Learning to Potty Outside

One of the "benefits" of being a boy is that it is easy to pee outside. (So I've been told.) North is learning how to do so.

First Experience:  About 1 1/2 weeks ago North, April, and I Joined Abby and her class at Refuge Cove (one of the beaches here) for Beach Day. This is one of the nicer beaches, but the bathroom is an outhouse. April had to go, so we went into it, and I carefully covered everything she would touch with toilet paper. When she was done North said, "I got go."

I knew immediately that I did not want him using the outhouse as it was too tall for him to stand at, which meant that he would have to take off his shoes, pants, and underwear. (He does not just pull them down to sit, he takes them completely off) This was NOT an option in my mind with how gross it was. So I took him outside and told him at the beach, boys can go potty outside.

I was ready for him to argue with me because we had tried it before. Cody was working on the boat and North was helping him down at the road at our house. North had to go, but insisted that he go inside on the toilet. This time he just looked at my funny, so I said, in an excited voice, "Boys can go outside."

We went over to the bushes, got him ready, and I said, "You get to pee on that rock right there." So he did, and he covered the rock. (it was a small one)

Trial and error:  Unfortunately a few days later, we were at a softball game and North stood a few feet next to me and said with a big grin, "I go potty outside." His shorts were still on and now wet. God thing I had another pair of pants in the car. Unfortunately for him they were fleece pants and it was hot outside. The same thing happened a few days later while playing at home. He can in with a big smile on his face, and wet pants saying, "I go potty outside." We frowned and told him he has to pull his pants down if he is going to go outside.

Success:  Yesterday he was playing outside with his sisters and Autumn came to the window laughing and said, "North just peed outside."  We quickly asked if his pants were now wet, and she laughed harder and said, "No he pulled them down and just peed."  By then I was closer to the window and North was in the process of pulling his pants up.  I gave him a High-5 for getting it right!  He was proud of himself.