Down the toilet we go

As I have mentioned in earlier blogs, we are deep in the throws of a potty training struggle.  Unfortunately, I am as much to blame for our troubles as my defiant son.  I am inconsistent, which is the downfall of the potty training parent.  

Last week, I made up my mind that this would all change.  I have had it with buying expensive packs of diapers and wrestling Eli to get them on and off.  I sat down and made him a potty chart that we would put star stickers on when we had a toilet triumph.  I knew better than to make the chart a daily one so I put weeks up there.  How many times in a week could Eli use the toilet?  For 6 days of the first week, no star found it's way to the poster.  But then yesterday, after 15 minutes on the little toilet, Eli had a success.  We took the pot to the toilet and dumped the pee in.  I let him flush the toilet.  Generally, as an afterthought, when the toilet is flushing down, Eli likes to tear off a piece of toilet paper and throw it in the pot.  I haven't really explained to him that we, as adults, use that paper for cleaning before we throw it in.  I just let him feel like he is a big boy.  Then yesterday, as I was rinsing his little potty pot, I heard a big PLUNK.  I turned around to see the entire roll of toilet paper sinking in the toilet, which was still whisking around the pee.  I had to pull the roll out and sternly tell Eli that was an unfortunate decision he made, resulting in money loss and inconvenience for the rest of the family that depends on that toilet paper daily.  He agreed with me on the error of his ways and we went on with our day.

Last night the poster gained another star and no other objects found themselves floating in the toilet.  

This morning we had another success.  This time while the toilet was flushing I heard a CRACK.  Inside the toilet was a shattered tea light holder with accompanying candle.  I had to fish out broken shards of ceramic with my bare hands.  I think most of the pee had already left the toilet but it was still a quite unpleasant experience.  This time I had to explain to Eli that not only was he being disrespectful in breaking our bathroom decorations, he was also causing me to soil my hands with non-potable toilet water and this was all together unacceptable.  I'm not sure he agreed with me on this point, he might have thought the water potable because the kitty is often seen (or heard) drinking from this very toilet.  

In future flushes, I might need to be on better guard, or I might see my purse go into the pissy flush.  

I include for you the evidence of earlier disasters.