So we started potty training my son earlier this week.  Day 5 in and I am pretty confident that we have a fairly well trained toddler.  It makes me wonder why I ever feared potty training.  I know the biggest drawback of potty training back in SF is that our house has wall to wall carpet (weird, I know).  So I waited to potty train him here in VA at my parents’ house since we are here for 3 weeks and have their hardwood floors.  There are accidents, and the first two days there were a lot.  But now the accidents are mostly because my son forgets to point his penis down.  Poop was also a big barrier, and it almost made me want to can the training on Day 2.  But we got over it, and now he’s back to pooping twice a day in the pot.  We’ve also adventured outside and he’s used the public restroom a few times (which is HUGE since I hate hate hate public restrooms).  He’s also good about nap time and night time, so no diapers there.

I guess the biggest take away from this is that you should never under estimate the intelligence of your young tot.  I honestly didn’t think he would get it, that he wouldn’t be able to pull down his pants and all that jazz.  But on Day 3 we hit a turning point, and he just gets it.  He will stop whatever he is doing and announce he has to pee and races to his potty.  When I gave him underwear for the first time yesterday he looked at it and said, “No mommy.  No diaper.”  He’s a smarty!

I should have potty trained him earlier, before the baby cause it would have been a lot easier.  But at least I have the support of my family here to keep an eye out for him to make sure he’s successful at using the potty.  But honestly a lot of it has to do with the fact that my son is a lot smarter than I thought, and that is why this experience hasn’t been as terrible as I thought it would be.  Thank goodness!

Also, if you are wondering if there were any books or pieces of advice to share… just download the e-book Oh Crap. Potty Training.  There’s a lot of fluff, but when you get to the heart of the training it was really helpful and worked well for us.  And I see how proud my son is now that he is a big boy!