Potty Training: Who Knew Poopies Had Feelings

So in putting my little-toddler-girl on the potty (yes, the big porcelain one, a.k.a. her "princess" throne) she jumps off, squirming her body to that not-so-innocent plastic port-a-potty. The problem?  It does NOT flush. I had ONLY been using that one as a stool so she could reach the sink to do the ever-most-important-task of washing her hands. 

“What are you doing?” I ask. “Get back on the big potty.”

“NO! I want to use THIS potty to do my poopie!”

“But what about your BEAUTIFUL princess throne over here?” I ask, nodding my head up and down as to subliminally persuade. 

“No, I want this potty!” she says pointing to the tiny plastic bowl and in an instant she maneuvered herself into a dangerous firing position.

Apparently little-toddler-girl made dibs on all the other various and unthinkable places in the house she could do the deed, so why use the cold hard porcelain one. I suppose I should be thankful that 2YO is wanting to poop in the potty in the first place, even if in the nonflushable one; but, all I can do is remember what happened the last time she used that wretched plastic-potty-wannabe. Did I mention that this is occurring during, yes, you guessed it, naptime! (What’s up with potty calls during naptime--it's a conspiracy, I tell you).

So, what’s a mother to do? Mind you that there’s not a lot of time to think here as any second, something is going to shoot out. I can hear the little poopie squealing at me in a high pitch squeaky voice like a clown shooting out of a cannon ball, "Ready or Not, here I cooooooome!"  

So I say the first thing that comes out of my mouth: “Wait! Don’t do your poopie in there because the poopie will be lonely! You can’t flush him in that fake potty and he wont be able to join all his other friends in pottyland.” It was one of those moments where as you’re speaking you’re hearing yourself and thinking, what the heck am I talking about! Poopies being lonely! What am I teaching my 2YO? 

Well, it sounded like a good idea at the time but as you may already know, 2YO’s aren’t always concerned about the feelings of others, let alone the supposed feelings of their poopies. A stubborn and committed little girl sat there determined and unmoving. So, a mother’s got to do what a mother’s got to do. I lifted her up off that little plastic bucket, put her on the toilet, and threw that plastic potty in the laundry room, way out of commission, once and for all--and just in the nick of time I might add. That’s what I call Mommy intervention. Don’t ask me why, but it worked. Ok, I also reminded her that she would be getting a potty treat for doing it on the big potty. But the point is, it worked.

Sometimes the simple solutions work the most effectively; if only those were the first ideas that come to mind, I’d have a much easier life, though perhaps not as entertaining. 


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Posted by Laura