I used to enjoy playing golf from time to time.  It was fun for awhile, but I often felt frustrated that in that sport you really only get rewarded for making it in the hole.  Sure, you can feel proud of a long drive or great chip, but until it gets in the hole, there’s nothing to celebrate.

I think golf and potty training have a lot in common!  That may sound strange, but yesterday, my son went pee pee in the potty for the first time and today he ALMOST got the poop in the potty and it got me thinking.  We’ve been working on this potty training thing for awhile with very little promise, so what has transpired in the past few days is pretty phenomenal.  Sure, we’ve cheered for him for making those “dry attempts,” but until I saw the pee streaming into the toilet, until I heard the sweet trickle breaking the surface of the water, it wasn’t that satisfying. 

I can’t help but see the similarities between golf and using the potty.  Here’s how I see it:

• both have special equipment that are almost as cute as they are functional (carts, tees, clubs and little potty chairs, stools, etc.)
• both are relatively individual sports (besides Mommy cheering the kids on in the bathroom or outside the door)
• practice makes perfect in both cases
• both are things you hope to do your whole lifetime
• though golf is primarily an outside sport, there are indoor mini-golf courses and driving ranges; interestingly going potty is primarily an indoor activity, though if you’ve been camping, you know otherwise!

In the end, it is all about getting the ball (or other matter) in the hole.  You are looking for consistency in both the golf and the potty.  And who knows, a trip to Chuck E. Cheese’s might be just as motivating for Tiger Woods as it is for my son to use the potty!

Here’s hoping for a hole in one!!! 

FORE! 

or maybe more appropriate…  FLUSH!