Sure, it's undeniably true that motherhood is beautiful, and is most certainly filled with wonderful, awe-inspiring, and downright fantastic moments. Motherhood is also filled with a bunch of shit. Like, literal shit. As you might've guessed, I'm currently attempting to potty train my toddler...and I kind of want to die. I'm equipped to handle many difficult parenthood situations, but I don't think I'm mentally able to make my way through the emotional stages of potty training. Like, I just don't think I can do it, you guys. He's going to be wearing diapers forever, and I'm almost OK with that at this point.
Sometimes I feel like giving up after I ask my son if he needs to go potty, only to get a "no," and then later see (or smell or step in) the poop that he definitely didn't need to take in the potty, but apparently needed to take on my floor. Sometimes I feel like I'm losing all sense of personal space because the books tell me that peeing in front of my kid will help him learn. In one way or another, I'm in a constant state of struggle over the whole situation. The worst part? The average time it takes to successfully potty train a kid is an unbearable three months. Three. Freakin'. Months. I can't even think about how much carpet cleaner I'm going to need to buy.
So, it's safe to say, and I'm sure you've all already assumed: I need help. I don't necessarily need an extra pair of hands to clean up after my toddler, but I do need some positive reinforcement. I do need someone to tell me, "Hey, you're going to make it. Just barely, but you will." While we all like to think that we can do it all on our own, the truth is, we simply cannot.
So if you know someone like me, in the throes of toddler potty training and one more accident away from losing their ever-loving mind, here are seven things you can say to her. Trust me, she'll thank you.