Potty Training

Q fell in love with pull ups last week. But J and I agreed that there’s no point in just replacing diapers with pull ups. So after discussion, we decided that Q was showing a lot of signs that he’s ready to start potty training, and we should start a potty educational campaign.

I stopped at the library on the way home. We live in a really small town evidently. They had one potty training book which didn’t strike me as that helpful. (Not awful, but not helpful.) I requested two, and headed home. At home I was greeted by a counter full of library potty training books J had located, plus two videos, and a package of real, honest-to-goodness, underwear.

I got upstairs to see a vision of my son sitting on a potty, wearing a pair of these pants (With dump trucks on them), reading a book on potties. He loves these underpants more than he loved pull ups. We read a bunch of the books, he watched a video with ‘Bear in the Big Blue House’ about potty training, we reviewed the concepts. He talked with his trucks about Mommy pees in the Bob potty (Bob the Builder, in case you’re curious, and no, Mommy’s butt wouldn’t fit), Daddy pees in the Bob potty (ditto), Grandma pees in the Bob potty, Sintya pees in the Bob potty…

Today he insisted to Daddy that he should wear his underwear to the doctor’s office. Daddy grabbed a diaper and spare pants, and let him (with much trepidation). They made it not only through the doctor’s appointment (he’s got eczema, by the way), but also through a grocery store trip. He refused repeatedly to go to the potty while out in public, and when they returned home, he used the potty, had dry underpants, and earned his first sticker. (Thomas the Tank Engine, and I’d like to note that he doesn’t watch either Thomas or Bob at home, or to my knowledge anywhere, although Granmary might have shown him some on his last visit.) He earned a second sticker this afternoon- post “nap”.

I’m kind of flabbergasted. I’m not expecting that we’re suddenly on the Potty Train, but I’m amazed at how ready he seems to be to switch over. I have to remind myself that we underestimate his abilities and understanding. Which might be a hint that the future baby will not be as much of a surprise as I think.