Adventures in Potty Training
When you're a penny-pinching single mom, some of the most beautiful words that can come out of your toddler's mouth are "Mommy, I have to potty." Beautiful because after three years, diaper changing gets old...and beautiful because it means a savings of almost $100 a month on diapers and wipes!
With that said, it is important to consider that there are times that the excitement of these words is lost because they do not come in a convenient place...or at a convenient time. For example, when you are in the back of a Wal Mart Super Center comparing laundry detergents and your 3 year old gets a panicked look on her face and says "Mommy, I have to potty", your first thought is not "Yay"...your first thought is "It is a long damn walk to the front of this store and my shoes are already cutting off the ciruclation to my toes."
So I need you to picture this - really picture it...me (in my notoriously 'un'sensible shoes) racing a shopping cart through Wal Mart...telling Olivia to hold it while yelling at people blocking aisle traffic because they are riding one of those dumb electric carts. (And might I just add that those carts are for people with actual disabilites - not those that are simply too fat and lazy to walk)...then picture me trying to take a shortcut through the women's clothing department, but realizing that there were boxes everywhere and no way to actually get through the section. By this time, Olivia is looking like she's not gonna make it, but I FINALLY make it to the bathroom, only to find that all stalls are filled...and that one is occupied by a woman talking on a cell phone. I was not going to let my aching feet and record time in which I just navigated the crazy maze that is a WalMart store be all for nothing so I screamed "I have a three year old htat has to pee, hang up the phone and get the hell out"....I thought I might get punched, but instead the woman listened...Olivia was able to pee...and all was right with the world.
So - what did I learn from this experience? I learned that potty training may require more sensible shoes (that sentence was hard to type). I also learned that I am an expert at steering shopping carts. And last but not least, I learned that the people of Wal Mart are not sensitive to the needs of a 3 year old learning to communicate when she has to potty, however, they do move out of the way when you yell loudly at them...for future reference.
Stay tuned for more of my adventures as a single mommy - I am sure that they will get more and more interesting for me....and funnier for you guys.
Have a great night!
With that said, it is important to consider that there are times that the excitement of these words is lost because they do not come in a convenient place...or at a convenient time. For example, when you are in the back of a Wal Mart Super Center comparing laundry detergents and your 3 year old gets a panicked look on her face and says "Mommy, I have to potty", your first thought is not "Yay"...your first thought is "It is a long damn walk to the front of this store and my shoes are already cutting off the ciruclation to my toes."
So I need you to picture this - really picture it...me (in my notoriously 'un'sensible shoes) racing a shopping cart through Wal Mart...telling Olivia to hold it while yelling at people blocking aisle traffic because they are riding one of those dumb electric carts. (And might I just add that those carts are for people with actual disabilites - not those that are simply too fat and lazy to walk)...then picture me trying to take a shortcut through the women's clothing department, but realizing that there were boxes everywhere and no way to actually get through the section. By this time, Olivia is looking like she's not gonna make it, but I FINALLY make it to the bathroom, only to find that all stalls are filled...and that one is occupied by a woman talking on a cell phone. I was not going to let my aching feet and record time in which I just navigated the crazy maze that is a WalMart store be all for nothing so I screamed "I have a three year old htat has to pee, hang up the phone and get the hell out"....I thought I might get punched, but instead the woman listened...Olivia was able to pee...and all was right with the world.
So - what did I learn from this experience? I learned that potty training may require more sensible shoes (that sentence was hard to type). I also learned that I am an expert at steering shopping carts. And last but not least, I learned that the people of Wal Mart are not sensitive to the needs of a 3 year old learning to communicate when she has to potty, however, they do move out of the way when you yell loudly at them...for future reference.
Stay tuned for more of my adventures as a single mommy - I am sure that they will get more and more interesting for me....and funnier for you guys.
Have a great night!