Potty training sucks

I absolutely hate it.

I mostly hate it because I have no control over it. None. I can try to convince him, try and to encourage him.

We have tried everything. Candy. Temporary tattoos. Cars. Money. Stickers. Games. Food.

No dice.

It works for a little while. But nothing seems to make it stick. The one thing that has worked the longest for us is bubble gum. When he pees, he gets a bubble gum. (Which I buy in a bag from the dollar store.)

Right now, we've got a potty road. After the 1st 10 pottys in the toilet, he gets a prize. Then it's 10, then 15, then 20, and 25. He gets a prize or something special. And every 5 he gets a temporary tattoo. (He LOVES showing off his tattoos.)

I made the potty road the day after he peed on my chair and then peed on the floor, within 15 minutes. I exploded on him and he got sent to bed.

I am sooooo frustrated with all of it. I have been working so hard at not getting angry. But it's hard. My anger bubble is near the surface, as they say. My initial gut reaction is anger and frustration. I think I've been getting better, but it's so so hard.

I got a new book, The Soft Spoken Parent by H. Wallace Goddard. (I love every single book of his.) On the first page it says :

" In fact, those of us who are most vulnerable to anger may be those who have stronger emotions of all kinds. We love more passionately, we live more joyously. That is a blessing. But it must needs be that there is an opposite in all things. Along with the gift of fire (enthusiasm, passion, gusto, zeal), we have the challenge of channeling, managing, and training our fire. "

That's the first page! Needless to say, I am super excited about this book.

We have also been listening to hymns during the day. It has been such a wonderful spirit in the house lately. It has helped me to laugh it off rather than yell.

No matter how we approach it, potty training still sucks. It's not fun. But we're trying to make it fun. We have working on it for so long, I'm just tired of the whole thing. He is so close, so I know I can't.

It's hard. I get frustrated. I'm kind of an angry person. I desperately do NOT want my boys to be angry people. I have a quote on my mirror : The boys are watching everything you do. Be who you want them to see.

I'm working on it. And he's working on it.

We'll let you know how it goes.