The Art of Parenting: Lessons from Experience

A Story of Persistence

When I first became a parent, I was overwhelmed. There were so many things to worry about and so many decisions to make. Breastfeeding or formula? Co-sleeping or crib sleeping? Cloth diapers or disposable ones? The choices seemed endless, and each one brought a new wave of anxiety.

But perhaps the greatest challenge I faced was potty training my daughter. She was already three years old, and I felt like a failure that she wasn't yet fully toilet trained. I tried everything I could think of, from stickers to rewards, from books to videos, but nothing seemed to work.

But then one day, I noticed that my daughter seemed to be enjoying standing in the shower, feeling the warm water cascade over her body. And that's when it hit me: maybe she would enjoy standing over the toilet and feeling the warm pee come out of her body too. It was a long shot, but I was desperate.

So I took her to the bathroom and helped her stand over the toilet. And wouldn't you know it, she loved it! She giggled and smiled as she peed, and I praised her like crazy. It wasn't long before she was using the toilet on her own, both for pee and poop.

The lesson I learned from this experience is simple: persistence pays off. No matter how hard things seem, no matter how discouraged you may feel, keep trying. You never know when you'll stumble upon the solution that works for your child.