Adventures In Potty Training Part 4 - Potty Training On The Go

I have been chronicling our Adventures In Potty Training and we have been making great progress. Accidents during the day are rare and he’s even learning to do #2 in the potty! I am so thrilled and proud. Since this potty training gig has totally consumed my life I feel it is all that I do all day. I told my husband just today that I feel so fulfilled in life. My sarcastic humor flew right over his head. He just wants it to be over so he doesn’t have to listen to all the potty conversation. I just want it to be over so I can get some of my life back and move on in conversations.

Well, I have another tidbit of information you might find helpful if your potty training days are coming. I don’t want to be housebound till my son starts school so I have been trying to come up with ways to bring the potty training bandwagon on the road when we go out. Though I do put on a pull up over his underwear to protect the car seat, I don’t want him thinking that it’s OK to go in his pants when we are away from home.

I looked into buying a specific potty chair just for traveling, but hated to spend the extra money on one especially if he ended up not liking it. I figured since he felt comfortable using the one at home it would be best to bring that one along. So I put his chair in a garbage bag. I spread the bag out with the open end near the front, just in case he misses so it will go straight into the garbage bag instead of on the van floor. I also packed a bag with paper towels, disinfectant wipes (I use this kind, which are the best I think – Basic-G Wipes) and plastic bags. I use a butter tub with lid to pour the pee and poop in till we can get home and I pray for patience.

Since our previous episode of going on the potty in the van turned out to be a disaster I was apprehensive at this next upcoming outing. We had story time at the library and I thought this would be a perfect set up. If he ended up having to go in the middle of it, it would be no big deal to run out to the van.

When we first got there I tried seeing if he needed to go and he very firmly said no. I took him in with me to the bathroom at the library and asked if he had to go. I figured I could hold him up over the seat. Nothing doing. He wasn’t interested. After he touched literally everything in the restroom, we washed our hands and went to story time. About 15 minutes in he announces that he has to go pee-pee. So I grab my bag, sign to the teacher we have to go and my son is yelling, "Bye, bye, pee-pee!" very loudly as we run through the library and out the door. I bet people just dread seeing us coming.

Remembering our last time trying it in the van and ending up having the whole world see what we were doing even though we were parked remotely, I decided I would l climb in the back of the van with my son and gently close the door till it barely latched. I opened up his potty, took his pants off and plopped him down. After a minute of a few tears and complaining, some on his part, some on mine, I managed to get him to go. He was quite proud of himself and so was I. After a few moments of praise and high fives I went to open the back door of the van and realized there is no latch on the inside! Oh no!

We have a bench seat behind the front seat where he rides in his car seat. This bench seat takes up almost the full width of the van. Great. Do I try to flag down some other person to open the door from the outside risking ridicule and embarrassment or try and find a way up to the side door? Who designs doors that can’t be opened from the inside?! I know it may be a safety thing, but come on, you can lock the doors from the inside with a flick of a switch, so it’s not like they can get out of their seats, climb in the back, open the back door and fall out before you can flick the lock on your door. OK, maybe some kids and some parents might have that happen, but very unlikely. I was so upset to find out the hard way that mine has no inside latch.

Climbing over the seat isn’t an option with the high car seat in the middle and the head rests on the ends. So I clamber over all the crap we have behind the backseat and try and squeeze between the seat and the wall of the van. Cussing at myself for being so fat I manage to barely stretch my arm out to open the side door. Sucking in all that I can to squeeze through such a tight space reminded me of being born myself and has become a motivator to losing weight. I have to lose weight now as I am NOT taking a step backwards in potty training and my son will not go with the back door open. So that means I have to get skinnier so I can make my way back up to go out the side door. Either that or stay home till he’s 5.

We’ve come too far in our training to go back now, so hopefully the next time you hear about our mishaps I’ll at least be a little thinner. If you ever hear on the news though about a woman needing the jaws of life to free her from being wedged between the seat and van and they also found a toddler dancing in the back with pee in a potty chair you’ll know it was me and that my weight loss plans had failed. Just please send prayers.

I'm not sure if there will be a Part 5 or not. Guess that depends on if I ever get my life back.
(Note - Here it is! Adventures in Potty Training Part 5)