My two year old is beginning to show an interest in the potty, his friends are beginning the first stages of potty "training" and everyone is scheming.

With my first son, I spent days thinking of ways to get him to use the potty, m&m bribes, sticker charts, pee targets, I even ironed guitar pictures (weird obsession, but yes, he loves music) on his tiny tighty-whiteys...until I asked my Doctor, who said this simple magic word that I now pass along to you: Stop.

He said that boys rarely potty train on average until they are three years and three months and girls, somewhere around three years. His tips for training? 'He'll let you know when he's ready'. Period, that's it.

So, I backed off, encouraged my son to use the bathroom when he felt like it and rewarded and cheered when need be, but basically, let him decide, and the minute I did, you'll never believe it...he was potty trained. Crazy right?

So, with my second, I am taking the words to heart and letting him lead the way. Why, just yesterday he jumped out of our pool (thank God not someone else's pool...you'll see why)-- said he had to go pee and ran over to the edge to pee on the grass-- all the while with his parents and some friends cheering his way...and he stood there and pooped right on our patio...guess we're not there yet.

For those of you who are a bit closer to being "there", and need that little bit of edge, here are some products that are fun and useful none-the- less.

Piddlers "pee targets" are hysterically funny- you throw a fish in the potty and have the kid 'aim' for it- - can be a crazy mess, but they think it's funny anyway.

A very cute book about a bunch of jungle animals trying to use a training potty-- very clever and not at all preachy or cutsie. The boys love it and love to yell that whichever animal is trying to use it doesn't fit!

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