Why Potty Training is the Actual Worst: A Parent’s Confession

Raising a child is a beautiful, joyous experience, but let’s be real here, some aspects of it are just plain hard. And among all the challenging stages of parenting, potty training might just be the absolute worst. I know, I know, you’re thinking, “But it’s such a small thing. How bad can it be?”

Oh, my dear friends, let me tell you.

First of all, there’s the constant worry. Are they ready? Are they showing signs of readiness? Are we doing this right? Are we setting them up for success or failure?

The stress of it all is enough to drive a parent insane. And then, once you finally decide to take the plunge and start potty training, it’s like you’ve entered some sort of never-ending loop of dirty underwear, accidents, and bargaining with a toddler who just doesn’t seem to understand the concept.

And don’t even get me started on the public bathroom situation. Trying to maneuver a squirmy, uncooperative child onto a strange, public toilet is a special kind of nightmare.

The looks of judgment from other parents and strangers alike as you try to explain to your child why they need to “go potty now” are enough to make you want to crawl into a hole and hide.

But the worst part, the absolute worst part, is the emotional toll it takes on you as a parent. The constant reminders of “I need to go potty” when you’re already stretched thin and running on empty, the feeling of defeat when yet another pair of underwear gets tossed into the laundry pile, and the guilt that maybe, just maybe, you’re screwing your child up for life because they aren’t potty trained at exactly the same time as all their peers.

But here’s the thing, in the grand scheme of things, potty training is a small and fleeting stage of parenting. And one day, in the not-so-distant future, you’ll look back on this time and chuckle at the memories (or try to forget them altogether).

So, to all the parents out there currently in the thick of it, hang in there, you got this. And to those yet to embark on this particular parenting woe, good luck, you’re gonna need it.