potty trainingThe potty-training journey sometimes feels lonely -- the friends who crowded around to cuddle your newborn aren't volunteering to clean up accidents on the bathroom floor.

So The Stir is making it easier with a little help from a potty-training mom Jane (not her real name), who's working up 3-year-old son Sam (not his either) for the days when he'll be diaper-free.

We last heard what the first week was like, but what's it like one month later?

After just a month or so, Sam is sticking to wearing undies all the time at home. He has become an expert pee-er and really the only reason I follow him into the bathroom is to keep his little sister from annoying him while he goes.

Unfortunately for her she has gotten peed on once or twice when I wasn’t quick enough to head her off while he was going.

I have just about completely dropped the issue of pooping. I know he understands he has to do it sooner or later, and generally things take off for him when he feels comfortable. I told him to let me know when he wants his prize backhoe digger (it is waiting where he will never find it, ready for him when he goes poop) and have mostly let it drop.

Generally when I change a poopy diaper for him, I mumble something like, “Hmm, too bad no backhoe today.” So I know that is getting through to him.

Also he has been asking to see it in the diaper (gross I know, but really YOU don’t look in the toilet after you go?) and he is beginning to be grossed out by the poop on his butt. So I have explained that when you poop in the toilet it is easier to clean up and not so messy on the heiny.

I took both the kids for a short road trip recently and on the way there Sam begged for me to stop so he could pee. So thankfully I had planned ahead and had an empty coffee can in the car.

I pulled into a gas station and just stood him in the back of the van and had him pee in it. It's just way too difficult when I'm by myself to bring him and his little sister into an unknown and possibly disgusting bathroom at this point.

When we are out as a family with daddy, Sam wears undies and has done great peeing at a few different stores. He really can hold it in until he reaches the potty, although he does have a bit of a hard time going if he doesn’t really ”have to."

Like before we leave for a store, I'll ask him to try to go, but he almost never can, although he tries. I guess that will come in time.

I rarely even remind him or ask him if he has to go anymore; he's pretty much in control of it all.

Do your kids ask to see their "handiwork"?


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