Thank You Transformers!

Potty training is a very large challenge for parents.
When Ruby was 2 I bought the portable potty. Ya know the kind that after a deposit, you dump the goods into the toilet. We spent hours reading books with Ruby's bare butt on that thing. I stressed. She stressed. I cried. She cried. A few times we got lucky and a few drops would go into the potty. I was getting frustrated that she did not fit into my timeline. I read many books and I knew that every child was different.

I started to ask for advice from people. My ob/gyn had told me that when the kid is ready, the kid is ready. My sweet cousin, Denise, has 5 kids. If anyone has tried and true methods that are up-to-date, it would be her. Denise told me that no matter what you do, until the kid is ready, nothing works. Just one day, it will click in their mind, and they will be ready. So two trustworthy people basically told me to chill.

Well when Ruby was 3 years and two months old we went to a park with some friends and their kids. She saw her buddy Julian go pee behind a tree. That did it! The next day she asked to wear big girl underwear, and we have never gone back!

Now it is Zaner's turn. I've laid the groundwork. He watched Ruby pee. He watched me pee. He watched Dad pee. We got him a Cars potty seat. We have done the potty chart with Thomas on it and new trains as the reward. We've had chocolate as the reward. Zane would go potty every once in a while. But back to my previous experience- when he is ready, he is ready.

Sunday, Sweet Lew decided to introduce the children to one of his childhood (ughm, and adult) loves. Transformers. Yup, we let the 3 and 5 year olds watch a PG-13 movie. And I'm not ashamed to admit this because of how the story ends. The kids loved the movie. Ruby was full of questions. They were both glued to the screen and were begging for more.

Yesterday we went to the store. I showed Zane the transformer underwears. He wanted them. He wore them. He has peed in them a few times. But for the most part, my boy was motivated by Transformers! He was ready and we have Bumble Bee and Optimus Prime to thank!