How many fathers out there? A little story...

16 years ago

I know us guys are in the minority here, and I'm thinking that of us, those with children are an even rarer breed?

As I've mentioned in passing before I've been frustrated that my daughter who turned three this month has shown absolutely no interest in potty training. As two working parents, we know we should be trying harder but you know, there's a lot to get done on weekends.

Yesterday we went to an orientation at a really nice camp that my son will be going to this summer. It was the first time my wife saw the facility and once she saw it she started feeling badly that our daughter wouldn't be going there, too. So I asked if there are openings in her age group, but had to come back with the sad news that only potty trained kids can go to camp.

Five minutes later my daughter announced that she had to go potty. And she did. Since then, she's had exactly one slight accident which she promptly reported and finished up on the potty. Every time she goes potty she says, "I'm a big girl, I can go to camp!" She woke me up early this morning, was DRY, and asked to go potty! 8:15 and she's already gone three times.

Whether she stays on track with her training or not, my daughter has given me the best Fathers' Day gift ever: Something to make me reflect on how proud I am of these children with which I've been blessed.

Happy Fathers' Day, "all" you dads out there.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (21)

dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
16 years ago
Actually, going to the potty is not a natural thing. We evolved millions of years without going to the potty. Only very recently that we came up with this idea for the benifit of the plumbers. :-)

Happy Father's Day.

dcarch

--------------------------------------
In a classroom, little Mary needs to go to the bathroom.

"Mrs. Smith, I need to go to the bathroom now!"
"OK Mary, but first I need you to recite the alphabets."
"I will try. a b c d e f g h I j k l m n o q r s t u v w x y z"
"Not too bad. Almost. But where is the "P"?"
"I am very sorry Mrs. Smith, the pee is now running down my legs."
jimster
16 years ago
One of my sons became potty trained on a camping trip. He couldn't miss out on the fun of peeing on the ground outdoors.

Hey, quite a thread you got started, Dad!

Jim
Related Discussions
A sweet little story...
Q
Comments (20)
Finn did SO great yesterday. He's so brave. Watching your baby go limp (with anesthesia) is terrifying. But, we got some good news. His severe inflammation is down to mild, which means his current meds are working, which means he won't be moved to the "heavy hitter" meds (immunosuppressants). He does have a fistula and will probably need minor surgery, but that's further down the road. He had a tough time with recovery and was in a lot of pain right up until dinner time (procedure was at 10:00), but when he snapped out of it he SNAPPED OUT OF IT! He was up running around with his brother, eating, etc. He even wanted to go to school today. I'm so proud of him it makes my heart ache.
...See More
How many out there have buried St. Joseph?
Q
Comments (23)
Yeah, I gave in and buried one a couple of weeks after the first buyer canceled the sale of our house. We had another buyer several weeks later. I bought a nice colorful ceramic statue at a Catholic bookstore and put him upside down in a planter bed by the driveway. Digging him up was the last thing I did as we were driving away after the house sold. St Joseph rode in the front seat with me all the way from SoCal to Portland, Oregon. He's now on the bookcase in the hallway and will have a spot somewhere in our new house. It may be silly, but it's fun silly, so what does it matter? Kind of like not crossing paths with a black cat or any of the other little superstitions people have.
...See More
Father needs help, stepmom wants kids to move out
Q
Comments (22)
I'm a stepmom of 2 kids... an 11-year old boy and a 14-year old girl... who live with my husband and I about 80% of the time. I have to say that I'm blessed - they are kind, loving and very respectful kids who have always treated me well. Even given that, I have to admit that I STILL find being a stepmom very challenging. I think like most stepmoms, I came into this situation with the desire to create a happy, harmonious environment for me and the man I married and his children. I still do. I care about these kids, and I want them to be happy and set up to have a successful life, emotionally and in every other way. But over time... again, even though my stepkids are such good kids... I have STILL found myself surprised at the amount of resentment (and sometimes even anger) that has built up in me. It's the result of a few factors I think. A big one for me is that I resent the fact that their own mother doesn't do more. I shared with my husband a few months back that he and his ex need to split the driving duties and other parenting responsibilities 50/50, while I only help out occasionally, versus me doing 70% of all of the pickups and drop offs for school and other activities. (Just because I work from home and have a flexible work schedule doesn't mean that I'm an on-call chauffeur for the kids.) Another big one is that my husband is happy to have his kids around all the time (of course, he's their dad!) while I really need time away from them where it's just the two of us. No matter how nicely I may share with my lovely husband that I need more time with him (i.e. on the third week in a row that their mom wants us to take them during the weekend when she is supposed to have them) on some level he'll always hear it like I am rejecting his children. This has caused major friction in our marriage. His children, their mom's lack of care for them and him making me feel like I need to fill the gap (or I'm not being supportive) is really the only thing we fight about. Before you call me evil, let me explain: So much of being a stepmom is holding your tongue. I really care about the emotional well being of my stepkids, and I don't ever want to say or do anything that may cause them pain or make them feel uncomfortable or unwelcome in my home. I'm not a jerk or anything, I'm a pretty kind person I think. But the amount of stuff that you may want to say out loud that you don't... about the kids, their mom, whatever... it's a lot. On some level, I feel like I'm always monitoring what I do and say. It's tiring. I have to admit that it's nice when they go to their moms, so that I can "turn off" so to speak and just BE in my own home. So I look forward to that time. It also gives me a chance to miss them and appreciate them even more when they come back! I see so many comments attacking stepmoms, and I'm sure there are some majorly s***ty ones out there, but there's also a lot of well-meaning ladies that really do care for the kids in their care. But guys, I'd just ask you to remember that these ARE NOT our kids. Everything we do for them, we do out of love for you. And it can be very draining. A mom gets fed by the unconditional love that flows effortlessly between her and her biological child. A stepmom does not. She gives a lot and really doesn't get a lot back. Overtime, you can start to feel like the hired help, a guest in your own home, and the lowest person on the totem pole. My advice for the original poster? If you're not willing to change the kids' schedule, then offer an alternative that she can work with - hiring a nanny. Seriously. I don't say that to be an a-hole, but really, it sounds like your wife is stuck in what's called a "double bind." She wants to support you by helping you with your kids (she LOVES you, after all) but at the same time, she really doesn't want to be doing most of what she is doing... but by not doing it, she feels she would be letting you down. It's a lose lose. Add on top of that the pain of losing the baby, and she is growing to resent the lot of you. Take the burden off of her. Look into hiring a nanny to carry most of the load. Yes, it will cost you some money, but hiring a nanny is much less expensive than paying for a divorce. Also consider setting a date night for just the two of you once per week that you don't break (and when you do go out, don't talk about your kids!). Much love to you and your situation x
...See More
A Feel-Good Story About John Glenn (Little Long But Worth the Read)
Q
Comments (13)
Thank you for sharing this. What a wonderful story! Here is a three minute video I found in which the Glenns talk about the stuttering.
...See More
dedtired
16 years ago
Happy Fathers Day to all you Dads and Granddads and to all you Moms who had to be dads, too.

FOAS, that is a great story and an even greater picture. You are a beautiful family. Amazing how the right motivation can lead to success.
obxgina
16 years ago
Awesome story! Thank you for sharing that will all of us! Happy Father's Day to you and to all the dad's and granddads out there!

Gina
mitchdesj
16 years ago
fnastump, your smile says it all on the picture, you are blessed !!
cute story !!

happy father's day to all the dads of the forum.
sally2_gw
16 years ago
Happy Fathers Day, all you dads out there! FOAS, my grandson is 3 and has shown little interest in potty trianing, too. Maybe I should find a camp for him, too.

Sally
User
16 years ago
FOAS what a great story and what a beautiful picture. Yes you are blessed.

Happy Fathers Day, to you FOAS, and to all our Dads on the forum.
jessyf
16 years ago
FOAS, what a perfect way to start a Father's Day thread. Congrats on the transition! (that being said, I remember hating the 'transitional' stage...accidents....heh heh good luck!)

Happy Father's Day to all who are fathers on the forum!
caliloo
16 years ago
Love the story FOAS and your family is beautiful! And Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads.... I hope you family spoils you rotten!

Alexa
woodie
16 years ago
Love your story and your family picture! Our g/d was 'trained' the same way, LOL. Her mom was quite relaxed about it because (first of all) it was her third kid and (second of all) she knew how important it was to Olivia to go to pre-school. So she just let nature take its course and it happened just before school started without any pushing or stress :)

Happy Father's Day to you and to all the Dads and Grandfathers and Great Grandfathers on our cooking forum.
metaxa
16 years ago
Its amazing what kids can come up with, isn't it?

My Dad story that immediately came to mind is about a Rube Goldberg science display for school.
Other than some help with frustration levels while setting angles and such the little Dude did it himself, truly.

It involved 7 different stages, ending up with an egg cooking in a thin metal pan. Grade 6 or 7 age.

One of the stages was a balloon popping on a needle that was embedded in a cork.

I guess the needle came undone with use because Will knelt down on the floor to re-set his rig and jammed the full length of a large sewing needle into his knee.

The very next morning was a school field trip to a wilderness camp, three days of kayaking, sailing, horse riding, etc.

He was not going to miss that. So, instead of going directly to Emerg, we went to our family Dr. and told him of our dilemma, he called around, convinced the ortho to accept Will at end of day.

Will had surgery at 6 pm to dig the needle out, was in post op by 7:30, woke up at 8 and by sheer force of will made himself do the walk unassisted, drink oj, eat toast and keep it down by around midnight. He tried about three times before the nurse took pity and allowed him to leave.

Home by 12:30, up at 4 am to get to the school and bus off to his camp.

Never taken a pill before, had big honking pain pills that he learned to swallow just like that.
Had two incisions in his knee (pretty small but...) because the needle broke inside.
Had maybe three hours sleep
Had a knee wrapped and swaddled
Was in some discomfort, I'm sure.

But, got top marks on his Rube project, had a blast at camp and, to this day, impressed me with his toughness.

Sorry, this got long, but my kids are special, right?

Happy Father's Day to anyone who celebrates.
compumom
16 years ago
Congratulations and Happy Father's Day! It's a great story!

Some may call it bribery, but I call it incentive! Our 3 y.o.DGS wasn't all that interested either. The big boy pants didn't interest him, but we knew that he was ready. One day the teacher told my daughter to lose the pull ups and boom! Not one accident since!
lindac
16 years ago
Beautiful kids....and handsome and happy dad too!

Kids didn't pee in their clothes for 3 years in bygone days...they don't like to be dirty and stinky any more than a kitten does or a puppy. We have enabled them with the doggoned super absorbent, keep wetness away from the skin, plastic coated pants.
Happy Father's Day to you and all the other dads hanging around.
Linda C
magothyrivergirl
16 years ago
Happy Father's Day to all the great Dads!

FOAS - amazing what a little bribery aka positive reinforcing does! Wonderful picture! (You've just learned alot about your little girl ~HeeHee~) Is she going to camp now?
annie1992
16 years ago
Happy Father's Day, FOAS and all the other fathers. I'm missing my own father a little today...

As for potty training, Amanda trained herself at 16 months, dry at night and not an accident. She was prissy and didn't like to be wet and would bring me a dry diaper so I could change her immediately.

Ashley? She could care less, and when she was nearly 3 my mother asked her when she was going to use the potty. Her response? "Never, never, never, never, never." She finally did, because the babysitting bribed her with M&Ms.

Annie
dirtgirl07
16 years ago
FOAS, that picture of you and your kids says it all! What a great photo. Thanks for sharing the story - it gives a good chuckle too. Happy Father's day to you and all the dads out there.

Beth
User
16 years ago
Happy Father's Day.

Great photo FOAS.

Ann
mustangs81
16 years ago
FOAS, What a great picture of you and the kids. Thanks for sharing your DDs motivation.

My 3 year old DGD thinks she is a princess. I had to tell her that princesses didn't pee in their gowns so I would have to take it back to the store. That did the trick.
annie1992
16 years ago
FOAS, I forgot to mention, that's a great picture of you and your kids. I love it when people get in the water with their kids, or on the playground, and actually play with their children. Believe it or not, it doesn't happen all the time.

I also like the fact that your kids are clearly not afraid of the water.

Annie
jojoco
16 years ago
FOAS,
You look like you're having a blast with your kids. That is what it is all about.
Happy Fathers day.

Jo
lakeguy35
16 years ago
Happy Fathers Day!

Cool pic FOAS! Glad to hear the PT is done for the most part.

Single and no kids here but I do have a couple of Nephews that I claim as my boys/buds....they kicked my butt at the lake today! I'm feeling muscles that I've haven't in a long time. LOL!

David

How many fathers out there? A little story...

Comments (21)

dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m

jimster

Related Discussions

dedtired

obxgina

mitchdesj

sally2_gw

User

jessyf

caliloo

woodie

metaxa

compumom

lindac

magothyrivergirl

annie1992

dirtgirl07

User

mustangs81

annie1992

jojoco

lakeguy35

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US