ONE OF MY DEAR FRIENDS (and very first leading man), Freddie Santos, remarked not too long ago that he was wanting for more stories about Nicole. Here?s something for him.

First off, Nicole is doing just fine. She?s grown quite tall -- a few inches since last year -- and is becoming more and more talkative. Since she?s fast approaching three, and pre-school is on the horizon, I felt it was time to begin a task that every parent and child must go through: potty training.

I don?t remember my own, so I had no experience to draw from. My mother wasn?t much help, except to say that it was wisest to wait until Nic was ready, and that from what she remembers, I kind of took care of myself when the time came.

Advice

In the beginning, we followed advice from several people: place her on the potty first thing in the morning, start her on panties so she gets used to the feeling, and a lot of other gems that, I guess, worked for their own kids. None of those worked on mine. Not really.

Following my instincts, I started doing research on the Internet, visiting one baby website after another in the hunt for a clue. Finally, something stirred my curiosity and made me read more. At the end of that, I made up my mind to try my newfound knowledge on Nic. I mean, what harm would it do?

None of what follows is meant to be, in any way, a bible for potty training. Every child is different, so it?s important to try different things, and figure out what will work for your own little one.

To continue ?.

The next morning, I instructed the nanny to keep Nic naked from the waist down for the entire day. No diapers, no panties. We set up potties in the rooms she frequents -- the downstairs den, guest bathroom, master bedroom, and her own room. The nanny and I stuck to our guns, and Nic wore a diaper only at nap time and night-night time.

My mother thought I was a little crazy to try this, since she didn?t resort to this method when toilet training me or my brother Gerard.

That first day was accident-free for Nic. She didn?t go on the furniture or on the carpets. But she was reluctant to try the potty chair! She resisted ... cried ... screamed ... until finally, after much convincing, she slowly let go. We encouraged her to keep going. Positive reinforcement would keep her progressing in the right direction. There were a few booboos, but nothing we couldn?t correct.

On day two, we had a feeling that things would be even better, and they were. Nic felt more comfortable sitting on her potty chair. The major breakthrough was, she actually looked for it when she needed to go. Sometime in the evening, the nanny shouted for me ? Nicole had done everything pretty much on her own.

Celebration

We did a celebration dance and gave each other (and Nic) plenty of hugs. The little girl was very proud of herself ? that smile on her face was priceless.

From day three and beyond, things got even easier. It?s now getting to the point where she wakes up from naps completely dry, and wants to use the potty immediately.

On the whole, things went very smoothly, and I thank my yaya for her active participation in this potentially crazy process.

The one piece of advice I can give to other parents potty training their children is this: Wait until they show signs of physical and mental readiness. Fill your reserves of patience and humor (you?re going to need plenty of both) and enjoy this time. Think positive and be ready with rewards (a piece of chocolate, bright stickers, or a new toy).

Don?t worry, they?ll definitely learn to use that toilet sometime.

?Spelling Bee?

Opening tomorrow and running until April 4 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at the RCBC Building is Atlantis Productions? latest gem: ?The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.? Starring Cathy Azanza-Dy, Pheona Baranda, Rycharde Everley, Carla Guevara-Laforteza, Johann dela Fuente, Noel Rayos, Felix Rivera, Thea Tadiar-Everley, and Joel Trinidad, the musical is a hilarious send-up of the popular spelling bees that take place every year all over the United States. The musical recounts exactly what makes each speller -- kids on the verge of adulthood --tick, and the motivating forces that drive them to success.

Featuring four guest spellers at each performance -- two celebrities and two fresh from the audience -- no two performances are ever alike, making the experience even more special. I?ve signed on to be a celebrity speller! I can?t wait!

For more information, please visit www.atlantisproductionsinc.com, or call 892-7078. Tickets are available on www.ticketworld.com.ph.