When we take our first steps into the land of motherhood, there are a few anxieties that attack us from the moment our little ones are placed on our chests. Will we breastfeed? Will we ever know the sanctity of sleep again? Who will potty train these lovely blessings?

I’m not ashamed to say potty training was on my mind from the very beginning. If you’ve ever taken the road to the land of independent potty use, I’m sure you find my premature thoughts not in the least bit awkward. Planning, portable potties, Pull-Ups and making mental notes of the proximity of public restrooms are just a few of the struggles that come along with potty training. Let’s not mention what you will do when the restroom is disgusting and you have no intent to dangle over a nasty toilet while they do the potty dance. You learn to be quick on your feet and prepared or you stay close to home.

“Not I,” said a mother in Utah who figured it would be okay to sit her stripped and practically naked child on a potty at a table in a public restaurant. I’ll wait while you gather your thoughts.

Who does this? Yes, I know, the mother in Utah. I suppose the appropriate question at this point is why? While the Declaration of Independence sees to it that we have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, we have to take a step back, be good citizens and ponder when our choices affect others.
As parents, we have the ability to choose to parent our children however we choose whether it’s attachment, laissez-faire, tuning out, etc. The options are yours for the taking. I’ll tune out in a heartbeat. I may not have heard that loud “Please!” for a snack in the grocery store but everyone around me would have. For this reason I pay close attention to my children’s behavior when in public.

The question at hand, are we really obligated to consider others when it comes to parenting our children in public?

Words By: Mimi Scarlett
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