As a young teenage mom I wanted a little girl so bad but It just wasn't meant to be. I thought Potty Training a girl would be much easier!
The only girl in a house with three older brothers, I knew deep down in my preggy belly that my first bundle of joy would be a boy. No surprise their! Then came marriage. My husband is the oldest of (drum roll please) . . . three boys!
So now I have three sons. I wouldn't trade my blessings for the world or a girl, but keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Please and Thank You!
So how did I potty train these jive turkeys you ask? Well surprisingly my oldest son was fairly simple but he was very slick. He came to me and said "Mom, I have to pee." Overjoyed at the simplicity I rushed him to the bathroom and left his diaper off for the remainder of the day. Big mistake! He pooped on the floor in the corner, with a smile no less. My silent smiling assassin. He was ready but not that ready. He needed a potty regiment and he was going in no time.
Then came my second little dude. So sweet, so quiet and so clever. This time we were gonna be ready. Potty Watch (check) Cheerios in toilet (check) Kid using Potty (X). My first son must have passed him the slick baton cause this dude came off the mark ready to give us a run for my money.
He Tricked us time and time again. This little dude required Dad and I to become Potty referees. It was always a 100 meter yard dash to and from the bathroom. So we suited up and trained our little Flo Jo to get his flow to go in the Potty! Slow and steady wins the race!
Well while we were trying to slow down Speedy Gonzales, we found out we were pregnant with our third child!
Talk about shocked! The word is an understatement! Yes, i do know how it happens but really! We were trying to conceive for three years after we got married. So much so that it consumed us and really put a strain on the marriage, which is already tough enough on its own! When we stopped "trying" and just enjoyed each others company, that's when it happened for us.
Just when I thought we were in the diaper clear, we were back on the front line.
My third pregnancy was my most challenging. At 5 months Doctors informed us that our little dude had fluid in his lungs and could possibly be down syndrome. They asked if we wanted to terminate. This was out of the question for us. We had been through the hurt of trying to conceive to no avail before. My grandmothers a prayer warrior, so when i spoke with her about it i felt a calming peace come over me and knew he would be fine no matter what.
Well i had a c-section delivery, and as soon as they pulled him out it was a golden shower on all the nurses and doctors! He laughs every time i tell him this story!
So my third times a charm bundle was and is definitely a charmer. Big brown eyes and smiles on demands but doesn't like to be dirty or wet. Changing this little dudes diapers was always challenging. He would spin his little butt as soon as you take the diaper off. Even when i held on to his ankles. So that was our cue.
This gator baby didn't keep still. He loves to play, he is very creative and loves combat. In tune with the things he loves like any child, except that signal to GO, GO, GO. He would miss his bathroom cue and get so upset that he was wet. Brung the potty watch back out and it helped a bit, except he didn't like the play interruptions without results. He needed those audible reminders catered to his daily schedule.
Thank God for Disney coming through with the rebound potty defense! This and more consistency and my gator was going to the potty lagoon in no time.
When you first start on your parental journey, you may be lead to believe that one gender is "easier" than the other. The way children get through stages of development is not based on gender, but more about the individual child with the use of visual aids and consistency. The best way to train your little crumb snatchers is to watch how they learn. Nurture their character to get them going.
With all things, have fun!
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