant no more pull-ups.
He just came in the door and needs Mommy to help him. So I will cherish these little moments as they pass by so quickly now. I will continue to help him and watch him grow into the fine young man that God has intended him to be from the beginning.
Mommas and Daddies, please be patient with whatever it is your child is trying to accomplish. Don’t fret over small things because each child is different. Don’t compare your child to others and wonder why they haven’t achieved every milestone. Each child will learn and mature at their own pace. Just be there for them and encourage them, support them, and most of all cherish them!
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