The Power of the Potty

Ty must really be smart or as Byron states, "Mama you have sucker written all over your face." Ha ha ha.. for a while now we have nonchalantly encouraged the use of the potty chair with Ty. He would go prior to bath time and occasionally when we asked if he needed to go. This was prior to our fully engaged plan of potty training that we have engaged in this past week. Two nights before we began our plan to really potty train I was reading a book to Ty (Cars and Trucks and Things that Go, of course) when he looked at me and said, "Mama I go poot in the potty." Of course I looked at him and confirmed what his needs were. He assured me that he needed to go. So I scooped him out of bed and we went into the bathroom where he sat on his potty chair for a little bit. He looked up at me with this sheepish smile on his face and said matter of fact, "I go watch T. B. with daddy on couch." I looked at him realizing that I had been had by this smart boy who already knew the power of the potty and said, "No, it is time for bed." He folded his arms and said, "Ahhh man!" We then got situated with the P.J.s and went back to his bedroom. Oh to the power of the potty!

When it comes to potty training boys I have heard many things like, "you should wait to potty train boys, they are difficult to potty train," and, "wow potty training already?" There is no hard and fast way to potty train. I have consulted many of my mama friends for advise. Though I am partial to those who give advise specific to boys ;-) Long ago we purchased a potty chair and left it in the bathroom. When asked by Ty, "What dat mama?" We would answer that it is a "big" boy potty chair. He seemed proud. Knowing that going to the bathroom is a personal and emotional thing at times for kiddos we decided that he (Ty) would let us know when he is ready.  Gradually we began having him sit on the chair prior to taking a nighttime bath. Eventually Ty went pee and we praised. He beamed with pride.  As time has gone on (months) Ty began to potty on the regular toilet sitting backwards facing the rear of the toilet as if he were standing up like boys/guys do.  Again the praise! Again the rewards (thank you Jelly Bellies).

Now we (the family 7 day care) have all been practicing the same thing for consistency and are really into the potty training this summer. Day 8 with (one day off because we had a play date). Praise, consistency, and rewards.

Toilet training is such an amazing developmental thing. There is no training for parents unless you seek it out from your doctor, advise from other moms, purchase crazy books, videos etc. What I find interesting about this is that "they" train you about breast feeding, giving birth among other things but you are left to fend for yourself with one of the most interesting developmental tasks of all. Knowing that toilet training is tied to emotion, and readiness brings a different kind of stress to all involved. We (Byron and I) don't want to pressure but reassure. We don't want to go backwards after making progress either. It is a fine line to always know where you are at and how to respond to the 2 year old ways when you (parents) want them to potty train but they are resisting. We have to be consistent. We have to know the power of the potty!