Mum shares potty-training hack after teaching son to stay completely dry at just 21 months old

A mum has said she started potty-training her son at just one-month old and that now, at 21-months, he’s able to stay completely dry during the day. You can see her talk about how she did it here:

Parents Zarah, 31, and husband James Nolland, 30, decided to start little Lorenzo’s potty-training at a very young age and reckon the move has saved them around £1,400 ($2,500 AUS).

The couple, who live in Queensland in Australia, used a technique called ‘elimination communication’, which involves the parents closely watching out for signals that their baby needs to go and then offering the chance to use the potty.

Zarah, an online health coach, said: “I did a lot of research into elimination communication whilst I was still pregnant.

“It’s not really a technique that is common place here in Australia, but it’s an incredible way to give your child independence and train them to use the toilet rather than having to sit in their own mess.

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“I watched a lot of videos and read up on other parent’s experiences which was really insightful.

“I started using the technique on Lorenzo when he turned one month, as well as using modern cloth nappies which we have loved and found really easy to use along with saving us a lot of money.

"I would have to pay attention to his face and gestures to figure out if he needed to go for a wee or a poo.

"We did a lot of nappy free time which was also helpful for me to understand his cues.”

In order to teach Lorenzo how to use the potty, Zarah would take him to the bathroom and sit him opposite the mirror, so she could hold him safely whilst communicating with him.

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She added: “The first time I put him in front of the mirror, he actually pooped with ten seconds.

“James and I were pretty shocked at how quickly it came to him that he could just go there and then.

“I found that sitting him opposite the mirror was great as I could easily communicate with him and show hand signals for either pee or poop.”

By the time he turned one-year old the family were able to ditch nappies entirely during the day and switched to underwear.

She said: “He can go to the toilet completely by himself now, as he uses a little step to get up to the seat.

“He’s still wearing a cloth nappy at night time and on long car rides, but we’ve made some incredible progress.”

Topics: Parenting, Hacks

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at Tyla who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats.