Our no-frills way to potty train

Some of you have asked how I managed to potty train my first two kids by such a young age and if I plan on putting baby G on the potty as early as Alex.  Others, have asked about my cloth diapering experience and whether or not I’d recommend cloth for quicker potty training. 

I think successful potty training is a combination of getting started when the child is ready and being committed as a parent.  I know baby G is is almost 4 months old; but I’m already wondering what my approach will be.

When Sofia was a little over a year old, I began googling “how to potty train.”  Call me ambitious but when you are a most-of-the-time cloth diapering mom like me, washing soiled diapers is motivation enough.

Her first potty, the no-frills inexpensive one from Target, was all we needed to get started.  She thought it was the coolest thing to have her very own potty.  This worked great and shortly before she was 2, Sofia was fully potty trained.

As a first time mom, I thought it was quite the achievement to have my girl use the “big potty” at such a young age.  The one thing she’s always been very picky about, is her wet wipes.  For as long as I can remember, her fresh-care routine after going #2 has always included wet wipes. In fact, she has a small zip lock bag in her backpack with a few Cottonelle wipes in case she has to go while she’s at school.

My son, Alex was a totally different story.  We’ve had bowel issues from the time he was born until the age of 3.  Therefore, as soon as he was able to sit up I began sitting him on the toilet.  Let me explain: he had to make such efforts to have a bowel movement that it was quite obvious what he was doing.

So, anytime I was home and he tried to use the bathroom I would sit him on the toilet (as young as 7mo) and hold him until he went.  We quickly moved into only using the toilet for #2 and as soon as he was able to walk he would literally run to the bathroom on his own -although sometimes he didn’t quite make it.

As a 4 year old, he is adamant about his “wipe & swipe” routine.  The boy won’t “go” unless he has a wet wipe… so at school the kid probably holds it.  I don’t blame him.  Have you seen the inside of the boy’s bathroom? ugh, no bueno.

So… back to baby G.  I don’t know when he’ll be ready but if he turns out anything like the other two kids… I better continue buying the Cottonelle wipes!  They are always good to have in the diaper bag too; because when I change a diaper on the go they are also flushable – a nice thing in a public bathroom so nobody is left with a stinker in the trash can.  The cloth diapers? In the wet bag they go!

We’ll see what the future will bring with baby G and how I manage to get through potty training one more time.  For now, he roams around in his cute cloth diaper bum and the other two are on their own -not entirely- but you know what I mean.