Potty Dance & Humble Pie

So as I announced on Monday, Micah is officially potty trained.  And - yes! - this Mommy is doing the “potty dance” with an amazing amount of zeal!  After 8 long years of spending an exorbitant amount of money on diapers, my arch nemesis – potty training – has been vanquished!

And does it come as a surprise that God used this normal and routine part of life to help me grow more in the image of His Son, Jesus Christ?!

Well, as much as it should NOT surprise us – because God’s desire is that EVERYTHING in our life helps us to change and grow – it still sort of caught me off guard. 

When I find something that works in the parenting department – say the sleep routine that I used with all 3 of our kids – I tend to think that it is the right way to do things.  Now I wouldn’t say to your face that it was the absolute right and only way to train your child…but most likely I would have been thinking that in the back of my mind. 

Am I all alone in this or can you relate?!

For a little over 2 years now I have had multiple people giving me firm advice about the area of potty training with Micah.  I tried 99% of the things that were suggested to me but nothing worked.  Including the whole “potty train in a day” method. 

Nope.  He would not have anything to do with it.

And so through this whole potty training saga I have learned humility in that just because something worked for me and ALL 3 of my kids does NOT mean that it’s “right” for every family.

Now…before you go and quote me as saying something like “to each their own”…hear me out completely. 

I am talking about methods only. 

For example, I am not saying you should not potty train you child or teach them to sleep through the night.  I am simply saying that the way you go about it may be different than the way I teach my children. 

And that is okay.

While I hope I have never offended someone in saying “this is the right way” on something that is method only – I probably have. 

And for that I apologize.

God has used this potty saga to remind me to give grace, be patient, be kind, and understand that not everyone is like me*.

{*Everyone breathes a sigh of relief!}

I am thankful that God is in control of everything.  Even that date of Micah being “a big boy”!

From The Trenches Of Motherhood…where I am trying to learn from everything that comes my way… – Mandy the TrenchMommy

PS – Enjoy this video clip of Micah opening his package from Grandma containing the reward for being a big boy now!

Micah opens his reward from Grandma for using the potty!