potty training and life

Potty Training as a Metaphor for Life:

1. Go hard or Go Home: You cannot potty train if both you and your child are not ready. If your child is ready, but you are not able to commit, it won't happen. If you are ready, but your child is not, it won't happen. Just like in life, if you are not really committed, you will end up with a mess on your hands.

2. My Way or the Highway: Even at the tender age of 18 mos, children have a preference. I picked out potty chairs for both of my children, then had to go back again when they did not like the first one. Daughter has decided she wants to go on the big potty with a little seat attached instead of her own chair. My job as her mother is to recognize things like that and to accomodate them whenever possible. Son wanted to pee standing up. Try as I might, I could not get him to sit down to pee. Once I quit trying to make him do it my way, he had success. It was a couple of months before I could get him to sit down for #2, but he had pee down pat by then. So I guess it is not really "my" way, unless you are thinking from the kids' perspective.

3. Find the Fun in Life: If it is something that is exciting and fun, they will do it gladly. I let both of my kids pick out their undies and got them super excited to go. We had potty chairs ready in the bathroom for a while while we talked about how neat it will be when they get to go on the potty. For my kids, at least, if they feel pressure, they resist against it. As much as I dread doing certain things in life, if I make a challenge or contest for myself, with a prize at the end, any task becomes fun.

4. Accidents happen: They are a part of life and certainly part of potty training. Have plenty of back up undies, as well as a mop handy for messes, but avoid making a big deal out of it. It took some convincing to get Son to quit gagging every time Daughter had an accident. There is another well known saying in life that fits here: s*&@ happens(use your imagination, it applies to both scenarios.)
5. Don't Procrastinate: if you do, you will end up cleaning up a giant mess that would have been avoided had you taken care of it five minutes earlier. Trust me, don't wait for the next commercial break. That is what TiVo is for.
I have been spending a lot of time in the bathroom lately keeping my girl company, and it may have addled my brain, but it seems to me that so many challenges in life can be conquered using the same concepts as when we first learn these basic skills. It is really hard to figure things out at first, but when you get the hang of it, it becomes like second nature. Just be sure to heed Nature's call.