Potty Training: Prep

I've been avoiding potty training like the plague.  Honestly, I'm scared of it.  I don't know how to handle it. I don't want to spend days, weeks, months picking up poop and changing wet clothes.  I don't want to have to soak up carpet stains or mop up the floor.  So, it's been on the back burner.  I figured, eventually he'll be potty trained... you know, by the time he's 12.

But lately, he's been much more vocal about when and if he needs a diaper change.  He's been able to tell us immediately after he poops and sometimes before.  He's asked to sit on the toilet... although once he does, he just tries to play with the water.

Many people have told me, "he's ready", but I still felt apprehensive.  I've heard horror stories about children being potty trained too early and then spending the next 2 years cleaning up accidents because they never "got it".  Or worse even, boys potty trained too early and then spend the rest of their lives touching themselves and adjusting themselves in public because they've developed a habit of it.  Yuck.  But the flip side is potty training too late and being turned down at pre-school, or having detachment issues with the diaper.  I don't know if any of this is actually accurate but it still gave me a cause for concern.  So when is the "right" time?  Gosh, if only these kids came with instruction manuals!

Well, I decided it is now the "right time" for Marco.  On Monday, we begin hard core potty training.  And here's why:  First is the fact that he's been vocal about being wet/dry, but most importantly is the fact that I have support.  With my mother-in-law home for one more week, she'll be able to help me reinforce the technique and also be with Jonas while I concentrate on Marco.  Also, we're living in their house, which is tiled or laminate wood throughout... no carpet!  Now is the time.

I read The Potty Boot Camp and it claims that by the end of the first day, your child should be 90% potty trained.  Basically by the end of day 1, they "get it".  That sounds good to me.  I know it's not a miracle worker, and I'm not expecting it to run smoothly, or be easy by any means, but it's worth a try.  It means 2-3 days stuck in the house, cleaning up messes.  Yippee... can't wait.  I went to Target today and armed myself with a few bribes and some special big boy undies!

Leading up to the BIG day (Monday), we'll be doing some prep work.  Every single time I or Mauricio go to the bathroom, we ask Marco to come with us.  Then we explain to him what we're doing... step by step.  (Some of this may be TMI, sorry).  "Here's the toilet, I'm taking down my pants, now I'm doing pee-pee, look!"  Then I stand up, we look in the bowl and I let him flush as we say "bye bye pee-pee".  Then we've been asking him, "Does Mama wear a diaper?"... and he thinks that's funny, "Noooooooooo"... "Marco's not gonna wear a diaper any more either because he's a big boy now".  Hopefully after 3 days of this, he'll be ready and know what's coming.  

I'm nervous.  I'll keep you updated on our daily progress.  This is BIG news!  Pray for me.