potty training in an rv

Over my 6 years of being a mother, which is not really that long, my youngest has been the most challenging in regards to potty training. I have no idea what it would have been like to potty train while in a stable environment (probably a whole lot easier) but out of this, I have discovered more of the monster that has the capacity to rear its ugly head. I'm not speaking about my two year old monster, I'm talking about the mama monster.

I think Eva is finally potty trained but it took my pride to be humbled. Our first attempts were about 5 months ago which just about sent me over the edge. Eva figured out the "treat system" (she got a small piece of candy every time she went potty) and used it to the nth degree- which is not a bad system with some personalities. In Eva's case, I had to come to the realization that she was not ready and if I kept pushing it, I would literally crush her sparky little spirit.

Washing out pee-pee panties, cleaning up poopy messes, and little access to a laundry facility, the rv bathroom was smelling pretty bad and my patience was almost wiped out. I finally strapped the diaper back on the little Diva and gave in to the idea that maybe she just wasn't ready. Whew!

About a week ago, I decided to try again and she is now almost fully potty trained during the day with only a few accidents. I am not freaking out and our bathroom doesn't smell like pee.
PRAISE THE LORD!!

It really is all about the timing. Yes, there is the consistency factor (which I am better at this time around) but really I just needed to be patient. The pride of knowing you have potty trained a small child should not overpower the joy in the relationship- really. I, along with other mothers, know that feeling. Kind of like having a child who speaks well, or can read early, sleeps through the night early, or happens to be smarter than the average "Joe" child. We all get a little puffed up over those things.

All of us mamas out there know we have the capacity to become somewhat of a monster. But the key is to just let the mama monster go so that we can reflect the image of God to our children. I imagine myself before I strapped the diaper back on and I just see ugly, stressed-out flesh ball forcing the Diva to do something she was not ready to do. Now that I have waited I can be confident that God can parent her through me, in HER timing.