Potty Training....part 7

As you know, getting my three year old to poop on the potty has been an ongoing saga at our house. If you have nothing better to do, you can read about my efforts and our progress, or lack of it here, here, here, here, here and here.

For the past month I've been telling him that I talked to Santa and Santa told me that he was pretty sure he couldn't bring presents to a three year old who still pooped in a diaper. As soon as I said it, I felt bad. Sam looked heartbroken. "But what if I can't? I won't get any presents?" I told him that he had to try his best and he agreed.

In the mean time, I signed Sam up with our Parks and Rec Department to get a phone call from Santa. There was a spot where you could give Santa special instructions as far as a specific thing you wanted him to say. The example was, "Billy, you've been such a good big brother to Katie." Boring. I wrote, "Sam, you know that you have to start going poopy on the potty if you want me to visit your house." Yes, I am a calculated, manipulative and desperate woman.

So, today Sam is in the bathroom. He screams, "Mommy come quick!" It sounds serious so I ran. I found him standing next to the toilet wearing the poopy face. "Mommy, I need a diaper NOW!". I told him if he had to go that bad he needed to sit on the toilette and that it would probably be really easy to go. He refused. I offered a prize. He started negotiating, "What will the prize be? Can I see it while I try?" I ran down to the basement and got out a headlight that I had bought for his stocking. Sam LOVES flashlights and I was hoping that this love and the fact that he was squeezing his cheeks would get him to give it a try. It worked. He put the headlight on and asked for some privacy. Five minutes later there is an elated, "Mommy, I did it, I did poop on the potty, come see!" I ran in, jumping up and down, cheering, dancing...."Do you want to see?" Of course....he stays on the toilette, opens his legs and looks down, shining the headlight into the toilette. Yup, poop in the potty confirmed!

After dinner the phone rang. Guess who it was? SANTA!!!! I kid you not. Talk about perfect timing!

Sam's face lit up and he grinned from ear to ear. "Hi Santa, this is Sam. Guess what, I did poop on the potty! I did it and I got a headlight! Now you can come to my house!"

I almost wet my pants. What must Santa have thought? You know that nobody wanted to call our house and talk to some strange child about pooping on the potty. Imagine being the one who got stuck making the call and getting that greeting! I wish I could have heard the response.