Potty Training Awareness Month

Every parent can tell you potty training stories and offer their personal, tried-and-true potty training success methodology. I've watched parents work themselves into a frenzy while trying to potty train their kids. I've always felt that pressuring kids over potty training is how this country turned into a whole heap of uptight right wingers. Can you imagine Barbara Bush saying "Georgie, how many times have I said it...no pooping on the floor! Mommy won't let you be president if you keep pooping on the floor."

For us, we never put much creedence in expert potty training opinion. We figured that sooner or later our son would tire of crapping his pants and the problem would be solved. We were right.

But for readers who need potty training tips, here are a few from the staff at CTCN:

• Demonstrate how to use a toilet. Let the kid watch. Make faces and sounds. Entertain the child and they'll think going potty is like going to the circus. Weeeeeee!
• Make your child comfortable with going potty. Sit them on the big potty and tell them to hold on for dear life. Flush the handle two or three times and let them feel the cool breeze. Let them know it's time to feed the potty monster and if they don't want to become a potty monster snack, they better feed him and get off.
• Tell your child the potty monster gets hungry at night and if they don't feed him, he'll be waiting for them in the hallway. Be emphatic. Tell them the potty monster doesn't eat dirty diapers and gets very upset if his meal is in a diaper.
• Begin potty monster stories as soon as your child can understand what you're saying. Act it out. Stand in the toilet and pretend the potty monster's eating you. If the child begins crying, tell them to knock it off or they're next.

That about does it. Feel free to share your potty training tips with other CTCN readers, and remember, don't be nasty, because you never know when Alberto Gonzalez might log your comments.