Like many first-time mothers, Jenna was uncertain how to go about potty training her son. After talking to friends and relatives and reading some articles on the subject, she was sure her twenty-eight-month-old had sufficient bladder and bowel control to be trained, and since Tod disliked having his diapers changed, he might gladly give them up. She took him to the store so he could help pick out a potty chair, bought a storybook on the subject, and purchased some stickers to use as rewards. Back at home, she promised that he could wear his new “big boy” underpants whenever he wanted to try the potty. Then she waited for Tod to signal interest. When a week went by and he still hadn't shown any interest, she decided it was time for a nudge.

She read him the storybook again, and explained that Tod would soon use the potty just like the main character. It was summertime, so Jenna took off Tod's clothes and suggested he have some fun sprinkling the flowers out back. Then she explained that inside the house, he should go pee-pee in his little potty. After dinner that night he approached her and said, “Pee-pee.” She walked him to the bathroom, helped him undress, and he urinated in the potty. “Way to go!” she exclaimed as she handed him a sticker and helped him don his “big boy” pants. She thought she was home clear — and she was!

Tod did have an occasional nighttime accident and a two-week setback when his baby brother was born, but overall, Tod managed the potty like a trooper. Jenna had a hard time relating to the troubles many of her friends recounted. It seemed to her that if children were physically ready, children basically trained themselves.