Somebody flipped a switch and now Sully has become potty-trained in the last couple of weeks. From the time my babies have taken their first stinky poo (after they have started solids, when they are only on breastmilk the smell isn’t so bad), I have counted down the days until they were potty-trained. Nobody knows better than me the sense of relief you feel once a child has been trained. I have spent two out of the last three and a half years with two kids in diapers/pull-ups. I never stopped to consider the things that get more difficult once your child is potty-trained.
Getting dressed in the morning
It takes Sully about five minutes and 15 changes of his mind before he decides which clothes he will allow me to put on him. Now I have to deal with him picking out underwear, inevitably not being happy with any of his choices, changing his mind, and then finally deciding on the underwear I showed him in the first place. I am considering buying 10 pair of the exact same underwear in order to avoid the Woody, Buzz, Woody AND Buzz dilemma of late.
Keeping my child from looking like a thug
Those pull-ups serve a greater purpose than just holding pee, they keep the kids’ pants up. Suddenly, every single pair of pants is slipping down and seems too big.
Going anywhere in public
Without fail, if we go in public, he will have to check out the facilities. It doesn’t matter if he used the bathroom at home ten minutes ago, he will conjure up some urine. I’m not brave enough to tell him no and risk an accident. Stopping at public restrooms is not only time consuming, sometimes it’s downright difficult. Sully requires that he is completely disrobed from the waist down in order to use the toilet. Everything must come off; shoes, socks,everything. This is not so easy when you are in a small doctors’ office bathroom and you are trying to hold onto a baby that is the size of a one year old while possessing the motor skills of a six month old.
Getting the kids to bed
Sully makes no less than 3 trips to the toilet between 8:00 pm and whenever he finally falls asleep. What am I supposed to do about that?? He is able to come up with some pee every single time. I don’t want to discourage him from using the potty, and yet, I feel like the score is Sully 1, Mom 0.
Cleaning the bathroom
I live in a house with four males. Three of them now use the toilet. I don’t think I need to elaborate on that one.