We're Potty Ready. Too Bad Brigid Isn't

I truly believe we have the world's most stubborn kids. Each of them, in their own unique way, have displayed a their ability to dig in their heels on various subjects. But we've met our match in Brigid. She has absolutely refused -- at 3 and a quarter years old -- to have anything to do with the potty. She doesn't much like having a diaper on, and will take it off herself when it's offensive (thank goodness it hasn't been full) but refuses vehemently to use the potty. She wants to wear "big girl underwear" (or wonderwear, as she calls it) but as soon as the urge arises, she demands a diaper. She says she's a big girl, and even acknowledges big girls sit on the potty, but when we question her about this dichotomy, she back peddles and says she's a big-little girl.

We never pushed the girls on potty readiness. Each of them had reached their third birthday and then, voila! They decided it was time. Brigid finds it intrusive to even be asked if she wants to sit on the potty. She has a potty seat, she has a seat that fits on the big potty that she helped pick out. She has pretty princess wonderwear. What she doesn't have is the interest. You don't want to get in a shouting match or force a child to use the potty. God knows we have to start a fund for our children's psychiatric care when they get older. I don't want to tip the scales even further by forcing our BB to use the potty. But come on. When she is wearing her wonderware, she says it feels good. But it must feel better to be able to squat someplace and just let it go.

Jack brought the girls up to the lake yesterday and when they got home after dinner, Brigid was all excited to tell me about her day. She did so in great detail. Once again, I'm struck by how much her vocabulary and exploded. She's using complex sentences and proper grammar. She said they went swimming in the lake and went on the jet ski and she rode on Firefly, Kita and Dexter. She had hot dogs and cauliflower and dessert. "It was fun," she pronounced. It sure sounds like it. I was hoping we might be able to force the potty issue this summer by just letting her run around in her underwear and telling her the diaper truck broke down. She's very savvy -- you go buy some, Mommy, she says. She's no dummy.

Margaret and Patricia are in the second week of summer safari, rehearsing for their production of "Godspell." They're having a great time and looking forward to performing next week. The day after their performance, we head to the Cape. Now that's something I'm looking forward to. Do big girls use the potty on Cape Cod?