The Train Has Left the Station
Let’s face it. When you become a parent, all things elimination are no longer taboo. So with that, I bring you Adventures in Potty Training.
Here are the latest techniques, and how they have actually come to fruition in our house.
1 - Have your child make a favorite stuffed animal use the potty.
This has resulted in LM taking Elmo to the bathroom, sitting him down on the toilet, and waiting while I read books to him. I’m reading to Elmo on the potty. Are you getting this?!
2 - Have your child make a favorite stuffed animal use the potty.
I bring this up twice because the unintentional happened. LM is now the one who puts Elmo on the potty and then sits on the side of the bathtub to watch him do his thing. So, I’ve effectively taught my child how to teach someone how to potty train.
3 - Discuss potty training around your child so that it’s not so scary.
This one now means that LM asks to ride the “potty train”. It leaves the station only after meals.
4 - Invite your child to come with you to the potty.
I have a very polite little boy, which is wonderful. It does mean that when I invite him to join me in the bathroom, I get, “No thank you, Mommy.” You just can’t really argue with that.
5 - Wait until your child is emotionally ready for this milestone.
Yeah, not really what I’m doing here. Three is the age that most kids are trained, and the competitive side of me will not let me be the last one there.
There’s a strategy called “potty bootcamp” where you let the kid wander around the house in the buff and do his thing when nature calls. I’m just afraid of what I’m going to do with a naked Elmo.
