As hard as this is to type, I really want to remember how difficult this potty training thing has been. (You know, so I can hold it against them when they are teenagers! Ha) First, I need to fill you in on a little bit of my personality.
Hello. My name is Suzanne. I am a perfectionist. I research EVERYTHING. Failure is NOT an option for me. I give 110% in all that I do.
I have been this way my entire life. If I was going to start a project, I would not stop until it was perfect. I am VERY hard on myself. I was class Valedictorian. I took my grades very seriously. I have the absolute BEST parents a gal could ever ask for---they did NOT push me nor put this pressure on me. I just have this inner drive (that I put upon MYSELF) to be the best that I can be in everything I do.
I have been struggling with trying to be the best parent that I can be. Some days, it really gets the best of me, I get completely overwhelmed, and I feel like an absolute failure. I just want to curl up in a ball and give up...throw my hands up and say, "I'm done." But then I pray about it, talk to Joe and my girlfriends, and start a new day. I know I am not alone.
So- potty training. I knew this was going to be a VERY challenging transition for me, being the perfectionist that I am. I knew that I needed to be relaxed and calm...make it a game...don't EVER get upset or frustrated. (ha). So, I prepped and prepped and prepped. We've been talking about it and watching videos since they turned 2! I've read like 3 books, taken notes, and figured- okay, its "go" time!
I got all the pottys ready, (1st, we tried our bathroom)
(then moved the pottys into the kitchen)
made little sticker sheets,
got the Clorox wipes ready, etc. I was BEYOND prepared- both mentally and physically. I knew the drill backward and forward. I knew that I would have to adapt the plan, based upon the different personality types of the children. Trying to potty train QUADRUPLETS is a whole different ballgame and NOT MANY PEOPLE HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE. I knew that some of boys were probably not "ready"...but figured we'd give it a try- just to see...
Here's the breakdown.
Savannah.
Girl child, you are amazing. Simply amazing. I know she's been telling me for months that she was ready to go pee pee on the big girl potty, but I had no idea just how serious she was....well......SHE WAS MORE THAN READY! Folks, I am NOT kidding when I say that all I had to do was put a pink potty down on the floor and she did the rest!
Oh gosh...if all of my children could be
girls this easy (cough, cough) I would have it made in the shade. She is cracking me up, because she literally goes pee like every 5 seconds and she is SO proud of herself.
She has never had an accident and uses the big potty perfectly. I have just been in awe of her. (BTW- Savannah's personality is EXACTLY like her Mama's, if that tells you anything...)
I realized that the every-30-minute routine was not working well with the boys. So, I changed up the game plan. I'm not going to rush it. They see Sav going like a billion times a day, and when they are good and ready- they can give it a try. Naked-play in the backyard with potty chairs has been what works the best- as of right now.
They have all gone pee in the potty on their own (without me suggesting)...they just are not consistent- by any means. I think they are still wrapping their little brains around it all.
I just finally realized, you know, that you can lead a horse to water...but you can't make him drink. And that is SO TRUE with potty training. My BFF,
Gen, has been a God-send in this area (ANY area for that matter)...as she has paved the way for all of us other quad moms with every new transition (the
McNulty Quads are about to turn 4! woot woot!) And I need to just relax, and know that my boys will NOT be in diapers at age 18. ;)
We will pick up potty training with the boys in a couple of weeks (its how I'll be spending my 30th birthday---fun right? But I figured that no more diapers would be the best birthday present EVERRRRR! Heh). Some of my good buddies have suggested the
3-Day Potty Training Technique and we are excited to try it. It is pretty much just stopping diapers COLD TURKEY! (which is how we've handled every transition up to this point) I'll let you know how that goes! ;)
I was SO proud of my little potty-queen, that we made a Girl's Weekend Trip to Waco- to play with Papa and Granna. We had a blast while the boys did their fair share of playing at home!
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