I have a beautiful daughter. She is sweet and loving and I am so thankful for her little life. She was the easiest baby. Rarely cried, easy to comfort, quick to smile. She was everything a crazy mama of four other children could ask for. Sweet and easygoing.

She is now 3 and her personality has taken a turn for the worse, umm, I mean better?
She is the most strong willed 3 year old I have ever had. When it was time to take her off her bottle she cried for weeks, not days like the other children. We would just throw them away, wave bye bye, a few tears, and then on to the new cool cup. Not this girl. Temper tantrums raged for days on end. On day 6 the first time we tried we did what really bad parents do. We gave in and bought her a bottle. I could not take it a minute longer! Several weeks later I tried again and she did cry and cry but I stood my ground and after around 2 weeks she finally decided her new Dora the Explorer cup was OK. Yes, I said two weeks. This girl is seriously strong willed.

She is now 3 and a half years old and has no interest in the potty. I have a pretty layed back potty training method. We try for a few days and if the child isn't really interested we stop talking about it for a few days and then try again. If my other kids were ready it usually only took a few days. This child WILL NOT EVEN SIT ON THE POTTY. She cries when I try to put her on it. She acts genuinely scared. Am I being manipulated by the master or is there such a thing as a real potty "fear". With this being my 5th child I am really not all that concerned, I know she won't go to Kindergarten in diapers. I am just sort of at a loss for what to do. She basically starts to have a tantrum if I even mention sitting on the potty.

This makes me think of the bottle. This child does not like any kind of change. I told her big sister that if she could get her to go tinkle on the big potty I would pay her $20.00. Hey, I am desperate and little sister seems to like to do whatever big sis is doing.

I should also tell you that our youngest has been late for most developmental milestones. She did not sit up until 7 months, walk until 16 months, and has some speech delays. The doctors have told me not to worry because she is still in the "normal range" and they are not worried. Of course, I am concerned. I spent a good part of today looking at autism websites trying to figure out if she had any symptoms. My husband thinks I am crazy. This is a power struggle. Nothing less and nothing more. She had some symptoms, but most of my kids had the same ones and they are completely fine. Hubby is probably right.

When she does things like this I lean towards the idea that I am being majorly manipulated. She took a bath this morning and then ended up running around naked for a while while I was finishing up some house work. I checked on her and found that she had put a pull up on. By herself. Because she had to go pee pee. Couldn't she just have walked into the bathroom?

I might also add that I have purchased most potty training tools available. We have a cute Dora the Explorer cushy seat for the big potty, a cute Winnie the pooh little potty that makes a flushing sound, two stools to step up onto when using big potty, assorted stickers, charts, and balloons for rewards. None of this has worked so far.

OK, Internet mom's weigh in with your opinions. Give it to me. Please be kind and don't tell me I am the biggest loser Mom in the world. OK?

Labels: kids