Mommy Magic...

So anyone with a preschooler knows that you become quite knowledgeable about where the bathrooms are located at stores, the mall, restaurants and such. One of those parenting "skills" you never thought would make your day so much easier until your child becomes potty trained. You get so used to relying on diapers and Pull-Ups for so many years that potty training changes the game and can make doing errands or eating out to a whole new level.

Without fail and despite going potty before we leave the house, Cole inevitable has to go again once I have a full cart of groceries, when we are the farthest from the bathroom at the mall, or when our food has just been served. That is just Murphy's Law. I used to get frustrated at having to dash through Target carefully dodging others in an obstacle race through the store where we quickly stash the cart in an empty checkout aisle since the bathrooms are located on the paid side of the registers and make it just when he can barely hold it anymore. Now, I watch for the FIRST sign of him grabbing his crotch and despite his protest head directly towards the restroom.

Lately, when we are about to leave the house but before we put on our 100 layers of clothing I have asked Cole to go potty. He normally is already muttering that he doesn't want to stop playing (or watching Calliou which is his favorite PBS Kids show now since Calliou is also four like him). Anyway, I typically give him a warning, followed by a much more stern version of "please go to the bathroom right now". I rarely get to the point where I have to raise my voice thankfully.

He slowly (painstakingly so) will make his way to the bathroom and immediately say to me "I don't feel pee-pee coming". For awhile I didn't want to force him and making him try seemed to make sense. Oh but I learned, after several close mishaps in the car, that he almost always has to go, he just doesn't want to stop or be interrupted to do so.

So I pulled out the oldest trick in the book one morning as we were preparing to go out and as my patience was wearing thin as he shouted "I don't have to go pee-pee". I marched into the bathroom and turned on the faucet and walked out. I had barely made it to the kitchen when I heard him exclaim "mommy, the pee-pee is coming, wow, you made the pee-pee come". I peeked back in with a smile and simply said "mommy magic" as I turned off the faucet.

He finished up and came out with this look of amazement...at least for now, I can still invoke wonder in him...I know I won't have those opportunities too much longer but for now, I revel in knowing I still have my magic wand.