“Don’t touch Mommy when she’s on the potty.”
This is an actual rule in our house. One of those rules you never imagine making before entering motherhood, but makes total sense after the fact. My daughter is two, and when I’m on the toilet, she likes to stand right up next to me, with her hand on my thigh like a faithful midwife.
A midwife who won’t leave. Who screams and pounds on the door when I try to lock her out. It’s rather stressful…for all digestive purposes.
My daughter has a way of entering my space. Whether I want her to, or not. How I am disarmed by a two-year-old day after day, I am still trying to figure out.
We’re in the potty training stage right now. Which means…I currently spend most my free time sitting on the bathroom floor. Waiting for her to “finish.”
I never thought I’d be comfortable eating my breakfast cereal or drinking my coffee while she stinks up the place. But I am.
I am reaching new “lows” like a Limbo champ.
Public Bathroom or Wrestling Cage?
Public bathrooms are the worst.
My daughter is obsessed with them. Every time we’re in a new store, she wants to “go.” I’ll open the door of the stall, and she races in like she’s first in line at the gate of Disney World. And she always heads for the same place, that little one foot gap between the toilet and the wall. You know, the place where only two things—the plunger and toilet brush–should be? But alas. My girl makes three and picks them up and greets them like long lost relatives. That’s when I start screaming, “No! No!!! Yucky!! Put those down!! Yucky germs! No! No! Not in your mouth!!!” So much for peaceful parenting. Get me in a public restroom and I’m a fire-breathing dragon.
The whole experience is catastrophic. And as we take turns going potty, I’m not sure what’s worse: my turn, when she stands with her hand on the latch of the stall door, and smiles, knowing I am at her complete mercy, while I threaten her, “Don’t you DARE open that door!!” Or her turn, when she nearly takes a plunge into the enormous toilet while screaming, “I do it myself!” and then rummages her hand through the “feminine napkin” box like it’s a Happy Meal. Either way, it usually ends in a lot of screaming and scuffling and banging around. Sounding much like a wrestling cage-match to the person in the stall next to us.
(If you’re not a mom, imagine someone trying to sit on a toilet and wrestle an alligator at the same time. Because that’s much what’s going when Mommy and Toddler are in the next stall.)
[Click here to finish reading the rest of this post at Thriving Home Blog, where I have had the priviledge of being featured by Polly and Rachel.]
I love this. I go through EXACTLY the same thing as the first part of your article about mommy using the potty and when my 2-year old uses the potty – at home or in the public restroom. So, so true! Thank you for writing things that no one else writes about! The messy moments. The moments of new “lows”. And how Jesus gets low for us to show the full extent of his love for us. So, So Powerful. Thank you for the life your breathe through your articles each week. Truly touching, inspiring, and God-glorifying even in our “low” moments.
Priscilla,
It is SO nice to hear I’m not alone in this! haha (It can truly bring out the worst in me!) But thank you for your sweet encouragement! And I pray we continue to see Jesus stoop lower, and lower than we ever imagined He would to save us. And may we learn to lower ourselves on behalf of loving others (especially our own families) and allow others to do the same for us. I think Christ was being really specific about the example of foot washing, not just metaphorical! Something happens when we physically serve each other! (And oh the opportunities we have to do this in motherhood are endless!!) Enjoy getting low today;) Much love!
Rebekah 🙂