A Classic Housewife in a Modern World

Some moms do things by the book.

I am not one of those moms.

You may or may not recall that we started potty training some many weeks ago? Yeah -it wasn’t going so well.

We put off potty training while we were at my mom’s house since we were going to be running around a lot. Then when we got back – Little Prince just woke up one morning and started telling me he needed to go. Yay! We went straight to undies and he had successes all day long! For a week! DOUBLE YAY! Until…

A couple of Saturdays ago Little Prince woke up really early. Right off the bat he said he needed to go. With one eye open I stumbled with him to the bathroom, sat him on the potty and sat on the edge of the tub, knee to knee with him. Yawning, I waited for him to go.

And then he did.

And then he got excited – and said “I’m peeing!” and raised up a little bit. Just enough to pee through the seat and the toilet and right onto my leg.

Not a good way to wake up. I did not have my best mommy moment as I hollered “hey!” and in my best mommy judgement that early in the morning I scooted him back quickly so he’d aim into the potty. Apparently, I did that too quickly and he thought he was going to fall in.

So he stood up on the step.

While he was peeing.

On me.

OH YES. ON ME. (Side note – I don’t like messy things on me. I don’t like sticky, gooey, wet, squishy, slimey, whatever – I don’t handle it well.)

So of course in my good mommy judgement *ahem*, I spun him around toward the potty. I mean, what else could I do? He was still peeing! In doing that, he (and I) spun pee on me, the tub, the shower curtain, the floor – YOU NAME IT. THERE WAS PEE EVERYWHERE!

By this point my Poor Little Prince was crying and very upset. I was.. well I was just upset. I remember giving him a lecture about how you can pee while standing up but you cannot stand up while peeing!

It goes without saying that TRAUMATIZING your child is NOT the best way to encourage the desired behavior. *Ahem* As a result, Little Prince went on a potty strike.

For two days.

He would not sit on the potty, no way, no how, no thank you ma’am. Even with the Dora potty ring that my best friend gave us. It. was. not. going. to. happen.

About two days later- there we were standing in the bathroom – me trying to encourage him and convince him I was not going to let him fall in, him standing with his legs crossed and literally trying to hold it in so he didn’t have to go. I knew he had to. This was our chance.

Finally I did what any normal mother would do.

I stood him in the bathtub. And had him pee down the drain. You can’t fall down the drain.

Not exactly textbook, but it worked. Amen and hallelujah it worked! Except… now he wants to stand in the tub to pee. Which is probably why you won’t find The Tub Method listed in any potty training book anywhere.

But hey – look on the bright side! He’s standing up!

It shouldn’t be too hard to transition from standing in the tub to standing at the toilet. Right?

Right?!?