Potty Training Problems

Chapter One

"THOMAS" his mum yelled, "your going to be late for your Aunt."

Tom stumbled around his room, hurriedly packing up clothes for his trip. He'd know that he was going to be going for months, but it felt like it was ages away up until this morning so he kept putting it off. His mum had done most of the packing for him as he'd left it so late, but he couldn't leave without some of his games.

Eventually, he made it downstairs, lugging his heavy suitcase alongside him. As he got downstairs, he was greeted by the warm smile of his aunt, and once he'd placed the suitcase down, a gentle hug.

"Tom, we have to leave now so go and say bye to you mum and we'll head off for our big trip alright?" He nodded, slightly worries about not seeing his mum and dad for so long.

He ran through to his mum, giving her a big hug before she smothered him in kisses. "Tom, be sensible for your auntie while your away. I'm so sorry that we'll be missing your 8th birthday, but we'll make up for it when you get home. I'll tell dad that you said bye when he gets home from work." Before further attacking him with kisses, causing him to giggle uncontrollably.

Tom had never even left the country before, so when his aunt said that he could stay with her family for six months, his mum leapt at the opportunity, only disappointed that she couldn't come herself.

Eventually, after a long car drive to the airport and a lengthy wait at security, they began to board the plane, Tom getting to sit by the window, ready to watch all of the wonders he'd never seen before fly by.

As the plane began to rumble ready for takeoff, Tom began to shake uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face as his hands clutched the arm rests. What if the plane crashes he thought, what if I never get to see my parents again. What if I never get to see all of my friends again. His aunt put her arm around him and instinctively he buried his head into her shoulder as she comforted him. Gently rocking his tiny body while making comforting remarks and stroking his hair. Before long takeoff had been and gone, but even so, he still remained there with his head buried in her shoulder fast asleep, only awaking once they heard the rumble of wheels hitting the tarmac.

As they stood waiting for their luggage, the belt kept spinning round and round, his luggage not appearing. Again he seemed ready to break down, the pressure of flying all slightly too much for him. "It's alright Tom, I'm sure that you will be able to share some of Leos' clothes." He stood there shocked, Leo was her two and a half year old son, did she really think that he would be able to fit in his clothes. Surely they would be super babyish. Not all grown up like what he usually wears.

He stared at the scenery flying past as they drove to his aunts house, beginning to regret coming. It all was starting to seem like a little bit too much.

After a short drive to just outside of the city, they pulled up to a reasonably large house. It didn't look as he expected, it looked old. Old but cosy, a comforting feel to it.

Without needing to faff around with his suitcase, they headed inside, while he took in the place that was to be his home for the next several months. Suddenly, he spotted a pool out of the back. His face lit up with glee and he excitedly skipped through while his aunt watched happy, a warm smile on her face.

Slowly they walked around the entire house, showing him everything from the garage to his cousins bedroom. Before long, she sat him down. "So Tom, as your such a big boy, I was wondering whether you could help me a bit while your staying with us?"

Tom gleamed with the prospect of getting some extra responsibility. "What is it?"

"Well, Mike and I have been trying to get Leo potty trained for the last few months, but every time he gets close, he keeps reverting back to old habits. So we've had to go back to nappies again."

"Ok, so do you think me being here will help him get potty trained? Like if he watches a big boy go to toilet and stuff like that?"

"Well, that's not exactly what I had planned..."

"What do you mean?"