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Often I'm called an overachiever or told that I'm pushing the kids to hard, but I think some people are putting their own frustrations on me. Parents see me achieving success with things that many other parents fail/struggle with. I'm not supermom and I have no tricks up my sleeve. I do however have a few things that sometimes are on my side and other times can be my downfall....
-I am OCD which mean that everything is a routine. My children have become accustom to routines and learn to expect certain things at certain times. This is perfect for feeding, sleeping, and potty training. This can become an issue on those days that are not 'normal' days; you know the ones when you want to actually do something outside the house....
-I don't have a problem listening to them crying and screaming. It takes some getting used to and you MUST be sure that all basic needs have been met (they are fed, changed, and nothing it 'hurting' them). For me, with three, it was a necessity to get my children to learn to self soothe. It is not physically possible to rock and comfort all of them at the same time. And since all of them go to bed and take naps at the same time, they needed to learn to soothe themselves.
-I love to research. If I want to know the answer to something or want to know how to do something, I look it up. I research everything. I don't go into anything without an arsnal of research behind me.

I often get asked questions that I don't understand..."Do they all nap at the same time?" (yes) " How did you get them to do that?" (I put them in their cribs at the same time).
"Why are you starting to potty train at such a young age?" (because she is peeing/pooping in the potty...why not?)
***my research showed that most countries around the world start potty training between 1yr and 18 months old. Americans are given the luxury of disposable diapers (many countries don't have them) and a socitial norm of an older potty training age (preschools have even accomadated up to 4yrs of age still in a diaper). However, because most American (and some other countries) families have both parents working, time has not been a luxury. In those other countries where the potty training starts so young, the mothers are home, income general low (can't afford the diapers), and potty training is therefore a necessity.
I taught preschool for a few years and worked with the 'sorta' potty trained group. I was lucky enough to be the afternoon teacher and as most of you can figure out, that meant I cleaned a lot of messes. I will be the last person to jump on a mothers case for not potty training a child by a certain age since I often had to assist in the potty training for many of my students due to family situations.Often family life becomes hectic and ridiculously busy and well let's face it potty training is time comsuming. Asking your child every 20 minutes or so if they have to use the potty (remembering to do so is tedious enough) and then spending the time with them as they explore every toy you've placed in the bathroom just to get them to sit on the potty...well who has that kind of time?
I only work two hours a day outside our home and I am (was) only potty training one out of my three. I have found that it has taken time away from my other two to maintain a proper routine and keep her on track.
Now we are having what I like to call 'Potty Envy'. My other girl is obsessivly jealous and wants to use the potty also. I am not ready for this. I was hoping to do them all one at a time, but you gotta grab while the getting is hot. No joke, my little one planted herself outside the bathroom and cried and whined until I let her go through the 'potty routine' and you know what? She went pee! She kept persisting all day long and went 4 times today. I have noticed a huge difference between the girls though; one will sit for a few minutes and tell me she's done but hasn't done anything yet. However when she does, she gets super excited when she goes and the potty sings (claps hands and dances: we have a Cheer for Me Potty by Fisher Price). My other girl will sit on the potty for 15-20 minutes; however long it takes her to go (she won't get off until she goes). Then she just smiles and claps her hands and sits there.
It's odd how different they are :)
"Why did you take the pacifier away now?" (as good a time as any; lose the bottle at 1 year and it is logical to cut out all 'nipples'). "How did you do it?" (I just didn't give it to them one day and they cried it out...a little less each day.**note that I cut it down to naps and bedtime around 7/8months of age)

Anyway, through it all every parent is different. No two parents parent the same and no two (or three in my case) kids are the same. I think that no matter what the accmplishments are and no matter when they occur for the child (or parents), we all should rejoice that those accomplishments were made.