5 Tips For Brain Damage Free Potty Training! Plus, wait 'til you see this...

Now that the man-child is two, and giving me cues... it's time for his number twos to go in the loo. Besides, I am so tired of dealing with crap! Literally. Now that my son is a big boy, it's time he acted like one. But before we started the daunting task of teaching our son to crap in the potty, FTD and I secured all of the necessary gear and tips to make this transition smoother.

No, we did not get this...
However, thanks to a tip from a been-there-done-that bestie of mine...we did find this little potty training gem at our local hardware store!

What is it you ask? Good news, FTD and I made a video to explain it!

Well... When I say, "FTD and I," I really mean, I tried to make this video educational, FTD... well... I am not sure, but you will get the idea of what I was getting at...

              

Very cool, right?  Beats the hell out of those little plastic potties you put on the floor. We bought one Ollie will only stand on. To which I realized I am thankful for. I have no desire to clean the crap out of his diaper, so why would I want to do it out of a plastic bowl for God knows how long? Seriously, what's the point of teaching my son to dame a dump in a plastic bowl on the ground, only to have to then teach him to do it in a porcelain one later? Screw that. I am all about one and done!

In addition to the Miracle Maker seat, we also got super thick potty training big boy pants, about 400 disinfecting wipes and two cans of carpet cleaning spray. I also did the research for tips. I hit up the usual suspects from the internet, to books, to our pediatrician, to been-there-done-that parents... All agree on these five tips... then they go in wild directions and start scaring me with tips and theories...

1. Wait for the cues, before forcing the poos. This seems to be the most important tip since EVERYONE agrees on it. Don't push your kid into potty training.  Nothing is going to happen until they are ready.  (Ollie is telling me he has to 'poo poo' then we run, and try... more about that later... As in later this week, I need more time with this for a proper post...)
2. BRIBE IT OUT! That's right, finally the experts are saying we CAN bribe our kids! Use something like tiny M&Ms before and after. Think bribe then treat.
3. Do the potty dance! Make it seem like your child just figured out the answer to ending global warming! Dance, cheer, clap, go crazy with excitement...
4. Out on the town, don't pass up the porcelain crown- At home offer up the potty regularly, and when out of the house, don't pass a public restroom without offering up it's services.
5. Patience is a potty training virtue. Eventually the diapers will come off... Don't get discouraged, or your child will be too.

 I'm so ready to do this!

I only need one more thing before we start... your tips! If you have the answer to brain damage free potty training, SPILL IT!!!

April is an award-winning writer and blogger. Her work has been published in over ten countries and four languages. From books to newspapers, to print/online magazines and everything in between, you can find her work. For more on April, Visit AprilMcCormick.com