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We’re NOT Potty Training

Jake is two years old. Potty training toddler boys is notoriously difficult, so I’ve decided I’m not going to. I figure Jake will one day walk up to me and tell me that the other guys on the football team are making fun of his Pull-Ups and he’s ready to try making pee-pees in the potty. Hey, I’m a laid back mommy – kind of.

Not Potty Training
So, we may not actually be potty training at my house, but we are “laying a foundation.” That means that I’ve been working on the vocabulary for about a year now and we’re starting to do fun things like wear Big Boy Underpants and dump poo-poos out of the diaper into the potty so Jake can flush them down. Occasionally we sit on the potty, but it’s just a game at this point.

My son has peed on my floor about four times this week. He has peed in the potty zero times in the same time frame. He’s yet to actually show any indication he knows the pee-pees are coming or that he can hold it. Those are the signs I’m looking for, and I’ll keep putting him in Big Boy Underpants as often as he wants to wear them – so long as we’re at home and I’m not out of floor cleaner.

The Real Potty Training
In all seriousness, I’ll start REALLY potty training when he tells me he wants to. I like to think of potty training as more of a wandering road than an express flight. Apparently little girls can knock this potty training stuff out in one day, and some experts, including my fellow Texan, Dr. Phil, think all kids can. But I disagree.

Like all things baby, we’re taking small steps. Here is my Potty Training Toddler Boys Plan, or at least the one I have until I change my mind and make up a new one.

1. Introduce the Vocabulary. I’ve been telling Jake for years about his pee-pees and poo-poos. Use whatever words you want, but I like the cute toddler words. I’m sure with two boys in the house I’ll be hearing many names for poop over the next few years. With my luck, my husband will join in to teach them the ones they missed.

2. Set an Example. You know you have to do it, so don’t be shy. Your toddler boy will only learn to go potty if you show him exactly how its done. Now, we all know men go standing up, but I’m not brave enough or limber enough to scrub that much tile during training, so I figure him watching me sit might be more beneficial at this point. He can get special “standing” and “shaking” lessons from dad when the time is right.

3. Test the Waters. Jake has about ten pairs of Big Boy Underpants that he wears around the house. He’ll never feel when he’s wet in a diaper (and I don’t care what the manufacturers say, there is NO cool alert.) So I’ll let him make pee-pees and poo-poos in the Underpants. Sure I’ll have to clean my floor, but eventually he’ll figure out what it feels like before the accidents occur. We also sit on the potty sometimes on the off chance we can catch something in the making. So far, no luck.

4. Only THEN will the real training occur. Once Jake knows when the pee-pees or poo-poos are about to make an exit, it will be worth trying to get him on the potty in time. What’s the point of trying to MAKE him feel it?

I’m hopeful that being relaxed about the whole thing will keep the pressure off all of us. He’ll be out of diapers eventually. There is no special Mothering Merit Award if I get him out of them by three or if he wants to wait until closer to four. Besides, if I wait long enough, I can tell my friends that I actually did potty train my toddler boy in one day. (The other two years were just prep work.)

August 8th, 2007 Posted by Rebecca | Toddler Drama, All Parenting Articles | 5 comments