Could It Be?

I have a 4 year old.  For the past year and a half I have been trying to get her potty trained.

We have made a big deal out of it when she would use the potty, given prizes, bribed, and even told her people would take her away from us because we were not taking care of her the way we should if she didn't potty like a big girl.  Anything and everything was tried.  Nothing phased her.  She enjoyed the prizes and praise and even told us she would just kicked the people can run away from them.  Nothing seemed to make her want to potty.

How could this be so hard?  Don't people say girls are easier than boys?  (Though come on I never believed that.  They can aim at things in the potty girls can't so wouldn't that alone make it more fun?)  Or that I went through this with her sister and so it was supposed to be so much easier with the second one?  Ava seems to be the exception. 

Why do I not have the kids that start going at 18 months and are done at 2?  (Although I think that is too soon.  I started both girls at 2.  They are just hard headed)

So off to Walmart we went to get more pull ups - the cheap kind because they are expensive and why should she be comfortable when a 4 year should be potty trained?  I tried to be understanding and follow the don't push (okay so keep pushing in our case) but it is embarrassing to be seen with diapers still in the cart when the youngest is 4. 

I called the pull ups diapers because thats what she used them as.  She didn't even try to go potty.  Yes, we were told take them off and put big girl panties on her because she wouldn't like the way they would feel wet.  Surprise...... she didn't care!  So to save me from constant clean up back to the diapers we go. 

Luckily the local school here is the only one in the area that accepts unpotty trained kids into Pre K.  (They dont help train them.  They will just change the diaper).  I have even started looking into Homeschooling for next year.

It has been hard.  I feel that I have tried everything, exhausted every avenue, and even the Doctor said there was nothing else I could do.  It's up to Ava now.  It's hard though because it all falls back on the mother.  That is who people criticize not the dad because this is somehow the moms job.  I was at the end of my rope and would start crying every time I had to change her again. Most times I had her change herself.

Finally at one of our MOPS meetings I added "Ava potty training"  to the prayer list.  The list is then prayed over by our Mentor and also in her Prayer Group during the week.  A week later and Ava started going to the actual bathroom!  I had even stopped mentioning it - I had basically given up. 

It took me going to Heavenly Father to get it to work.  Why had I waited?  I'm sure I prayed for it before but I guess it was a half -hearted one.  You know the type, you ask but at the same time are planning the next thing to work out the situation. This time I knew it would take God to make it work.  I was out of ideas and could not seem to get through to her.  He did!  I am extremely grateful and feel blessed to have a God that I can come to and depend on.

It has been one week without diapers.  She still needs to get the hang of wiping but I can handle the laundry.  I am just happy she is finally a big girl!