Potty Training

I often wonder what makes us (moms) ask other moms for advice....esp for things like potty training.  I mean, seriously?!!?  What makes a mom an expert at potty training?  But you know I suppose there is always some advice to offer, something wise to pass along, but sometimes (ESP with the issue of potty training) I just want to beg God and ask Him why?  Yes, that's right, I don't usually ask why God a lot, I understand that we live in a fallen world, a world full of sin and destruction and I get that bad things happen.  I really think my favorite saying from my days on Facebook is "Things happen for a reason, and sometimes the reason is you made a dumb decision".  LOVE IT!  But for real.  WHY did God have to send kids to us who weren't able to pee on the potty?   I really feel like that would have been something nice to throw in with the blessing of motherhood.

SO, now you are wondering why I am posting about potty training.  Well I told you I would and now I am.  And the reason is, my precious little princess will be four on Friday and she STILL has issues.  We were completely trained until about January of this year and we lost it.  The details don't really matter, but it has made me wonder why we have "normals"  what exactly is normal in the realm of potty training?  I have (or have attempted to) potty train three kids now.  And each time has been different and harder.  My first one pretty much did it himself.  Easy Peasy.  DONE.  No issues.  My second on was um, a challenge, but we mastered it a little before his third birthday, b/c I felt sure that was what we were supposed to do.  But my fourth is less than a week shy of her fourth birthday and I am hesistant to say this "out loud" but she has had dry panties for two days in a row now (thanks to a HORRID diaper rash that she got from wetting her panties SO much)!

So what makes normal?  WHY do we feel the need to be normal?  I am thinking about all my different experiences and can't help but think about my friend who has had her fair share of potty training drama, she now has an alarm to help her child learn to control things at night.  I have another friend who successfully potty trained her child at 18 months (well as successfully as an 18 month old can be potty trained).  There are all different ways and ages.....and I, for once, plan to just chill out with this number four of ours and let HIM decide when HE wants to pee in the potty.  I can't handle another dramatic experience....so could you remind me of that when it is his time?   PLEASE tell me to chill out and take my time and not worry about it!   After all you can lead a child to the toilet, but you can't make him pee.