Lessons in Diligence, Patience, and Consistency

Potty training is the most intense lesson I have ever had in my life when it comes to diligence, patience, and consistency. If I fail in those three things then I have a big mess to clean up. More and more this life with kids is pushing me toward a life with a schedule and a structure in order to make life easier. I resist mainly because I am lazy. I don't have a vendetta against structure or think it destroys creativity. I think that if it is done right it will encourage creativity (not crazy no flexibility schedule) . It doesn't come to me naturally. Naturally I am lazy. Kids are designed for a schedule. They need to be fed every blah blah blah; they need to be changed every blah blah blah;they need to be cleaned up after every meal; they need to sleep such and such hours broken into blocks throughout the day and night. They do well with a schedule. That doesn't mean we have to do the same thing every day- there should be blocks of free play time and days where the schedule just doesn't fit (Sunday Kaden doesn't get a nap because of church). I need to conform to their schedule in general because then I will take better care of all of us.

So By the end of last week I had Kaden going #2 in the potty. I brought his potty chair in the front room in the morning until he goes #2 and then it goes back in the bathroom for the rest of the day. The weekend totally threw us off so we started over again today. He is beginning to resist going to the potty again even though he can. (On Friday we went out and he stayed dry the whole three hours we were gone or he told the sitter to take him not sure which) He went #2 on the potty fine this morning and then later I had to carry him kicking and screaming to the potty later. He lied to me about going in the potty and wet his pants about 5 minutes later. I can't let this become a power struggle. So I have to be patient. And diligent. And clean up messes. I have to be consistent. He can't wear pull ups except for sleeping or going out. He is good at keeping them dry and will ask to go to the potty while wearing them but he slowly becomes too comfortable in them and will use them for #2. He knows they are almost a diaper. So they have to be limited and eventually eliminated. soon.

So much to learn...