Adventures in Potty Training.

Lucky me, I get to potty train a puppy and a toddler at the same time! It definitely isn't easy. I see wet spots on the floor and wonder who it belongs to: dog or toddler? Or did they both squat in the same place? We've been working on having Luka use the potty for about two weeks now. We progressed from nothing to going a few times to full blown using the potty all day and happy about it back to "if Mom does not physically put me on the potty, I am going on the floor." I am exhausted of it. Luka will say "Mama! Potty!" and then run away, throw himself to the ground, and force me to pick him up and place him on the potty. That gets old pretty fast! Especially if you have to put down a napping infant to do so. BUT he is making progress. He gets so excited when he gets to put a sticker on his potty chart. Sometimes, he will dance and sing "I went potty! I went potty!" And then we have the days where he cries for a diaper and doesn't want to even look at the potty. Either way, we truck on. I'm in no hurry to get him on the potty (it was him to asked to go in the first place!). Sometimes you hear parents/doctors saying "Oh, they should be doing x, y, z by now!" or "He's too big for a, b, or c!" But in reality, Luka has been on this planet for two years and three months...he is still just a baby. Sure, he can talk, run, put his dirty dishes in the sink, load a DVD in the DVD player, and take photos, but those are all brand new! Children go to the bathroom even in utero. They just go in their diapers and that's that. During potty training, you are telling them to unlearn something they've always done and replace it with a new thing that is MUCH more work. It's hard! Sadly, I feel like too many people don't understand how difficult that may be for a child. Regardless, it may take Luka (and the dog...) a few more weeks, months, maybe even a year to really learn how to go potty and that is OK by me. Go on with your bad self, Luka! and A+ for trying :)

-Kacy