Yosh E O'Ducky's Potty Training Tales

by Yosh-E-O

Sunburst - Modern Methods

The small town of Sire’s Hollow was gradually getting even smaller. Advances in magic, science, and technology were drawing ponies away from the far away village so they could find education and employment close to larger cities, like Canterlot and Manehattan.

This particular issue was not lost to the town’s faithful residents. However there was no agreed way in which to ensure the future for Sire’s Hollow.

Leading the charge for modernizing the town was Stellar Flare. She long thought the cause of her town’s decline was a lack of planning and forethought. The status quo being a status no. It did no good to cling to the past when the future passed you right by.

Leading the opposite side was Firelight who even founded a preservation society. He felt that the town should be preserved and maintained as a little slice of heaven, free of all the hustle and bustle of what was known of modern cities.

No pony would ever believe these two were rivals. However, as they were childhood friends, they always found ways to bump horns with each other. Plus, their foals were close friends with each other, and like it or not Stellar Flare was a reluctant source of advice on parenting (as well as an often sought after foalsitter) for Firelight’s only daughter.

So it was that Starlight Glimmer, who was a periwinkle colored unicorn, was playing with her best foal friend in the whole wide world, Sunburst. It seemed like it was just like any other day for the two.

“Why sad?” Starlight asked her yellow coated friend upon noticing his unhappy posture.

“Mommy and Daddy are being no fun.” Sunburst replied with a pout.

“What you mean?” Starlight pursed in innocent unawareness. “My daddy is lots of funs. All mommies and daddies are funs!”

Sunburst plopped on the floor. His modern-age, disposable diaper making a number of crinkling and rustling sounds as he did. “Not mine,” He snorted. “Daddy always sides with Mommy, and Mommy always makes me do stuff I no wanna do. She gonna make me potty train.”

“Ooh, what that?!” Starlight curiously inquired, She thought she’d heard her daddy talk about it once, but she couldn’t be sure.

Sunburst just sighed. “I gots to sit on this bowl like thing and do my pee pees and poo poos, then Mommy or Daddy clean me up. I supposed to start on it.”

“You no wear diapers anymore?” Starlight asked.

Sunburst shook his head. “Mommy says I too old for diapers, she gonna make me give them up. Just like she took away my paci,” Then he turned to Starlight, eager to change the subject. “We play before they come back? You always funs.”

Starlight, who was clad in a thick terry cloth diaper that was pinned securely in the front, decided to grab a sparkly ball to roll back-and-forth to her friend. “Sure!” And then she told her friend. “And you can always borrow my diapers when you come over for sleepovers. My daddy always buys lots of ‘em!” Of course the foal didn’t stop to think that her diapers might not fit her friend, but the offer was more important to her than the reality. Hopefully she wouldn’t be getting out of those padded undergarments anytime soon.

In a nearby room, Stellar Flare and Firelight were watching their foals and having another ‘friendly’ argument. As usual as of late, the subject involved child raising. Firelight led off the argument, having learned what Stellar Flare was planning to do.

“Why are you doing that to your own son?” Firelight asked with disbelief. “Why put so much grown-up pressure and responsibility on a foal. It’s just not right. He’s only young once.”

Stellar Flare, an orangish brown coated unicorn with white sock-like features on her hooves, glared at her deep purple colored friend. “Modern Mother Mare has proven that foals of two years are more than capable of learning such things as simple reading, writing, magic, and potty training,” She retorted while focusing her hazel colored eyes straight into Firelight’s brown eyes. “It’s wrong to hold back the potential of a foal over outdated and improper ways of making them into the leaders of tomorrow. You think those big city ponies became such big successes and invented all those modern ways because they stayed in diapers for years and years? Even you have to admit that their modern conveniences are something we can’t live without.”

“Are you even listening to yourself?” Firelight quipped. “You make raising your foal sound like he’s some sort of business or farming method. You’re not even asking him what he wants. Don’t you think you should slow down and let him decide when he’s ready?”

Stellar Flare whipped her ginger-colored mane for effect before firmly placing her hoof upon the table. “Never!” She growled. “I’m just looking out for Sunburst’s future while you set Starlight up for failure! If you don’t get her out of diapers soon she’s going to go to kindergarten still wearing those things, and be teased relentlessly for it. Is that what you want?!”

Firelight leaned closer to Stellar and narrowed his eyes. “Starlight deserves a childhood, I’m in no rush to make her give up her diapers before she’s ready,” He replied with a growl in his voice. “And keep it down. The kids can hear us when you go all dramatic like that.”

Stellar would’ve snapped back if she hadn’t seen the two foals looking towards her. It wouldn’t do good for them to see their parents arguing. “You’re holding her back whether you admit it or not, Firelight,” She simply said while returning to a relaxed sitting position. “You’re also making her more prone to illness with those unsanitary cloth diapers, and delaying her potty training will just make her sick.”

“That’s preposterous,” Firelight fired back while taking care not to raise his voice. “There were no throw-away, single use diapers when we were kids, and I don’t recall ever being unhealthy because of it.”

“Modern Mother Mare shares that ponies don’t retain memories from before the age of three,” Stellar replied with a seemingly know-it-all grin. “So unless you want to ask your parents about your diaper days, you wouldn’t know.”

Firelight saw an opportunity through his friend’s statement. “Three years old, huh?” He grinned. “So that means all that time forcing poor Sunburst to not be a foal won’t even matter until he’s three years old? It won’t even matter if you force him to potty train before that time?”

Stellar Flare was prepared for this response as she casually flicked at her pearl necklace, a gift from her husband who always agreed with her (unless he wanted to sleep on the couch). “Oh Firelight,” She replied in a condescending tone. It amazed her that her childhood friend still didn’t understand how she worked. “Learned behaviors like walking and talking are retained. It’s the day-to-day events of what’s going on around them that isn’t. The same goes for potty training. Better to do it while they’re two and make the process as smooth as possible. That’s what Modern Mother Mare says, and she’s always right.”

Firelight folded his front hooves over his chest and snorted. “Who is this ‘Modern Mother Mare’?” He flatly stated. “And what gives her any right to say what’s right and wrong for our foals?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Stellar Flare merrily replied. “She is a highly educated pony with doctorate degrees in Child Care and Preschool Education. The top pony at her craft in fact.”

“So she’s basically just some pony who is taking all this ‘future’ stuff she’s been fed by all those other ponies to make us small town folk feel and look bad.” Firelight grumbled, always skeptical of such claims.

“Look, Firelight,” Stellar said in a calmer tone. “I understand it’s hard raising a foal by yourself. I also understand what really has you holding onto the past, is the sad loss of Starbright Glimmer.”

At that Firelight felt a lump form in his throat. Starbright Glimmer was his childhood sweetheart to whom he’d proposed to, married, and settled down with. However complications while bringing their daughter into the world made it a difficult choice of either losing his wife, or losing their newborn daughter. Starbright made the choice, and is why he’d named their daughter ‘Starlight Glimmer’, in memory of her mother.

“Sorry,” Stellar Flare apologized as she realized her mistake. “That wasn’t right of me to bring up.”

Firelight said nothing.

“It would be unfair to relate my husband’s position as a police pony putting himself in the line of danger everyday to what happened to Starbright,” Stellar added. “But you and I are the most important ponies in our foals’ lives. We owe it to them to give them every possible opportunity to thrive and rise above all in which we achieved.”

Firelight lowered his head.

“Daddy?” A concerned Starlight questioned as she seemed to suddenly appear in the dining room the two parents were sitting in. “Daddy sad?”

Firelight picked up his daughter and noticed she was wet. He also did notice how the terry cloth diaper showed signs of staining despite his strong efforts to keep it clean. “Only a little, but he’s better now,” He told his daughter and then turned to Stellar Flare. “Perhaps I will take you up on those disposable diapers,” He said in a rather deadpan manner. “Though I need to go get my little chipmunk cheeks changed and ready for her nap.”

Stellar saw Sunburst appear at her side with a worried look and a bulge in the back of his diaper. “No be mad, Mama,” He pleaded. “No help it. I tried to make it.”

Stellar Flare felt that keeping quiet and heading home to sanitize her son was the best course of action given the current situation. Having brought back a bad memory for Firelight, it was best if she didn’t say anything more about the subject. “It looks like my little colt needs some attention, too,” She said in a way to show that she understood having ‘hit a nerve’ with her childhood friend. “You still rock Starlight to sleep with that kite blanket she made?”

Firelight held Starlight close. “I do,” He somberly replied. “It still smells like her too.”

Stellar just used her unicorn magic to levitate Sunburst upon her back. “My place tomorrow?” She hopefully asked.

Firelight gave a look to show that he wasn’t upset with her. “My little ‘Pumpky-Wumpkin’ wouldn’t miss a chance to play with her best friend, diapers or no diapers,” He said while tenderly rubbing at his daughter’s back. “Perhaps I’ll pick up some of those disposable diapers on my way over so you can show me how they work.”

Stellar smiled. “I’ll buy you a pack,” She stated while beginning her trip back home with her son. “I need to get more for Sunburst, and I owe you one for having said what I said.”

“No worries, Stellar,” Firelight replied while nuzzling Starlight. “I know Starbright is still alive and well through our precious Starlight.”

And after a final exchange of goodbyes, both parents went about tending to their children as they each felt best.

Stellar returned home with Sunburst a little later, and changed his diaper. After she was done she took the liberty of escorting her son to the bathroom, placing him upon his potty. “I know you’re trying, Sunburst. But you need to tell me when you think you have to go, instead of waiting until you have an accident.” She somewhat lectured him.

Sunburst just sighed. “Yes, Mama. I understand.” Even if he didn’t really like the idea of training he knew better than to go against his mother. His mother was always right even when she wasn’t.

Stellar Flare smiled. “That’s the spirit.”

Meanwhile, Sunburst was eyeing the huge bowl shaped object that stood nearby. He didn’t know what exactly it was called, only that it was a potty for big boys and girls. Starlight’s dad didn’t seem to like it very much even though he’d installed a similar object in his bathroom. “Mama, when can I use big potty?” He asked.

Stellar smiled again. “Not until you’re a little bit further along in your training, Sunburst. It’s called the big boy potty for a reason.”