Potty-a-Go-Go

It seems I've nicknamed my kids all too well.  This is what our living room looks like today:

St. George and the Dragon - by Paolo Uccello c. 1470

I'm the chick on the left, but instead of letting out cries of  "Save me, George!" it's more like "If you two do not stop wrestling I will turn the Wild Kratts OFF!"  But I digress.

It's been a few weeks and I thought I'd put out an update on the epic battle that I have dubbed "Potty Training a Dragon (Is Not For the Faint of Heart)."  In a previous post, I broke the process down into phases, and I'm happy to announce that we've moved up a phase!  Dragon is now attending pre-school in underoos! (and his elastic-waist pants collection is getting quite a bit of wear)  I ascribe it to the amazing efforts of his teachers.  It's one thing to chase my own kid around at home and ask him if he has to go potty every 20 minutes.  It's another thing entirely to keep a 3-year-old dry all day in a class of 15, several of whom are also in various phases of potty training.

We are now solidly in Phase III.  If you haven't read my previous posts, this means that Dragon is mainly in underoos, only switching to a diaper at night or for long (4+ hour) trips away from home.  It's seriously so cool!  I'm down to using 1-2 diapers a day, and WOW does that make a box last!  I can finally see a light at the end of the diaper-buying tunnel. *cue dramatic & inspiring music*

My main goal over the next few weeks is getting him to use a public toilet.  Doesn't have to be seriously public, just one that is not at our house or his school.  I remember that Knight went through something similar, but I don't remember doing anything specific to encourage public pottying.  He just "got over it" after a few weeks.  However, if any of you have hints on how you got your kid over this little potty phobia, please let me know in the comments! (Or drop me an email! Whichever works for you!)

My secondary goal is teaching Dragon to pee standing up.  I'm not sure how common this is, but I found it easier (with both boys) to teach them sitting down, and then later incorporate standing up.  Knight did well with using Cheerios to learn "aim", but Dragon gets mad that I'm using his precious cereal and will try to fish them out.  Seriously, you should have seen my *brilliant* idea to use goldfish crackers one day.  NUCLEAR MELTDOWN.  I quickly flushed it, got him a big bowl of them and a cup of milk, and we all took a time-out.

So that's our current status.  If you're another mom going through potty-training right now, or even if your little one isn't yet ready to start, remember that potty training is a PROCESS that can take days, weeks, or even (as in my case) months.  There will be setbacks and frustration as you figure out what works best for your little one.  If you're that ONE MOM whose kid just woke up one day perfectly potty-trained, congrats.  Pat yourself on the back and go get a congratulatory cup of coffee.  The rest of us will be cleaning up walls, floors, and toilet seats.  We'll be making those memories that will come in handy when making small talk with his first girlfriend.

Have any hints, creative ideas, or fun stories to share?  Leave them in the comments, or email me at amagicalmom@gmail.com!