Pleeeeaase will you just try for mommy??????

Well, I have been putting off a "big" event in our house for several months.......potty training yet another child. My third to be exact. Many of you would ask why put it off you are currently changing 3 diapers every diaper change? It is like an assembly line. I told my DH after having my first 2 children so close I would NEVER have two babies in diapers again. Oh boy was I correct on all accounts. I didn't have two in diapers, with the arrival of the twins I had three. Three babies in diapers. Maybe six years ago I shouldn't have chuckled under my breath when my SIL mentioned she would be using cloth diapers. I guess she got the last chuckle on that one!

I have been putting off potty training my middle child Sam, well frankly because he is stubborn and it can make thing harder. When you move a child out of diapers into big boy pants it changes everything. You could be heading down the highway in the middle of nowhere when you hear "mommy, I need to go potty or worse yet mommy, I just went potty". Ugh seriously how am I suppose to get five kids out of the car and into a restroom in time for the little guy to go? It is impossible. My Mof5 (mother of five) trick #1 is always have a car potty. Totally gross and disgusting I know, especially when it is not #1. Going #2 is why this car potty must have a lid that latches so there is no unwanted odor or spillage. I learned this lesson the hard way. A visual you are all picturing now I know. Sorry, but this has really been a lifesaver for us. Especially with our 16-18 hour drive once a year we take to visit family. The child can quickly hop out of their seat and go. It makes it easy as pie and just in the nic of time too.

Sam is quite a different child than my other 2. He is very vocal and for the last 5 months he has been explaining, how he doesn't want to use the big boy potty. He does it in about a 100 words or less but just barely. Which makes me think about potty training him even more, since he can so clearly tell me why he is not interested. I think what really put me over the edge was when my MIL was here last weekend and the conversation she had with her Grandson. She told him "you know Sam you could use the potty and be a big boy just like the other kids." Sam response was "YEP I know I can, I just don't want too." What? How old are you 8? I made my decision right then and there Sam is going to be DONE with diapers. On Monday, I recruited the older kids to join me in "encouraging" Sam to use the potty. Ahhh okay and I might have mentioned something about everyone getting M&M's upon his success. Well, this kicked it into high gear. G&D were taking Sam(their little candy goldmine)to the potty about every 10 minutes. Mof5 tip #2 offer the reward to all the children. Well, it has worked great and he has only had one accident in the last 3 days. I am prompting him a lot but that is how they learn to recognize it. I am a big believer in waiting until the child is ready and for all of mine it has been around the 2.5yr mark. Now, Sam is excited to be just like his big brother and wear his big boy pants....no M&M's required!