Maybe YOU should be the Stay-at-home-DAD!

The other day Mara asked for a “special treat” (an M&M) which are solely reserved for after she has gone potty if her underwear is dry!

She knows the policy.

When I reminded her, she ran to the stairs, and faster than ever, Mara was on the potty. Before we knew it, she was back downstairs in the dining room asking again for her special treat.

Daniel and I happened to look over at Micah. He had watched the whole interaction with great interest and was now pulling furiously on his diaper.

Completely seriously, Daniel said, “Maybe he needs to go potty too. Take him!”

I was incredulous!

“You can’t be serious! He’s not even 17 months old. Mara was several months older when she started potty training. Besides he’s a boy, and boys take longer to learn than girls do, and good grief! he can’t even feed himself out of a spoon without flinging food around the dining room! Do you really want to have to teach him about aim already? . . . ”

But Micah’s insistent pulling on his diaper won Daddy over. “At least, let him try.” Then Daniel switched his approach: “Wouldn’t it be nice to get him potty-trained before the baby comes?!”

“Oh, yes. So you take him,” I said. “I know nothing about training boys!” Naturally, I ended up taking him. I took off his diaper (which was wet) and set him on the potty.

Unlike Mara at this age, he was not at all afraid to sit there on the “big potty.” In fact, he looked quite pleased with himself. I tried my best to encourage him. But nothing happened. He just sat there. And seemed completely at peace with the whole scenario.

Then, after several seconds of sitting quietly, he reached for the toilet paper. And I realized what was happening.

He was getting himself a “special treat,” just like he had seen his big sister do, probably hundreds of times!

He hopped right off the potty, I put a clean diaper on him, and when we went back downstairs, he did exactly what I expected him to do: headed straight for the jar of Special Treats!

I gave him one anyway.

After all the trouble he went to and how perfectly he understood the routine, it seemed like he should get some sort of reward!

“He’s not ready yet,” I said to Daniel. “He wants Special Treats. Maybe you should be the stay-at-home-dad!”