Full disclosure: I did TRY to potty train my daughter. We got a copy of The 3-Day Potty Training Method, a surefire way to potty train any child in just 3 days. They were arguably the worst 5 days of my life. And guess what. She still wasn't trained!
I know I'm not alone here. Potty training is frustrating.
Are there some kids who take to it right away and hoard sticker charts or gobble up M & Ms in exchange for pee pee on the potty? Sure! Just like there are some kids who can play Mozart, speak 7 languages, and solve the riddle of the Sphinx at age 3. My daughter is just not one of them.
So we made the terrifying decision of not potty training her at all.
Instead, we waited. We put her in pull-ups so she could go to the bathroom when she wanted, which was hit or miss, and waited. And waited. And waited.
In the meantime we saw child after child using the potty. It seemed like all the kids we knew were trained. And all the while, we waited.
I was tempted to try potty training again, but I resisted. My child would not be potty trained. Trying to force the issue would just make her dig her tiny heels more. She's a stubborn little bugger.
Just as I was about to buy stock in adult diapers, certain that she would go to college in her pull ups, it happened. She came home from school fully trained. Just. Like. That.
You see, when my daughter turned 3 she was moved from the toddler room to the "big kid" room. Everyone else in the big kid room used the potty, and she wanted to, too. That was it. She wanted to do it, so she did it.
Suddenly I realized how much like me my daughter really is. She's always looked like me, but it was becoming crystal clear that she also has much of my personality, for better or for worse. She can't be told how or when to do things. She will do them in her own way, in her own time. That's how it went with talking, walking, potty training, and everything else.
So, if you've tried every method known to man on how to potty train your child, try this one: Don't. Have faith in your child and let it go. You will both be happier in the long run.
Have you tried to potty train your child? Share your experiences in the comments.
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