Modern Motherhood Musings

You’re reading Modern Motherhood Musings, a weekly newsletter written from one mom to another. Each week I share an honest reflection on motherhood, and a collection of things bringing me joy. I’m passionate about community, and I hope that by sharing, we all feel a little less alone.

🖊 This week’s musing…

Sometime last spring we decided to potty train our oldest son. We had a long weekend and we decided we’d knock it out in 3 days, because that’s what everyone does. He’d be commando, our couch would be covered in towels, and we’d never have to change a diaper again.

It. Was. A. Disaster.

There were so many tears, his and ours, and on the second day we called it off - for his health and our sanity. We have a lot of friends who’ve had success with the 3-day method, and it’s awesome, it’s just not how our son responds and that’s ok.

We’re a year into this potty training journey. Some weeks he’ll go to the bathroom on his own and be so proud of himself, but other weeks make you want to pull your hair out.

He still wears Pull-Ups to school. I think they give him some confidence, and if that’s what he needs right now, I want to be the parent who meets my son where he’s at.

What if we share our wide-range of experiences, from “done in three days” to “still working on it a year later”. I think we’ll realize there are many paths and personalities and feel less defeated by the entire process.

What other skill do we master in 3 days? I still burn popcorn 50% of the time, and I sideswiped my mirror trying to back my car out of the garage the other day. I’ve been driving for almost 20 years.

What if we reframe potty training as a marathon and not a sprint?

What if we decide to see accidents as just accidents, but not failures (and just throw away the underwear, it’s easier).

What if we choose to give ourselves and our kids grace in abundance, because that’s what we really need these days. Grace upon grace.

✨Friday Favorites…

🍿 If you’re looking for a new series to binge watch, The Diplomat on Netflix is filled with political drama and suspense. Bonus, it was just renewed for a second season!

🍜 I’ve tried a few versions of the Egg Roll Bowl, but this recipe by The Modern Proper is the best, and you can adapt it for the whole family. We put it in a tortilla for our toddler and call it an egg roll taco, and my husband and I eat it over rice.

📰 I’ve been loving my subscription to Apple News+. For $12.99/month you get access to articles from publications like The Wall Street Journal, plus online versions of magazines like bon appétit and Southern Living. You can also share your subscription with your spouse!

👯‍♀️ Creating Community

Each week, the Creating Community section will feature either a question or challenge. The goal is to inspire you to build community, because we all need each other.

Thank you for being here, I truly mean it. If you enjoyed this newsletter and aren’t already a subscriber, use the button below!

Happy Friday, friends! I hope you have an awesome weekend!