Potty Training and Forgiveness

If you are potty training a little one, I am praying for you.

Just kidding…but not really.

For some kids potty training comes naturally and is very easy to teach.

For others, it can take a bit more time.

The saying, “they will let you know when THEY are ready” could not ring more true!

For my son, he was ready when he was ready and no one was going to tell him otherwise.

So, when he finally was potty trained, I just let him do it however he wanted, which, for him, meant pulling down his pants wherever he stood and running to the bathroom.

The last thing I wanted to do is criticize “how” he went potty.

I was just excited that he had made it to the bathroom.

Most parents would see that this is not big deal…as did I (and still do).

Some things are just not a big deal.

I started taking my son to a church group (it was not at our church so I was hoping he would be ok with it) to have some socialization one evening a week.

And it gave me and my husband the opportunity to have date night.

The first time he went I explained to him that if he needed to go to the bathroom to ask a teacher and to not pull his pants down without being in the bathroom.

At this point we had not ever practiced it but I figured if it happened, no big deal, he is a little kid.

Well I was wrong…

When we were leaving after picking him up, a teacher stopped us and proceeded to tell us that he pulled his pants down…3 times.

And that he “danced around the room with no pants on”.

First thing that I thought was, “that is hilarious” and I actually started laughing.

I asked her if he went to the bathroom all 3 times and she said yes.

I told her that he wasn’t dancing he was probably skipping to the bathroom (because he skips to the bathroom at home).

And that he probably did not know where the bathroom was (because it was the first time he’d been there).

I told her that it was something that we would continue working on with him.

She then proceeded to repeat herself 3 more times about it as we was trying to walk away.

And by then I was pretty angry.

All I could think was, “Who is she to judge me or my son?” and “Why is this such a big deal?. He is a LITTLE KID.”

Then my anger turned to sadness.

All I could think was, “they better not have said anything to him to make him feel bad about himself”.

So I made sure to let him know that it was ok and that we were going to practice going to the bathroom and taking our underwear off there.

Which we did.

But I honestly had a hard time forgiving that person.

I felt like they may have imprinted something negative on my son.

I was angry that she even talked about it in front of him.

I was angry that it was made into a big deal when it was NOT a big deal.

But forgiveness is a choice. I am to set an example to my son of what to do when someone has wronged him.

I am also to be an example of God to others.

There would have been nothing right in staying angry and not forgiving her.

I also had to ask for forgiveness because I was so angry with her that I thought things I should not have.

If you are struggling contact us.