You are probably at a point where you are wondering, will this ever be accomplished?
You are questioning if you will ever be able to help your child gain the level of independence that comes
with being fully potty-trained.
Let’s be honest here, you are feeling like giving up at this point.
Give me 5 minutes of your time. Please hear me out.
I am here to let you know I felt every emotion possible during my process, frustration, disbelief, sadness
and sometimes even anger. I remember one time when I had just had it and climbed into bed in sadness,
my husband came into the bedroom with a cup of ice cream and coke and just said, it is going to be OK.
So yes, you may say you have no idea what have been through the last couple of months or even years.
And yes, you are right, I do not!
But this is what I do know –
Potty training is like starting a blog or that business you have dreaded for years. You spend so many
hours pouring into it not really knowing if it will take off. What drives is that need to help people or make
that extra cash to help your family out. Some days will cause you to scratch your head and ask God why
you even dared to start. Other days will be reassuring and exciting.
I started potty training my daughter at 1 and a half years, thinking it would be the same process as my
son’s.
That was my first mistake. I failed to realize every child is different. Every child takes in data, learns it,
and reproduces the data differently. I needed to learn to be patient with my child and move at her pace.
My second mistake was not realizing I needed to make the process fun for her. I was requiring so much
from her but not giving her anything in return. She was beginning to dread going into the toilet because it
had become so rigid and painful for her. Finding things that will reinforce your child and keep him or her
engaged during the entire process will make life a lot easier for both of you.
Remember accidents are part of the process and does not mean your child is learning. Sometimes, they
just cannot calculate the exact time the poop or pee is coming and can miss running to the bathroom on
time. Hear this ring in your mind any time this happens – it is OK. It is part of the learning process. Yes,
this can cause a lot of frustration and sometimes the feeling of this is just not possible. Take a deep breath
and remind yourself you would rather push to get this done now then have to wipe the bottom of a
teenager simply because you gave up on them learning.
None of the points mentioned above will be possible if you do not actually believe your child is capable
of successfully getting potty trained.
A diagnosis may give you this false impression that your child cannot do some things. The Bible however
tells us we can do all things through Christ. This is not just saying. It is God’s promise to us.
One of your responsibilities as a parent is to guide your child and that will require you believing in them.
The day or month you give up could have been your breakthrough.
After unsuccessfully potty-training for almost 2 years, in January 2024, I prayed and told God to help me.
At the end of January 2024, my daughter was going to the bathroom all by herself. Imagine if I had given
up halfway through January 2024?
Stay focused on the end result and that is to have a child who can independently go to the bathroom. Let
the sense of freedom you can help your child achieve be your motivation today.
For more resources, visit the pages below for more specific examples of what we did to successfully
potty-train our 4-year-old. You got this Mama.