Potty Time

So, Simon's learning how to use a potty.  I'm not exactly sure what compelled me to decide to embark on this grand adventure when we have an infant in the house, but we bought Simon an adorable seat that looks like a frog, so he can pee in it.

I actually do kind of know why I decided to push for potty training Simon now, actually.  First, he's almost two-and-a-half.  All the books and websites and advice animals suggest that you wait until your child "is ready" to start training them to use the toilet (or a mini toilet that looks like a frog).  Let me tell you what's challenging: trying to get a 2-year-old to respond intelligently to a question like, "Do you want to use the toilet and not have to wear diapers anymore?"



Simon understands that mommy and daddy potty on the toilet, and that we don't wear diapers.  And I'm sure some part of him wants to be like us.  I'm also sure that some part of him likes being able to run around and pee whenever he wants.  In this regard, it's hard to logically explain the downsides, when the main arguments against diapers are based on societal mores that a toddler can't understand.  Maybe we should emphasize the yuckiness of wearing damp underpants all day?

Second, I had had a conversation with Simon before Cecily was born about trying to use the potty after his baby sister was born.  He agreed, and it'd be nice to get him off diapers.  We use cloth diapers - BumGenius 3.0 One-Sizes - so Simon and Cecily actually share our two dozen diapers or so.  Cecily - pardon my French - is a massive pooper.  She goes through diapers like it's World War II and she was filling diapers for the war effort.  The boys at the front would not be disappointed.

And we have been making progress.  Simon sits on his froggy and will go potty in it, although he doesn't seem to voluntarily choose to do so.  He simply tolerates the idea when we suggest it and march him into the bathroom.  He also is still wearing diapers in between potty times and doesn't really understand the concept of saving up his pee for potty time, although now that I type that out, it's a disgusting thing to think of - saving up all your pee for a rainy day.

For what it's worth, we also made a sticker chart, and he just completed 10 potties this morning, meaning he gets his first present.  We'll see if that motivates him to use the potty more on his own and when he needs to instead of on our schedule.

So what's the next step?  Getting him into real underpants?  Waiting for him to initiate potty time and no longer initiating it ourselves?  Trying to get him to sit on the adult toilet?  Getting him a Sims stepstool so he can do everything an adult can?  How do other people potty train their kids?  More on this story as it develops.