Potty Training and the Morning Commute

Oh me oh my.

Two weeks ago O decided it was time to go on the potty. I was excited. We hadn’t been poking, prodding, or cajoling him. (I learned long ago this wonderful human being is about as stubborn as his mom, and as long as you give him his space, he’ll make up his mind all on his own thankyouverymuch.) One day he went in a diaper, I asked him where Mommy and Daddy went to the b-room, he said “the potty.” I asked him if he wanted to try going on the potty, he said yes, and here we are.

Two weeks later peeing in the potty is mastered, #2–not so much. We’ll get there, though. I’m not worried.

What I might be slightly worried about is what potty training has done to our morning commute. I purposely picked a daycare that is closer to my work than home. (He’s already one of the last kids there as it is, and the daycare is approximately 5 minutes from my work. All the other moms must work next door or get off work at 4 or something.) Anyway, we have about a 20-25 minute commute downtown

Today we stopped TWICE to go to the bathroom on the way to work. Partially my fault, because I didn’t ask him if he had to go before we left. And I think the second stop might have been a manipulation to get more Hostess muffins.

But hey, he went both times. And I’d much rather stop and be late to work than not stop and be late due to cleaning up my car. Bonus: I get to tour all the lovely gas station and grocery store bathrooms on the way to our work/daycare. Heck! I could start a little side business: A site that lists all the bathrooms off of I-71 in order of cleanliness….

My first post would be a warning to watch out for the Speedway off the Ridge Exit. It’s a little icky.

7 thoughts on “Potty Training and the Morning Commute

  1. Maybe this wouldn't work with a boy, but while potty training we always kept an unfolded diaper on the seat of the carseat. Just in case there's an accident, it won't be QUITE as messy. This was a suggestion from the director of our daycare center.
    Also, my mom always talks about how I had to visit EVERY bathroom everywhere we went when I was that age. Maybe O is just curious like that, wants to see the various decor!

  2. Your site could also list the bathrooms that are kid friendly. When M was potty training, she had to go while we were in the car, and I pulled off to a gas station. Here I was, carrying a 2-year-old, begging the guy behind the counter to let her use his restroom. I even offered to buy something. His answer? Nope! We also got that treatment at the Starbucks downtown. The dork behind the counter just kept repeating "we don't have a public bathroom." OK, I can see where you don't want all the homeless people coming in and using your facilities (the building where I worked a few jobs ago had somebody die of an overdose in their public bathroom), but this is a TWO YEAR OLD!!! And I was going to buy a mocha.

    Grrrr. I'm not one of those parents who thinks everybody needs to cater to her kids, but give a lady a break!

  3. Going out in public places while potty-training can make you paranoid. My kids are very much potty-trained, but we still have a lot of close calls.

    My 6-year old son had to go the bathroom while we were driving in the car the other day. We were so close to our house, but he said he wouldn't make it. So I pulled into a small, independent-owned gas station, that we happen to go to pretty often. I ran inside and asked if he could use the restroom. The jacka&& said they didn't have a public restroom. So we went outside and let my son urinate near the dumpster, but in good enough view for the cashier to see. I was pissed and haven't been back there since.

    Then there was the time we were at a dog park that didn't have a restroom. My 3-year old daughter had to go, so I let her pop-a-swat near a tree. She ended up taking a huge dump! So I bagged it up like a responsible "owner." Awesome, huh?

  4. Get a Potette and stuff target bags under a seat in the car. It's come in handy many times. It's not the greatest, but it keeps us out of icky gas station bathrooms.

  5. Dem–Good idea about the diapers! I think curiousity is definitely a a player in all this, too. On the way home he told me "When we stop somewhere, I will have to pee." I told him the first place we were gonna stop was home! (We were only about five minutes away.)

    Sara–Good idea. I can't believe people would deny a 2-year-old, but I was slightly afraid that would be the case. I always buy something if we use it, but I don't think I should HAVE to. I do anyway.

    Cara, cleaning up her poop? HILARIOUS. And I LOVE that you let your son pee where the guy could see him. You are ballz to the wallz!

    Lisa–Potette? Didn't even know such a thing existed! Thanks for the tip.

  6. drewlachlan says:

    Parenting is hard work and the complication of toilet training just adds to the stress but you're doing a great job.

    1. Why don't you try tracking his bowel movements then you'd have an idea of when he goes

    2. Make sure and feed him lots of good food to keep his poo's soft. (Easy on things like to much chocolate or to much apples as they are binders and dry up the poo)

    3 Talk to him about pooing in the toiled as he might be afraid as some kids feel like something is falling from them and they don't like that.

    4. Tell him dirty diaper end up in the landfill and animals live there and human poo is not good for the animals

    Drew Lachlan
    Check out my blog for more potty training tips
    http://www.funpottytrainer.com

  7. I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

    Susan

    http://toddlergirls.net

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