9.13.2011

Ten Things…

…We Have Learned From Potty Training

Eddie has been officially potty trained for a few months now. All those jerks who bragged about how their kid just magically got it one day? Turns out they were right. Of course, the dirty little secret is that it doesn't really end when you stop buying diapers. Here are some "nuggets" of wisdom that Kristen and I have picked up along the way

10. The time it takes to potty train is akin to dog years. It "only" took two months, but it felt about seven times longer than that.

9. The theory that positive reinforcement outweighs negative is bogus. We bought a lot of toy cars for Eddie before threatening to put him in the shower. He magically stopped pooping in his pants after that.

8. Just getting your pants down (and back up again) is half the battle.

7. The greatest perk for boys: getting to pee in the bushes.

6. Instead of taking the potty seat off the toilet every time I need to go to the bathroom, I've decided to work on honing my aim.

5. We get to see the inside of more gas station bathrooms than I ever cared to.

4. It's pretty much always an emergency when Eddie finally admits he needs to go.

3. New house rules must be established sometimes. For example: (1) Underwear is a requirement for sitting on the furniture. (2) Pants are a requirement if you want to hold your sister.

2. It's been a rough transition from reminding Eddie to go potty every 15 minutes to convincing him that he shouldn't tell the entire restaurant when he needs to go. Or tell the entire swimming pool that he just went.

1. It's all worth it when Eddie struts out of a public bathroom with his shirt partially tucked into his shorts, proudly carrying his portable potty seat.

2 comments:

Krissy said...

Potty training was two of the worst months of my life. I really hope that it's easier with Violet.

Mark and Shauna said...

AAAHHH! Jackson is still not potty trained and the few attempts we have tried have been a nightmare. He turns 3 in December... it's my goal date. Potty training is a NIGHTMARE! Glad to know it's not just my kid!:-O