Those Pesky Little Know It All’s…

You know when you have a child that isn’t potty trained and they are in the age range of children who are starting to potty train, everyone has a piece of advice.  Quit using pull-ups, make him wear wet clothes, take him every 30 minutes and make him sit on the potty, don’t go anywhere all day, confine yourself to the bathroom with nothing but you, your kid and books and of course, a potty, etc.

The advice gets long and distinguished.  And, when you own your own daycare, wowzers, people really get out of hand.  If I had half the salary for every worker I hired that said, “Oh, I had four boys or grandsons and I CAN potty train him” who then 3 months later returned with “Have you considered taking him to the doctor?”, I’d be more than a wealthy woman. 

Everyone that’s ever had a child, especially those who have birthed and potty trained boys, think that they are THE ONE that can potty train my son.  As late as last week a relative said, “If he stayed with me one week, I could potty train him”.

Currently we have a brand new pack of Superman underwear my son picked out this time last year residing on top of the fridge…..one week of a dry pull-up and they are all his.  Well, they will be all his AFTER I clean the darn dust bunnies off of the box.  They haven’t been touched since they were put up there last year. 

At one time a bag of candy resided on top of the fridge beside a bowl.  The kid who can eat his weight in M & M’s and Reece Cups was given the opportunity to get one piece for every trip to the potty, regardless of the result.  The bowl is still there, the candy has long since been eaten by my husband….I mean, you know, who wants to let chocolate sit around 3 or 4 months?

So, here we are, at 4 years and 3 months old and still not potty trained, I’ve seen a child psychiatrist for an adult intake for the child and we return in a couple of weeks to see the doctor with child in tow.  It is important to me and to this facility that the child not hear and deal with what “mommy said about me”. 

The final straw came when my own mother and I had the following exchange:

her:  “Do you know what they would have done to him 30 years ago”

me:  “Yes, they would have spanked his behind”

her:  “yes’”

me:  “Well, it might come to that one day, but for now, that’s not going to work”

her: “Well, if you do, just don’t do it in front of me”

UH!  OK!  WHATEVER!!!!!!!!!

I think I’ll wait on the doctor’s advice instead.  And, hopefully, on my next trip I can take my four-year-along and find someone recommended by Care that understands the problems instead of giving me the ol’ eye roll and “I can potty train him because……..”