Monday, April 22, 2013

What You Weren't Told

Becoming a mom changes you. Changes your outlook on life. You lose all modesty. The items that you spend your money on change - oh and say goodbye to petty cash. The stories you tell to friends, family, and co-workers are on all new topics. The songs you listen to (even when you are alone and catch yourself singing) are so much more like: "The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round...". The movies you watch don't have real people in them anymore and are typically filled with animals, songs, and/or characters dancing to catchy tunes. There are so many other changes but one big change is what you get excited about.

When I found out I was expecting J-Man, I got so much advice about being a mom. "Make sure you get all the sleep you can now!" "You'll never know what you did without children when you have them." "Make sure you don't have bubbles in the bottle - they cause gas." "Enjoy every second, time flies in the blink of an eye." "Children are God's most precious gift."...

"You will get excited about poop!" - said noone... ever!

Maybe they should have. Maybe I should have been forwarned about the excitement that I get around poop. For the mother of a child (eh, em - a four year old) that screams and cries for 10-15 minutes about not wanting to go to poopie, that stuff - in all it's glory - seems to thrill my soul when J-Man finally decides to go. I have heard all the excuses I want to hear. From "I am too tired, Mommy", to "I'll go tomorrow", to "I want the doctor to take it out", even to "I don't care if it makes me sick to keep it in", he will say anything to get up from the toilet. I often times have to threaten him with "medicine" (an enema) to make him just try to go - especially when he gives me all the facial cues that he really has to go. He has had to have 3 of these already in his lifetime and of course, as any of us would - he hates them. So, threatening him usually works - I just feel so bad for having to threaten him with it.

I have been told not to worry so much about it. He will go when he has to go. Not my son. Nope! I tried that the week before last and it was 8 days before he went - hence the 3rd enema he has had. I felt horrible for letting him go so long. Daddy J and I were out of town the last 4 of those days and so it was harder to make him try and go when he wasn't at home.

I knew I had to come up with something that would make him excited about pooping again. The reward system does not work with J-Man. If I tell him he can get a toy if he goes, he tells me he doesn't want a toy. The pediatrician told me when we first started training, not to let him go past three days. If he gets to the third day, you have to give him an enema to get it out. I told Jackson that I was going to make him a calendar. Every time he poopied, he could put a sticker on the day that he went. For some reason, he has had a weird excitement about going to the dollar store. So, my wheels started turning. I told him that once he got 10 stickers, then he could go to the dollar store to pick out a prize. Would you know? It is actually working! We are half-way there and every time he poops now, we almost literally have a party. High fives are shared with everyone there, a huge display of stickers are provided for his choosing, and little giggles about the smell and the nastiness of the whole thing will be remembered by all of us!

I am so glad I have finally found something that works. Even though we still get some fighting about having to go, it is not nearly as bad as it has been in the past. And, we haven't gone past the third day yet! Woohoo! Go J-Man! (Secretly doing the poopy dance in my chair at this moment.) 

So, the next time you are at a baby shower, please offer the wonderful advice of this mom of a four-year old... "You will get excited about poop!" Thank you!

Happy Monday to you all!

3 comments:

  1. I should have mentioned that to Natalie on Saturday. I'm sure no one has mentioned getting excited about poop to her.

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  2. So true! My daughter passed her meconium just before delivery while still inside the womb. On the day of my discharge from the hospital, she had not had another bowel movement and we were told she couldn't leave the hospital with me until she pooped. An hour before I was supposed to leave, we finally had a massive explosion of thick, dark green stink. I'd never been so happy to see poop in my life! We were able to bring M home from the hospital!

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Thanks for sharing your love!