Potties are really gross. Not only are they visually unappealing, but they're smelly too. What's worse than a potty is a kid potty next to a real toilet. These things are just terrifically gross and no amount of cleaning really can account for the fact that it's regularly pooped and peed in (if you are a lucky parent). I tried, I really tried, to get Joshua to pee directly into the big potty. But there was always something wrong with the scenario. It's too high off the ground, the seat is too hard, the flush is too loud. So instead of peeing on the big potty, it's into that gross little thing that doubles as a stool for tooth-brushing time.
Here's why it's gross. I clean it out every time with disinfectant, or wipes or soapy water. But how well can you clean out a foamy insert seat? I'd love to get rid of the foamy seat but then it would just be too uncomfortable... like the big potty. So I pander to the little man and give him his stinky foam seat that can never really get clean. Now lately we've only had #1's, which is actually the bad news, but I'm just not looking forward to the #2's- cleaning that out of a potty is just plain wrong. Again, why can't all this go into the big toilet?
In my efforts to persuade Josh to use the big toilet, we bought him a big potty padded toilet seat. Same problem with foamy seat, but at least everything would go where it needed to go. No questions asked. Only it didn't work so well and Josh ended up back on the mainstay potty on the floor... next to the big potty.
You know what really grosses me out? Used potty seats. Now I admit that our current one was used by Liam before Josh. But let me tell you, no matter how much anyone begs for it, this potty seat is only leaving the house in a garbage bag. We're not passing it down to anyone and I certainly won't try to pawn it off on anyone for $3 at a garage sale. No joke, I went to a local garage sale with at least a hundred local consignors ... and I saw rows of potty seats. It was the third day of the garage sale. There were no strollers left, no more bikes or trikes or even toddler beds. The clothes were picked through. Just rows of potties and some old Leap-pad accessories. Two things you just can't even give away and here people were; trying to sell them!?!
A few days ago I just about gave up. First of all, Josh has really not been wanting to use the potty at all (probably because I'm C-R-A-Z-Y and he feels a little *pressured*). Second, I'm just really sick of choking on the disinfectant spray. So I asked Josh if he wanted to try standing and peeing. He thought it might be a good idea. First he watched Liam and then he gave it a try. Let me tell you, it was exciting to hear that tinkle. Possibly more for me than it was for him, although he did seem genuinely enthusiastic. To think, I could go back to putting in efforts cleaning our actual toilet more often rather than this plastic thing. And we could start using the potty again for it's better purpose... as a stool!
I realize that we have a long way to go, and that's okay. I understand that peeing is really only half of the battle, and perhaps the easiest half. I also realize that calling potty training a "battle" is probably why it isn't going so great. But at this point, it's a small victory and I'm eager to celebrate. Standing up has just reminded me that I may need to clean out that potty a little less often... but now I'll probably have to start mopping the floor next to the potty a bit more often.
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