This is a BIG week for the Wallace family…

That’s right: it’s Potty Training Boot Camp!

I know you all have been looking forward to this moment as much as Holly and I have!  Since our daughter Emmy turned 2 years old, she has continually asked us to use the potty like her big brother.  Now that Easter is behind us, we have set our sights on helping our sweet Emmy learn to use the potty like a “big girl”.

There are a few things that I have been reminded of this week.  First, that carpet is very absorbent.  Second, that “Febreeze” is a glorious gift from God.  And third, that one of the most important things I can do for my kids is celebrate with them in their victories.

As a parent I can easily become hyper-focused on the things my kids do wrong.  Naturally, because I love them, my goal is to help them correct any wrong choices they make so that they can avoid the negative consequences of such actions in the future. This is not abnormal.  This is likely the way you grew up, and probably the attitude you have, or will have, toward parenting.  But it is missing a crucial ingredient: the celebration.

This week, as Emmy will have some successes and some accidents in her potty-training journey, we are extremely focused on cheering for her when she “puts the pee-pee in the potty”.  And when I say “we” I mean, myself, Holly, AND our 4-year-old son.  What an amazing picture of what the family should look like! Not just correcting mistakes and bad choices, but going absolutely nuts when someone experiences a triumph! 

What I’ve re-learned this week is a common truth that I often take for granted: What we celebrate, we remember.  Take some time today and celebrate with your kids, your spouse or your family.  Look for ways to congratulate them and honor them.  The world is very eager to point out their errors.  As a family, let’s be eager to point out their victories!