All Trained

Some milestones you can't see at the time, only in hindsight. We started bugging Karston in June to finish potty training, and he kept putting us off for the entire month of June when not a single poop went in the potty. On July 1st, he started using the potty for all elimination, and only one poop went in the pull-ups instead of the potty that week. He's been perfect ever since. It's as though turning four flipped the potty training switch. Karston didn't have any problems even while we were in Wisconsin without his travel (folding) potty seat to reduce the size for his tiny hieny! Now I understand what my mother meant: I can plead all I want (or not!), but he's only going to potty train on his schedule.

When we started this journey, I felt very lost about how to start potty training. Now I understand why. You just start explaining what you're doing when Cale walks in. Then once Cale knows that by heart, you hold him over the potty. (Monday he peed mere seconds after Daddy stopped holding him over the toilet. He needs more body awareness yet.) Cale's really excited when he gets to flush, so I think we'll have some motivation there. Other than explaining and then letting him try ... well, that it how it works. Since 18 to 24 months is considered the ideal time to start (unless you practice elimination communication before the child is six months old -- also good, but the early months were a rough period trying to get a handle on Cale's multiple allergies and go back to work), I think we'll start on Cale while we're home for the winter holidays. We've started the explaining now, and once Cale learns a few more words, I think he'll be ready.