Potty Training Pointers
The other day, my son and I were having a discussion about underpants.
Boy: I 4! (He's 3 and a half, actually. Some days he prefers to be 2, other days, 16.) Me: Did you know that when you turn 4, you are no longer allowed to wear diapers? You wear underpants instead. Boy: No! Me: Really, it's true. Ask Taylor. Taylor, how old are you? (We are outside, playing with some of our neighbors.) T: 7. And I don't wear diapers, I wear underpants. Neither does Riah. Ask him. (The boy turns to Riah) Me: Riah, how old are you? R: 5. R's Mom: Do you wear diapers or underpants, Riah? R: Underpants! Me: See? The boy thinks about all of this for a minute, then: I not turn 4. I will turn 20 and wear nuthin' at all!
About a year ago now, I made the first attempt to potty-train my son. I was a fool to try. It did not go well. But I did learn a few things about potty-training, and I thought I would pass them on to you. Just in case you ever have this problem.Some days I'm pretty sure I shouldn't be a mom.GOOD IDEA:A cushy toilet seat, preferably with something friendly on it: Elmo, for instance.BAD IDEA:This.
GOOD IDEA:Giving a little boy something to aim for to prevent leakage on the floor. My mother-in-law suggested cheerios. Or, you could go the expensive route and get these.
BAD IDEA:Keeping pirahna in the toilet.GOOD IDEA :Keeping a small basket of books and toys within easy reach of the toilet to encourage your little person to stay there, and to have a happy experience. BAD IDEA: Keeping a small basket of firecrackers and matches within easy reach of the toilet. GOOD IDEA: Since wiping is difficult for little hands, sometimes a product like this helps.BAD IDEA: Flypaper. GOOD IDEA: Making it easier to wash hands at the sink: i.e., a step stool, inviting soap, and a hand towel within easy reach. BAD IDEA: If they forget to wash, the medicine cabinet springs open and the Reminder Monkey leaps out, lands on the offender's head, and proceeds to jump up and down, screech, and pull hair.
10 comments:
Shoot. You think having a pirahna in the toilet is a bad idea? I'll have to rethink that.
hi wild wynne: i loved jake's comeback line to you. too cute. when i saw the wicked toilet seat cover, you made me laugh aloud (hmmm, two posts in a row about toilets, what could the next post be about? sewage pumping as a part time business opportunity?). i love how the wipes were called "kan doo." too funny.
thanks for the fun emails tonight. you made me laugh. catch ya later alligator, kathleen :)
Flypaper???!!!! You are BAD!
So what are you going to do? Just when he turns four not diaper him and see what happens?
Jake is so funny! I'm bustin' a gut here! Emma is 3 and a bit, and has zero interest in the potty. I'm trying to be all cool with that, but really? I have these nightmares about her still being in diapers when she's ten.
If they're 10 and still in nappies you've got a lot more to worry about than the fact they're in diapers.
I'm still waiting to find out your new callllinnnngggg!!!
yea wynne, i am still waiting to find out your new caaaaalling, too! and i, too, also, loved the "flypaper" comment you came up with. very clever.
kimmy: it is only really bad if emma is still in diapers at age 18. he he
~chow baby, kathleen :)
Thanks for the tips!!!! I keep thinking about potty training...but it's way too soon. Lucas isn't even two yet! I'm sure once he understands and communicates better, he'll have about the same idea as Jake.
I think I've seen that monkey before....
LOL
I have started putting the idea into my two-year old's mind that she should go pee on the toilet. She likes the idea as far as getting to wear fairy panties, but she doesn't care. She's young, but a girl's got to try!!
Dear Wynne,
In future, please preface such posts with:
WARNING: This post may strangle your desire to procreate. If you are a dewy-eyed baby-luster with no grasp on the messy realities of child rearing, read no further lest this post render you spontaneously sterile.
But I would like to submit that Elmo is much MUCH scarier than a demon toilet. Maybe get him some Elmo fruit snacks to aim at.
And I wish you well.
Oh, and here's a funny one from my aunt. She visited her grandkids recently and the three-year-old is also resisting potty training. She was trying to encourage him to cooperate with his mother on this, and he said to her, "Grandma, for your birthday I'll poop in the toilet!"
As she said, what greater gift could one hope for? :)
Ah... the grandure of potty training! It really is the crowning point of motherhood...all of my kids are now potty trained. I don't want to go through that again. This is one of the reasons we are not having more kids. Probably. Maybe. I think.
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