When I first became a mother, I couldn’t wait for several
milestones. I watched with wonder as the developmental hurdles kept coming, and
I couldn’t have been happier.
But I never thought I would get hung up on one milestone in
particular — the milestone all parents must start pining for right around the
time their child reaches the 2-and-a-half-year mark: When will the never-ending
parade of diapers end?
I think human development is structured in a way where we become
potty-trained right around the time our parents approach the point of snapping
if they have to empty a dirty diaper bin one more time.
If biology didn’t work with such synchronicity, we probably
would have some sort of syndrome named for parents who curl up into little
balls at the mere thought of having to change one more stinking diaper.
I feel the Diaper Craze gripping me now.
And, as if the diaper-changing gods heard my unspoken
prayers, my son finally took interest.
“Momma, I wanna do poop on the potty!”
Now, my son has said many things to me in his short life
that have made my heart nearly burst at the seams with love. When he first said,
“Momma,” I thought my rib cage would break with love. When he could finally say,
“I love you,” it was an amazing day.
But I have to admit that him expressing interest in the
glorious workings of the toilet makes the top five. In fact, I’ve never looked
more forward to a poop in my life.
And I gave him his just reward: A Sour Patch Kids. He
quickly realized the incentive-based system could be very beneficial for his
sweet tooth. For the past week, we have had great success.
Now, we’re not there yet, and it will take time to get the
training fully implemented, but this milestone is one that I will be
celebrating in perpetuity.
— Sarah Leach is editor of The Holland Sentinel. Contact her
at (6161) 546-4278 or sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com.
