Parenting is all about picking your battles. Am I right? Sure there are a few of us that try to do it all…I know, I am one of them. Somewhere between cooking delectable organic meals, taxiing to the kids’ various after school activities and volunteering with hot lunch days us, masochists, like myself also try to stay fit, keep a spotless house and empty laundry baskets, have a social life and, oh yeah, work…for a pay cheque. But if there is one lesson I have had to learn over and over again, it is pick your battles and pick them wisely. And sometimes, it takes a little outside perspective to get it right. Ella is rounding off her first month of kindergarten and while I am generally pleased with the way everything has been going, not everything is going as I hoped…As it is in the grand scheme of life, in some areas, Ella is excelling exponentially. In others, however, she is not only not excelling but she is regressing.
Enter potty training. Or should I say using the toilet, because I thought we were past the training stage but this is one area where Ella will just not comply. I fought…oh, how I fought it. I packed extra pants, I had the aides take her to the toilet every hour, I bought overpriced training pants. Nothing. Nothing worked. Every day Ella would come home with two pee-soaked changes of clothes and my laundry budget skyrocketed.
So finally…last week, we (being her very dedicated aides and I) decided to forfeit the battle and I have sent her in a pull-up everyday. And every day she sits a little longer at circle time. Everyday she gets to spend more time in the library, more time with her friends, more time on the playground and more time learning in the classroom instead of walking to and from the toilet.
And everyday, her French improves.
I hate giving up. I really do. But sometimes, you have to pick your battles.
Ella will have time to figure out the potty thing, but right now, she is just learning how to be in kindergarten.
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