Potty Training is overrated

I have decided that I am putting my children permanently in pull-ups. It's not because of potty training accidents (anymore at least) Adam has not had an accident in months now. He doesn't even sleep in pull ups anymore. It's just that he ALWAYS has to use the bathroom at the most inconvenient times! Let me detail just a few.

There was the time that I was at Ikea and we had decided to eat breakfast there. So I have the 3 kids and we're maneuvering through the food line, I'm holding the food try in one hand (stacking the plates one on top of the other trying to make all the food fit on one tray) and holding the baby in the car seat on my other arm.

We finally make our way through the line and get our warm food set down on the table and Adam starts screaming "I have to go potty!!!" And I just sigh. Because by the time I drag all the kids to the bathroom and come back our food will be cold, if the food is still there and some employee doesn't clear it while we're gone. And I hate having to take all 3 into the dirty public restrooms. So I did something that nobody should ever do, but I did. There was a woman with one little child sitting at the table next to us and I asked her to watch the younger two kids while I ran to the bathroom. I even left my purse sitting there next to the baby's car seat. Dumb, huh? But I was desparate. And when I came back the kids where still there and all my money was still there, so I guess it turned out okay.

But I often face the dilema of having to drag all 3 into the bathroom and it's quite a chore to keep Zoey from touching anything and keep the baby happy while manuvering around the stroller or shopping cart in the tiny bathroom and help Adam, too. Sigh.

It's really bad when the bathroom is SO DIRTY that if it was me that had to go I would hold it rather than use that nasty bathroom. But a 4 year old just knows he has to pee NOW. I've actually started shopping at places based soley on how clean their bathrooms are. Seriously. Shopko does not make the list of places with clean bathrooms. Trust me on this one!

And something about Lowes is better than fiber for the child. He ALWAYS has to go to the bathroom at Lowes. And it's ALWAYS a #2 job. And this last time we were already in the check out line when he starts screaming that he has to go. And I begged him to wait until we got home, or at least until we paid. But he started to cry. And the bathroom is all the way at the back of the store! If he was wearing pull ups I seriously would've just told him to pee in the pull up. Which is why I think we're just going to start wearing them every time we leave the house. Or just stop leaving the house.

And while we are on the subject of public restrooms....did you know that there actually existed public restrooms that have no diaper changing facilities? I mean come on folks, this is Utah after all. How do you expect all the stay at home moms with millions of babies in this state to come shopping at your facility, spending all their husband's hard earned money, if you don't provide a place to change a diaper? I mean there wasn't even a changing station at the car dealership when we bought my husband's new car. They sell mini vans at this place for pete's sake!!!!! And no place to change a baby. arg.

But I digress. The point is, no matter how you look at it public restrooms and small kids don't mix. So I think I'm going to start doing all my shopping online. Or not shop at all until they all go to school. That will work for about 3 weeks until I get so stir crazy that I go out again, because apparently I'm a masochist.