Mr. Independent

Note: While some of you might view this post as simply "too much information" I know others will get a kick out of the story. So, consider yourself warned. And Max as you're older, I hope you appreciate this story too and aren't embarrassed that I posted it to the blog world.

As most of you know, I teach at the gym. Which means, that a couple times a week Max gets to play in the kids club while I teach my classes. Halfway through a class last week, one of the employees from the kids club came up to class and said:

Employee: "Max has made a mess, and I just need permission to help clean him up, or you are welcome to go down there yourself."

Sara (between sentence of lunges and bicep curls to class): "Sure, do what you need to, just let me know if you need me to come down later."

Yet, through the rest of the class, I kept thinking to myself, "what mess did he get into? That room is pretty dang kid-proof. Maybe they brought out paint or something new for entertainment." Class ended, and I headed down to pick him up. Max was super happy and ran to get his shoes, and he looked totally clean. Here's the conversation I had as I was signing him out:

Employee (lowering voice slightly): "Does Max know how to wipe himself?"

Sara: "You mean, in the bathroom? Well, no, we haven't done any potty training with him*, aside from the pull-ups that he's wearing this week because I wanted to see if he could pull up his pants or not."

*(technically some training had been done: reading a Sesame Street book about the potty, showing him what big boy pants looked like, and talking about what a potty is. But, as for a mini-toilet, video's, actually practicing or doing any of the real potty stuff, no, that had not yet happened...)

Employee: "Well, he used the potty today, and needs help with the wiping. That's why we needed your permission."

Sara: "Oh. I wondered what mess you were referring to. (Long pause as Sara starts to process what she just said) Are you sure you're talking about Max?"

Employee: "Yep."

Sara: "You're telling me that he just went into the bathroom on his own, pulled down his own pants and used the toilet?"

Employee: "Yep."

Sara (now with a look of shock): "You're serious?"

Employee: "Yep."

Sara: "Sorry for the mess he made - we really haven't done any training with him yet, but I guess he's decided he's ready."

Employee: "Yeah. He must have just been watching that the older kids go in (the bathroom), and figured that he's supposed to do it too. We just figured that you'd been teaching him, so he knew what he was supposed to do."

Sara: "Well, I guess we'll potty train him. Thanks."

Leave gym. Enter car. I turn to Max.

Sara: "Max, did you use the potty today at the gym?"

Max: "Yeah."

Sara: "So, you're ready to use the big potty now?"

Max: "Carwash!" (I know, not the typical response. But, he's two - and we were driving, and he loves carwashes, so sometimes conversations get put on hold.)

Later that day, as I was trying to change his diaper:

Max (yelling): "No diaper! I want to go in there (and pointed to the bathroom)."

Ok, ok, mr. independent, we'll potty train you. Here's a proud parent picture of Max (yes, he's holding a broom) on day 5 of the training. It's all really clicked and his doing great in his big boy undies.