Early start potty training

Before children I never really thought about potty training - I mean geez, why would you?  But at a Baby Expo in 2008 when Erika was just under 4 months old, I walked by the toilet training stall and was looking at the things there, and the lady was so helpful, enthusiastic and full of information.  She sold me a potty and the book "Early Start Potty Training" by Dr Linda Sonna and I took it home to read.

In the first chapter they talked about a toilet trained 4 month old, and I was astonished.  I didn't realise it was possible!  I wished that I could do that and I was determined to try.

Now that I have toilet trained 2 children, I feel like I can talk a bit more about it.  The analogy I often use when I try to explain to people about early toilet training is that you can start toilet training puppies at 6 weeks of age, why can't you train a child?  Isn't a child smarter than a dog?

And children are smart.  What we are doing is teaching them to wee in their nappies, and the reason why it's so difficult later is because we are trying to teach them to do something different, something that they have been doing all along.  Like suddenly telling them to use their left hand instead of their right hand.  Now what rebellious 2 year old would want to go along with that when they have been totally comfortable all along doing it the way they'd been doing?

So essentially what we should be doing is getting them used to weeing without their nappy from as early as possible, so they know that you can wee into the toilet as well as into a nappy.  Preferably, not to wee into the nappy at all (ie hold it!) would be ideal!

My daughter didn't really start her potty training until 6 months when she could sit up.  And she had quite intensive potty training in the fun way, with books, balls and toys and lots of encouragement and praise when she did do her business in the potty.  She was wandering around without a nappy from the age of one and taken to the toilet at regular intervals so that she didn't have accidents.

My son didn't get the same intensive training but seeing how great my daughter went, I thought I would try it earlier.  From 3 months I had him over the potty or sink to catch his wees and poos.  However I didn't think he would do well and he seemed to be behind my daughter in her training, however in recent months he has improved in leaps and bounds.

But when I explain this concept to people they think I am cruel.  But how is it cruel?  I am merely teaching them to be clean!  And I'm not making them cry or withholding food or torturing them if they don't use the toilet.  I patiently do my best and if it doesn't work I just keep trying, but being encouraging.

So how is the best way to start?  I think the younger the better.  It's about knowing the habits of your child.  So if you know that after a breastfeed your baby is going to poop, well that's the perfect time!  As soon as you're done breastfeeding, hold them over a potty and make those straining sounds, and if something happens in the potty then that's great!  If it doesn't don't be disheartened, just keep trying.  You will get it!  It is really exciting that first time you catch a wee or a poo, kind of like winning the lottery... ha!

Ok, so once you get your child used to going to the toilet what next?  This is a difficult part.  I have found with my kids that if you leave the nappy on them and try to take them at regular intervals, you will more often than not have a wet nappy.  Why?  Because the kids know they can just wee in their nappies.  I think that timing it is better.  Watch your child, and see at what intervals after a drink they need to go to the toilet and take them regularly.  Babies can't really hold it for very long after they tell you they need to go, so you really have to grab them early.  So I really think that it's best if you have them wandering around without nappies so you have more incentive to take them to the toilet (otherwise you'll have a messy floor!).  You will have lots of accidents though, so just be prepared for that.

Doing it this way you will find that they are toilet trained for poos before they are toilet trained for wees.  If you toilet train the standard way, it's the other way around.  I'm not sure why!

So, just remember that it doesn't come overnight, and it takes a lot of hard work, but you will feel so proud of your little one if they are successful, and if you aren't successful - it's not a failure! 

Super klutz skiier!

Well what I was hoping to be a nice skiing weekend didn't turn out as I hoped!  After playing on the Friday flats for a few runs we went up to the longer runs and I did a huge stack coming down the hill, straining my gastrocnemius!  And it turned out that I tore it because after a few days the bruising and swelling was atrocious!

Because of my bung leg, I couldn't control myself well and I ended up stacking it again and hurting my arm, leaving some very impressive bruising.

Now I am limping around at work and looking like a downright klutz.  Check these pics out!

The things I teach my kids

Well, I have been enjoying the trailers for Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO game so much I made the kids watch it.  Now Erika really likes it and she asks to watch it all the time.  We probably watch those trailers about 7 times a day.

I have both the Alderaan one and the Cinematic trailer.  Erika calls the Alderaan the "outside one" and likes that one best.  She even talks about the "red one" and the "blue one".  So, when I ask her what the red one is?  Her reply "Sith."  And what is the blue one? "Jedi."

Well, at least my daughter has good taste in Sci-fi.  Like mother like daughter.

William Shatner at George Lucas tribute

My sister sent me this video, I thought it was great.  Two of my fave sci-fi genre in one!



William Shatner seems much cooler now than he was about 15 years ago.  Gosh the look on Harrison Ford's face and Mark Hammill!  Priceless.

Sick family

So the whole family is sickly.  I've decided they all have influenza because they all got sick with fevers and generalised malaise and of course cough and runny nose and I didn't, despite being coughed on, wiping runny noses all day and sharing food.  I guess that's one good thing about having yearly flu shots (though ironically I didn't have it this year).  It at least offers me some protection.  Can you imagine if the whole house was sick?  What a depressing place it would be!

As it is I feel like I am doing the lion's share of childcare.  I feed them both in the morning and toilet them and then I also have to feed them dinner and put them to bed.  Though last night it was a shared effort with putting to bed so that was better, compared to previous nights where I was doing it all.

The waking up at night has not been happening the last 2 days which leads me to believe that they are getting over it again.  I find Julian wakes up a lot in the first 2-3 days of illness, Erika too.

Pushing fluids was hard, they were both very resistant to eating and it was under threat of hospitalisation that Erika drank.  Thank goodness now she has recovered.  Julian doesn't eat but at least he loves to drink so that's ok.

So I hope they are better by this weekend.  Going to leave them with my parents while me and hubby hit the snow fields.

Remedies for Erika's constipation - progress

Well we are past a month now and I have been doing dairy free with Erika for her constipation and it hasn't really had that much of an effect.  Which is a bit disappointing, however it has the advantage of only 2 varieties of milk in the house instead of 3.

Now she seems to be doing a poo every 2 days, and it isn't really that hard, though it still seems to be 2-3 on the Bristol stool scale.

I have been adding extra virgin olive oil to her breakfast cereal with bran and hiding it with extra sugar and she seems to eat it quite well.  I doesn't seem to be harming her and from what I can tell it doesn't cause dependence either.  I wonder if it's bad to have it every second day which is what I've been doing for her.

Edit August: It has actually improved her constipation a lot!  And it works quite well, so I'm pleased.  I have read that olive oil is a natural laxative, and has antioxidants so that's good.  However it doesn't have any omega 3, which you can find in linseed oil (flaxseed oil).  Maybe I should try that instead (though it is a lot more expensive)

First auction attended

I went looking at properties today, and attended my very first auction.  It was for a 3BR townhouse in Yagoona, which was full brick and newly carpeted.  There was a low maintenance courtyard and it was 2 levels, all 3 BR had BIR, and there were 3 toilets and 2 bathrooms.  There were probably about 20 people attending the auction with only 3 or 4 active bidders.

The final price was well below what I thought it was going to be.  I thought it would be closer to 450k but it closed at 415k.  I noticed that there were a lot of middle eastern and asian bidders.  And they really do drag out the drama!  I wonder if the owners will be happy with that price or will that just put it on the market.

Went looking around at other properties in the area, just to get a feel for what the market is like.  I am not sure if people are out there buying or not but it seems to be a lot less busy than other times I've been around.