Assuming THE Position

I am not sure if I am lucky or what, but my kids (to this point, and it's early still...) have had no trouble potty training, and I am hoping Callum follows in the footsteps of his big sisters who were all potty trained early (2, 21 months and 20 months). 

Before Christmas, Callum has been using the potty. And no, not just sitting there. He will actually poop and/or pee in the potty. You may ask yourself how do I do it, and what do I do to get him to actually poop and pee in the potty before he even turns one. 

First of all. I am not sure if I am lucky, but Clara started doing this at 9 months old as well. I have proof of Clara here. It's not rocket science. No, really, it isn't, and I bet if you put your infant on the potty at a time when you can expect him/her to potty, then you can do it, too. 

Both Clara and Callum were morning poopers. It is a rare event in the Ferrie household that Callum does not poop in the morning, and unfortunately, some mornings, he poops before he is even fully awake, which means, a nasty, smelly diaper that I hate to change. YUK. 

You probably are asking me How can I get my baby to go on the potty? Well, it's easy, and as long as your baby can sit up properly then it's easy....I won't go into the whole Elimination Communication or Diaper Free baby thing, because that's a lot of work....and I don't have time in that, but this is easy and you can do it too.

So, when Callum wakes up in the morning and I notice he hasn't gone yet, I will nurse him, and a) put him on the potty immediately after he is finished or B) after any signs he is needing to go - facial expressions, grunting, whatever it is your child/baby does that leads you to believe a disgusting diaper is headed your way. If it is B - I rip off his clothes as fast I can, and run to the potty. I slap that potty seat down, and put him on. As I am bringing him and while he's making the face, I tell him poopy on the potty. And Voila! He goes! And this doesn't mean it has to be in the morning. Any time you are home and you know its going to happen - RUN. And let me tell you, sometimes you take the diaper off and it is hanging halfway out ready to plop....

But what if my child goes like 10 times per day? Well, don't you worry. My motto is You can't catch em' all but one less nasty diaper to change is a win in my book. Callum generally goes 2-3 times per day, and I usually miss the afternoon ones....but that's not the point - at least for me it isn't - it is to get him used to sitting on the potty before he is actually old enough to have an opinion about it, and if he actually does something in there, then that is just a huge bonus! 

Do I expect Callum to be in underwear by one? Hell to the no. Do I expect him to be potty trained before 18 months. Not really. But I will definitely be pushing him to be done before the age of two. I am going to treat him no differently than his sisters. Hey. Don't knock me. I've never had a boy before, and yeah, I have heard the news bulletin that boys are supposedly harder to train than girls, but, I don't really buy that. So, I'll just use Callum as my little science project. 

Come this summer, he will be diaper free whenever we are outside. He will learn just like his sisters did! 

She WHATTTTT!?!?!

Nope! No need to adjust your screen...that is Clara (9mos) sitting on the potty!

Yes, maybe I am jumping the gun just a bit. But, let me explain... You see, Clara poops every morning, usually within 20 minutes or so of waking up. I would say it is very unusual if she didn't poop. Since starting solid foods and giving her two meals a day, her poops are.....well, nasty. Even if I didn't cloth diaper, I'd still think they were nasty. I know they are only going to get worse!!! Ewwwwwwww!

So, since she's an every morning pooper, I thought I may try sitting her on the potty when she wakes up in the morning. I kind of started it as a joke thinking it may work, but I never expected her to actually do it. Yep. You read that right. She really did poop on the potty. Not once. Not twice.....but FIVE times in four days. It's pretty amazing. The first day it took her about 10+ minutes to do it, and each morning, it has gotten quicker! This morning it was about 2-3 minutes. I even put her on after nap since she had an afternoon poop yesterday....and well, what do you know! She pooped! and Peed! Seriously! I think she is getting the hang of it, too. While she sits there, she will play with a toy, but when she starts to go, she will drop (or throw) the toy and won't take it back......then...what do you know! there is poop!


Both Mairead & Lilah potty trained early. Mairead at 24 months exactly and Lilah about 20 months. Once they turned 1, we used to sit them on the potty before baths just to get used to sitting there. Mairead showed interested about 22 months and Lilah was a ripe old 19 months when she insisted on using the potty (and peeing in it!). It took Lilah a lot longer to get the hang of it than it did Mairead, but, I certainly didn't expect a lot out of a 19 month old wanting to potty train. I am guessing Clara will be younger, too, but until then, I'll keep doing this and getting her used to sitting there! She's pretty damn cute!


Don't get me wrong, I absolutely do not expect Clara to be potty trained anytime soon. All I am trying to do is limit the number of poop diapers I have to clean up! If she poops half the time on the potty, then I'm happy!

Do this...Not that...or that!

Lilah has been in big girl underwear full time (except naps/bed) since last August at the ripe old age of 20 months. She was ready, and I figured since it was summer, we'd go ahead. Mairead was exactly two when she was potty trained, so I wasn't sure if it would fly. She did awesome, and would have a few accidents a week. Lately, she has really turned a corner. She definitely listens to her body more, and has been in underwear during naps for almost two weeks, and has done really, really well.

Yesterday, she woke at 0745 yelling "poo poo....BUMMMM", so I ran in, and she had her diaper off. As soon as I opened the door, she bee-lined it for the bathroom. Jumped on, and peed and pooped! I was so proud of her. So, last night as I was putting her diaper on, I told her we don't pee in our diapers, and if she has to go, just tell mommy or daddy. I thought "yeah, right"...

So here we are to this morning. Lilah started crying at her door by 0715, which is pretty early for her. If she wakes early, she generally will play quietly until we come get her. She wasn't saying she had to use the bathroom, so I ignored her. By 0745, she was crying again. Mairead opened her door, she came running into our room telling me "ducky...pee pee" - she runs back into her room, grabs her ducky, and brings it back to me. Sure enough, she peed on it. I went into her room, and she had her diaper on the floor, and had peed in her bed.

Her diaper was dry.

So....Lilah pee on the potty......not in your diaper or your bed.