By 3 years old, your toddler should be able to...

[proper_false]

Evelyn Chiu decided to put her feet down. Her son Nicholas was turning three, but he was still not potty-trained yet. She had read that boys need to master their equipment first, but this was ridiculous.

"We're getting him out of diapers starting Friday," she announced to her husband James Goh, who wisely made agreeing noises.

That Saturday, her sister was having a barbeque for her daughter Irene's fourth birthday. The Gohs arrived at the park armed with a portable potty seat and two sets of clothing change.

"He last went two hours ago; you should take him to the potty," Evelyn said.

James paused in the middle of unstrapping his son from the carseat. "You're the one in charge of his potty training so far. You do it."

She sighed and held Nicholas' hand and the potty seat. Once they entered the toilet booth, Nicholas, who had been amicable so far, balked.

"I don't want to go potty!"

"Let's go potty first, then you can play with Jie jie Irene, okay?"

Nicholas pouted but complied. "Oo-kay."

Three seconds after his bare butt touched his potty seat, he started yelling, "It's not working! My peanut is not working!"

Bemused, Evelyn asked, "Your penis is not working?"

Nicholas paused. "My penis. Is not. Working," he said with great emphasis.

Swallowing her laughter, Evelyn helped him down from the potty seat. "We'll stop by Yi yi Catherine's place later so you can go potty, okay?"

Pulling his pants up, Nicholas nodded vehemently.