Twinkle: Break out the champagne; I don't suck as a mother

OK I just have to rejoice about this...sorry if it's not the most exciting post or if it's TMI, but to me it's huge.

After months of flagellation and self-doubt about the fact that I had somehow screwed up Twinklette in regards to the potty, she has totally trained herself in an instant.

I never knew what I did to screw her up...I was actually very laid-back about the whole potty thing and was waiting (for years) for her to show signs of interest. Turns out I waited too long and missed my original window, but I know what people think about mothers whose children have potty issues. They think we are controlling b*tches who shame our children and rub their little noses in any accidents like we would a misbehaving golden retriever. On the contrary, I was almost too laid-back about the whole thing...but try telling that to the teachers at her preschool who only see the last kid in the class who won't use the potty and who refuses to get paint on her hands/clothes (also not my influence...I swear. I do like to dress her cute, but I am a supporter of the arts and want her to paint/be creative/do whatever her class is doing. I have never been mean to her over a dirty outfit. I just buy a lot of OxyClean.).

Anyway, she went to dinosaur camp yesterday, and I don't know what happened there, but in the late afternoon she announced that she wanted to wear panties. I said OK, even though we've been down that path before and she usually wants the panties without the accompanying responsibilities. I explained that wearing panties means actually trying to use the potty, and that accidents are OK sometimes, but only if she's actually trying to be successful. She said OK, donned a pair of Princess and the Frog panties, and has been using the potty totally independently ever since with not one accident.

I am totally incredulous that my headstrong and rebellious child, who just last November announced that she wanted to "break the rules of going to the potty" has just potty trained herself. It was all Twinklette. I mean, I did nothing, which, when I look at it like that, actually makes it seem like less of a parental victory. But it was the easiest victory ever, and long overdue, so I'll take it.