There are certain events that you just know are going to change your life forever. Starting a new job, getting married, giving birth and...potty training your toddler. There will be ups, there will be downs, but one thing is for sure: The road to the potty ain't an easy one.
You're Going to Think it's Way Easier Than it Actually is
"Potty Training," sounds kind of cute doesn't it? Something that cute has got to be pretty simple, right? A few days of asking if your kid has, "got to go potty." A couple of minutes sitting on the bathroom floor waiting, maybe buying a pack of pull ups for the long nights or Kandoo Wipes to teach them the importance of wiping up themselves. That might be accurate somewhere in Perfect Parent La La Land, where kids eat what is made for them and go to bed at 7:00pm sharp. But here in the real world, potty training is pretty crappy. Literally.
You'll Spend Just As Much As You Save
One of the best parts of potty training is the idea of never having to spend money on diapers again. Loosely calculated 10 diapers a day x 1 baby minus the stress of running out to the 24 hour Walmart at 2 am = a very happy parent with tons of extra cash. What will you do with all of that extra money? Buy a new wardrobe? Go on a romantic getaway? Treat yourself to an indulgent spa day? Yeah right. You will use that money to bribe your child to poop on a miniature toilet. What starts as one M&M turns into a new set of Legos and then a shiny new tricycle, a pony, a trip to Disney World. NEVER underestimate the lengths you'll go to bribe your child to use the potty.
Your Kid Will Think Everything Is a Toilet
Do you know what's exactly like a toilet? Nothing. Nothing is exactly like a toilet. Well, try explaining that to a not totally potty trained 2-year-old. They might get the overall gist of the whole "going in the toilet" thing. But they may not completely grasp the "toilet only" part of the equation. To a toddler, acceptable toilet substitution may include, but is not limited to: a suitcase, a measuring cup, your brand new shoes, your great grandmother's heirloom crystal vase, mommy's bed (specifically when the sheets have just been changed), the dog bowl, and the expensive silk plant in the corner.
You'll Start To Annoy Yourself
It may be the fact that you're asking your kid if they "have to go" every 3.5 minutes. Perhaps it's your new obsession for mapping and ranking the cleanliness of every public bathroom within a 5-mile radius. It might even be the "Pooping is fun, we wipe when we're done" rap song that you've become accustomed to performing multiple times a day. Whatever it is at some point during the potty training process you will stop and think "What the hell am I doing?!" Hopefully it's before you've recorded and posted your poop rap on YouTube.
You Give a Whole New Meaning To The Term "Potty Mouth"
During the potty training process it's like your conversation is always tuned to 99.9 POOP FM. You will find it almost impossible to go more than a few hours without the words pee pee or poo poo from exiting your mouth. For the sake of all others around you please remember that no one, I repeat NO ONE else wants to hear about how close Timmy came to going "wee wee" in the "flushie hole."
It will take the patience of a saint, the dedication of an Olympic athlete, and maybe even a couple strong cocktails. But the time is near. It may be a long and tedious process, but it is finally time to hand over the reigns to your little one and renounce your title as designated tush wiper.
For more potty training tips visit Crazy Mama Drama. Find Crazy Mama Drama on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
This post was sponsored by Kandoo, but all content, opinions and thoughts about potty training are my own.