Do the...Potty Dance! (Or Not...)

You know that commercial for the pull-ups where the toddlers are all so super-psyched about going pee-pee on the potty that they break out in a spontaneous dance routine? Well, I'll let you in a little secret: it's not real. GASP! HORROR! I know, I know, it's hard to believe that not every three-year-old wants to give-up their diapers. And really, can you blame them? Who wouldn't want the convenience of never having to look for a potty because it's always with you?

Maybe you're wondering why I've gone in this direction. It's because I have an adorable three-year-old who would rather sit around in a dirty diaper than go on the potty like a big girl. She'd rather suffer "diaper-butt" in her pants than join the ranks of her peers and wear panties adorned with unicorns and Dora. People keep telling me, "Don't worry, she'll do it when she's ready." or "Don't worry: she won't go to kindergarten in diapers." Really? That's supposed to make me feel better? Just like her big sister, the usual tactics don't help: rewards, bribes, cheering, charts, stickers, etc. Tell her she can have a marshmallow if she sits on the potty, she'll smile and say, "I'll do it later." Peer pressure is also not effective. She's not to be pressured, no ma'am.

It's not that she hasn't gotten or won't go, she doesn't want to. And isn't it about personal choice? How to you influence that? I think what it really comes down to is that her father and I need to just say, "This is it! No more diapers!" And then stay home for three days and watch her pee on the floor, outside the bathroom door and on the toilet seat. Everywhere but in the potty. It's a battle of wills. A mighty power struggle. And right now she's winning because mom and dad are just too tired to fight. Or maybe we just don't want to admit that she's growing-up. Or maybe, it's just not time.