Things were not easy. Not for the parents of a screaming 2 1/2 year old hedgehog boy.

Shadow The hedgehog was on his back and was kicking and throwing his 3rd tantrum.
He wanted some cookies, his mother said no. He asked again this time his father told him no. So what does a toddler do?

Why scream and throw themselves on the floor until the get what they want!. Shadow's father a solid black male hedgehog with crimson eyes he  didn't have the normal shaped hedgehog eyes like most hedgehogs, his quills were shaped downwards and reached his lower back. He had  a patch of white fur on his chest and was sticking out of his shirt. he also carried a "gut" for his age

This Is Harold, Harold has a stable job as a therapist , a child therapist as they put it, so he should know how to stop this bad behavior.

...... NOPE!....
" Shadow" Harold  tried lifting his son off the floor but the toddler refused and kept screaming for the cookies.

Meanwhile his mother, a red female hedgehog, she had the same upturn quills like her son Shadow, she had bright ocean blue eyes and  lovely tan arm with a red stripe on each arm. This is Marie!

And today she was ready to join in the screaming " Harold..." she mumbled, Harold could barely get Shadow up he turned to his wife, she was gripping the handle of the cart, the embarrass scene was getting to her.

" Take him to the car" she said " take him now or I will throw a tantrum!"

The black hedgehog obeyed and scoop Shadow into his arms.

"COOKIES! COOKIES!!!!! I WANT COOKIES!!!!!!!!" Shadow screamed as his father carried him out.

/ / / // 

Shadow continued to cry and kick as he was placed in his car seat. His father got in on the drivers side.

" Shadow" he spoke getting the little hedgehog's attention " do you know why you're in the car?" he asked.

"......C....Cookies daddy?" he asked

" No son" Harold said " you were not behaving like a big boy.And do you know what happens to little boys that don't behave?"

Shadow didn't answer, his mind was somewhere else, then he felt pressure in his stomach,  the little hedgehog closed his eyes and gave a grunt, the pressure was gone and he felt relief.

But he faced another problem, the thing that caused him to push was now in his diaper and it was solid and uncomfortable.

" Daddy" he called to him " daddy I pooped!"

Harold looked in the rearview mirror, apparently  his wife has the diaper bag, he didn't think to bring that out.

but then the hedgehog though of an idea for Shadow to learn his lesson.

" Sorry" he told him " Mommy has the diapers you'll just have to wait"

Shadow gasp, he gonna have to stay in the soiled diaper! No, Shadow started to kick again.

" I NEED CHANGE! I NEED CHANGE!" He demanded " I POOPED, I POOPED, I POOPED!!!!" he wiggled in his car seat " daddy I want change!!!! I pooped!"

Shadow didn't like being in this dirty diaper, and Harold was not going to help, he kicked until he felt the need to make another, his fit and rage made him push it out

" DADDY!!!!!!!!"   Shadow screamed  " DADDY!!!!!"

Harold looked at his watched, it been 20 minutes, where was his wife?  he knew leaving a child in a dirty diaper was bad but  he couldn't leave him in the car to hunt her down.

Suddenly he saw her approaching the car. she opened the trunk only to hear Shadow screaming!

" Still screaming" she said as she put the groceries in the car. Harold got out and  took the diaper bag.

" Sorry hon, Shadow needs a diaper change!" he told her and he opened the passenger side of the car opposite of where Shadow was.

taking him out of the car seat he laid Shadow down on the changing pad and undid the pants, he opened up the diaper and it was clear Shadow needed a change! Poop was smeared all over the diaper and  on him.

" CHANGE" Shadow demanded

" Shadow say you're sorry to mommy" Harold asked him.

" CHANGE" the little hedgehog repeated! His father sighed and got rid of the dirty diaper , he wiped his son clean and put powder all over him to prevent chafing.

Then he put his pants back on and placed him in the car seat. The two hedgehog started up the car and headed home.

 / / / / 

Harold tried to get Shadow to apologize to Marie but the little hedgehog refused. So Harold had to tell this son that he was going into time out!

.....

More crying occurred as Harold pulled out the stool and placed it in the corner, he sat Shadow down.

" You blew your chance" he said a had Shadow face the wall " you sit there until I say time out is over!"he said it in a firm voice, not yelling but firm to the point where the little hedgehog understood

Shadow cried as his father left the spot, he helped  carried in the groceries.  Looking at the clock that took five minutes.

Ten more minutes more should be enough, Harold walked into the living room, Marie was sitting on the couch her head in her hands.  he sat down next to her.

" Love..." he asked.

" I...I'm so embarrassed!" she confessed " 3rd time Harold! This is the third time this week Shadow threw a tantrum!"

" Darling just calm down" he took her by the shoulders " look at me in the eyes" he commanded. Marie was furious, angry but she obeyed and looked into her husband's eyes. She felt his hands slide down her arms and taking her hands into his.

" Take a deep breath" he commanded, she did " Now let all that anger and frustration out " he told her.

The crimson furred hedgehog exhaled letting everything she felt go out. Marie was now feeling better. The black furred hedgehog wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him comforting her.

/ / / / / / 

Shadow sat in the corner but he was struggling. He felt the need to make a mess in his diaper but then he remembered his father didn't change him for a very long time! And he didn't want to be in a messy diaper again.

 He looked behind him, His parents weren't looking so the little hedgehog had an idea.

 he stood up from the stool and started to pull his pants down, he then tugged until his diaper was off, he sat back down but it didn't feel right, so he scooted further back on the stool until his little butt was hovering over.

Grabbing the stool by it's side Shadow closed his eyes and let the pressure in his tummy make it exit.

......

In the living room the adult nose twitches, something nasty was in the air. They got up and went to go find it.

The smell..... Why it was in Shadow's corner.  and under the hedgehog bottom was a pile of brown substance followed by yellow liquid.

" SHADOW!" his mother called out!.

/////

After some cleaning there was no point of putting Shadow in time out any more, So Harold explained to Shadow that he's not supposed to do that on the floor , only do it in the diaper or  the potty.

" What's a potty?" Shadow asked, Harold was about to say he was to young but realised that Shadow was 2 and a 1/2. The perfect time to start potty training! and he saw this a sign that his boy was ready !

" A potty" his father started " is something big boys use" he told him " big boys use that instead of diapers"

Shadow gasped and backed away, he ran off crying. That didn't go well. 

After dinner Shadow was sent to go to bed, since his tantrum he wasn't allowed to have desert or watch tv.

More crying occurred but they got their son to go to sleep.

/ / / / / /

 In their bedroom Harold was reading the baby book while his wife yawned and climbed into bed.

"  Marie, according to the book, children show signs of wanting to be potty trained at 2. Thier bodies allow the child to signal when they need to make pee or poop" he closed the book.

"And Shadow has been telling us when he does it" He thought about it " maybe we should start potty training"

" That's nice dear...." Marie yawned . Harold yawned and turned off the light.

/ / / // 

Taking time off from work He, Marie and Shadow took a trip to the baby store. Shadow stayed in his stroller as his parent made their way to the toddler section, more like the aisle that carried training potties

Shadow was curious seeing all these weird looking chairs, they looked like booster seats at home but why was there a hole in the center?

Harold lifted Shadow out of the stroller to let his son have a better look. To Shadow he wondered why they were there, and some of these weird seats look like that big white thing that's in the bathroom.

" Oh isn't this one nice" Marie called,  the two came to where she was and pointed on the shelf, it was a gender neutral potty chair , the bowl made to look like a tree trunk and the seat to represent the tree top.

" That what I call 'nature calls' " she joked Shadow wasn't laughing for he didn't' understand it, he didn't like it when his parents found something funny and he didn't.

The three looked at more potty chairs until Marie found one that looked just right, it was a chair in the shape of a frog the bowl had  the frog shape face, little feet sticking out, on top was a foam lined seat that could be taken off and used on the toilet.

Not only did she like it but Shadow liked it as well, for he liked anything green. so it was decided they got that chair ( two of them for upstairs and down stairs)

/ / / / / / 

When they got home They set up the potty chairs in each bathroom Shadow stood looking all over the chair. His father walked over and kneeled down to his level.

" Shadow, you becoming a big boy" he said " So mommy and I are going to start potty training"
Shadow panicked, he didn't like the sound of it, the little toddler tried to make a run for it but his mother caught him. She and Harold took of his pants and diaper and set him on the chair.
Shadow shifted in the seat... Why it felt like a time out!, he started to cry.

" I don't like time out!" he said. Marie kneeled down to him.

" No sweetie this isn't time out" she told him " it potty time, were just going to sit here until you go potty that's all"

" Go potty?" Shadow asked, his parents nodded thinking they got the idea.

So the waiting game began.....

The clock ticking, his parents got comfortable on the bathroom floor, Shadow sat waiting on the potty chair, whatever this potty is he better do it or else he won't get to play.

  His parents yawned and still nothing. Then more time past and they ended up falling asleep.

Shadow seeing them sleeping figure he can get off and go. So he hopped off the chair, before he could make a step he herd water splashing on the floor, looking down it was him that was making that water.

 . . . . . 

His mother cleaned up the mess while Harold looked in  his child psychology book for an answer.

" Well the book says accidents happen, don't scold  instead be positive and the child with learn"

Marie got up from the floor" ok positive" she had her hand on her hips " I'll leave you to teach him while I go make lunch" with that she left the bathroom, Shadow stood half naked, another tip from the book.

Or form Harold himself.  The male hedgehog kneeled down to his son " alright Shadow next time if you have to go just tell mommy or me ok"

ZIP!

Shadow as out of the bathroom, He ran around the house , Harold played along and pretended to chase him.

At lunch Shadow  didn't like the feeling he had on him, Marie just put on training pants, they looked like diapers but it didn't feel like it.

but when he was served a plat of ravioli his mind changed and he gobbled down his lunch.

And Harold gave Shadow 3  cups of milk, he figured they encourage their child to drink as much fluids  giving the need to go.

 of course that all backfired as Shadow  not say once that he had to go and instead soiled his training pants.
//

Day 2 

 They begun their morning with Shadow sitting on the potty, when the little hedgehog showed no signs of going they pulled pants back up and he ran out of the bathroom.

only to halt and make a squat. pushing and grunting he made poop in his pants and it felt much worse than in the diaper!.

Marie and Harold made a grill cheese sandwich for Shadow's lunch, Harold explaining Cheese being a dairy product and would help Shadow give the need to go again.

 and it worked , Shadow was showing the sign, the adult male hedgehog lifted Shadow by the armpits and carried him to the bathroom. He sat Shadow on the potty and stood back to give the little hedgehog time to do it.

But nope!, Shadow just hopped off, pulled the pants up and took off.

Harold looked around for his son when he could her huffing and grunting, Shadow had found  a corner and was pooping.
 
the male hedgehog sighed and changed him.

Day 3
Marie had Shadow sit on the poyty, she pulled out a book and sat  down next to him and stated read, distracting him with a story may keep him from running off when he's about to go.

so far so good, but when she looked over to see if he was paying attention, he was off the potty and training pants.

her ears picked up on the sound of liquid being spilled , turning around Shadow was by the tub and peed all over the side.

Day 4

Harold went through the baby book, looking up anymore tips on potty training, He had Shadow sit on the potty, the little hedgehog was tapping his feet together waiting to see what his father would do.
turns out it was going to be another round of the waiting game. Harold took a seat on the toilet and was not going to move.

 two minutes in the phone rang, the older hedgehog got up from the toilet " don't move " he commanded and walked out.

Shadow of course disobeyed and kicked off the training pants, he was free and darted out of the bathroom.

The little hedgehog scurried up the stairs and hid in his bedroom.  Seconds later Shadow heard his father come up the stairs.

" Hmmm..." he pretended to say " where did he go?"

Shadow covered his mouth to hide his giggles.

Harold was right outside of his on's bedroom, he got on the floor and looked right under the bed.

aside from some toys it was clear as day he could see Shadow little baby butt. Harold smirked and got up from the floor and carefully walked in not making a sound.

Shadow looked out from his bed frame his father wasn't there. The he felt two hand reach around and pick him up.

" Got you!" Harold announced and Shadow squealed in delight as his father rolled on his back landing on the toddler's bed.

" Daddy!" Shadow cried out and his father held him in the air, Harold even tossed him up a little then catched him, the little crimson striped hedgehog rested on his father belly.

they were laughing and enjoying the father son bonding that Shadow did realised he revealed himself all over his father!

And then the two had to take a shower!

Day 5:

Marie had to go to the mall and pick up more training pants for Shadow, this time she put on big boy underwear for Shadow to wear while they were at the mall.

As they walked Shadow saw the toy store, he started to tug on his mother's hand.

" No Shadow" she told him " No toy store" but the little hedgehog wasn't going to give up, he was about to perform one of his famous tantrums if his mother did stop.

" TOY STORE!" he shouted "TOY STORE,TOY STORE, TOY STORE!!!!!" she demanded. Mari kneeled down to him being eye level with him.

" Shadow you better behave, we're not going to the toy store" she told him in a calm tone. She did not need a 4th tantrum.

but it happened anyway, Shadow pushed away from his mother and stomp his feet " TOY STORE!" he screamed, and then threw himself on the floor "TOY STORE ,TOY STORE!" he kicked and pounded the floor, as he threw his tantrum his mother was getting looked from others

His mother picked him up by the arm and stood him on his feet " Shadow stop it right now!", Shadow wiped his eyes,  Marie took his hand and stormed away, the hedgehog screamed

" Mommy, Mommy I'm going to poop!" he announced " I'm going to poop!" Marie stopped in her tracks

" Don't you dare!" she warned " Shadow hold it until we can find a bathroom!" she looked around for the nearest bathroom but Shadow wasn't obeying, he made the squat and.. 

" Shadow0 no!" she scooped him up and ran for the bathroom, he hand was placed on his bottom in a sense to hold it in. By the time she got into the women's room and secured a stall it was too late, the back of Shadow's pants was covered with a big brown stain.
 The little hedgehog gave one more satisfied pushed, and there it was, a bulge in the back of his pants.

" I pooped!" he said proudly.

//////

Aside from the frequent accidents and Shadow avoiding the potty, Mari discovered that Shadow is willing to tell before he goes while wearing pain underwear. So the two hedgehog tried that method and see if it worked.

instead it made  hold it in until he couldn't hold it any more and let it all out  making a huge mess and on the floor

.....

The parents tried a potty training cartoon, Shadow watched as the child character was happily sitting on the potty music played as he went then standing up the cartoon parents made cheers, clapping and praising.

Seeing that Shadow wondered that maybe being potty trained wasn't so bad. He could give it a try and see if his parents will praise him instead of punishing him.

/ / // / 

the little hedgehog stood outside of the bathroom, he looked over at the frog shape potty chair. staring at it he felt the need to go, so walking over he sat down and went..... In the training pants.

Shadow walked out and approached his father " daddy.. I..I need change" he said pointing at the training pants.

Harold changed the pants and sat Shadow down, Shadow pulled at his training pants and they were hard to pull.

//////

The next day Harold took Shadow to go visit his uncle. A grey male hedgehog let his brother come in, Shadow was placed in the play pen along with the potty.

In the playpen with Shadow was a 1 year old baby hedgehog boy, the baby had five long quills that shaped around his head.

This was Silver. Shadow's cousin. The little one year old stood on it feet but then fell on knees and decided to crawl over to his older cousin.

Shadow didn't want to play with him but he noticed Silver was wearing a diaper.

....

In the other room the brother were talking when they heard Silver screaming. they went over to the playpen, Shadow was tugging on the diaper while Silver was kicking at him.

Silver's father quickly pulled his son away, Harold took Shadow away as well.  Seeing they couldn't be together Harold decided it was time to go home, picking up the potty chair they left.

/ / / / /

Shadow was placed in timeout, Harold explain  what he was doing was wrong and mean to Silver. the older male said he could get up in 10 minutes.

....
The time was ticking, Shadow kicked while sitting on that stool, his father was in the living room watching tv but also keeping a watch on him.

Shadow then felt pressure in his tummy he brought his hands between his legs, he squirmed on the stool, he thought about just letting it all out but... He wanted that praise, he wanted his parent to praise him not punish him, like he saw with the cartoon.

The bathroom was just down the hall. He looked over his shoudler his father wasn't looking. Now was the time.

He made the move and got off the stool. Harold caught him leaving.

" Shadow your time isn't up" he called but it was clear he wasn't listening. Harold got up from the couch and saw Shadow run for the bathroom.

" Shadow" he walked after him.

It was now or never, Shadow grip his pants and with a pull he got his pants and training pants off, then he sat down.

His father stood outside of the bathroom.  Shadow  watched seeing what his father was going to do, Shadow sat on the potty and waited. Then it came!

Tinkle.... Tinkle.......PLOP!

 The sound of pouring and droppings happened, Shadow sat feeling very relaxed and relief. feeling he got it all out the little hedgehog stood up and looked in.

There it was, that yellow liquid and his poop all in the plastic cup of the potty chair.

" HE DID IT!" Harold shouted.  he lifted his so up in the air " My boy!' he tossed him up and catched him " You went potty!" He gave him a hug " I'm so proud of you!"

After cleaning up and dumping the potty cup into the toilet, Harold let Shadow off the hook with his punishment. The little hedgehog was in the living room watch Tv with his father
 His mother came home " I'm home" Marie called. Shadow got up and ran to greet his mother. she was surprised to see him give her a hug.

" Oh my" she said " what's gotten into you?" she asked her child.

" Oh just something" Harold told her. Shadow looked over to his father.

" Daddy I gotta go potty!" he stated and raced off. Harold and Marie were behind him as they watched their son pull his pants down and sit on the potty.

Shadow smiled as he let his body take over and let it all out. He was a big boy now!