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For Modern Family's 'Mitchell' this is the biggest parenting challenge

TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Last updated on - Sep 11, 2023, 15:00 IST
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1/6

​For 'Mitchell' potty training is the biggest challenge​


For 47 year old Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who plays 'Mitchell' in the Modern Family, getting his son potty trained is the toughest job. “They're really good! My biggest parenting challenge right now is potty training one while the other one is no-where near that. Juggling the different stages can be hard," he told InTouch magazine. Jesse Tyler Ferguson is popular for playing 'Mitchell Pritchett' on the sitcom Modern Family.

2/6

​His kids​


Ferguson has three year old Beckett and nine month old Sullivan with his husband Justin Mikita. The couple got married in 2012. While Beckett Mercer Ferguson-Mikita was born in 2020, Sullivan Louis Ferguson-Mikita was born in 2022.

3/6

​Potty training is indeed difficult for parents​


The transition from diapers to potty is not a smooth journey for parents. Usually parents start potty training their kids when they are between 18 and 24 months of age. The early days of potty training are extremely difficult for parents. Kids don't recognise the pattern of pooping on the potty. They find it difficult to empty themselves sitting on it and because of this they resist going to the potty. While in some cases the sound the flush scares them, some kids prefer going to the toilet with only parent. Some kids learn it fast, some take lots of time.

4/6

​"I want my kids to see me as a successful person"​

"I certainly want to instill this precedent that, you know, we should all be doing what we want to do. I want my kids to see me not just being a father, but also being successful and happy in the things that I love doing," he had revealed in the podcast "Dinner's on Me". In the podcast he had revealed that his elder one is outgoing while his younger one is a quieter one. "[Beckett] is really outgoing. He loves to ask everyone what their names are. He's very sweet. He's learning about manners, and, you know, he's not great at them all the time, but he's, I think, doing a pretty good job for his age. Sullivan seems to be at this point a little quieter than Beckett was. A little more low-key. A little more introspective. He's six months old, so I'm just like sort of putting all these adjectives on him [laughs] without his consent… I'm really excited for the moment when Sullivan starts to show personality a little bit more and watching how Beckett responds to that. That'll be really interesting and fun to see," he had revealed in the podcast.

5/6

​"This is it!"​


When asked whether he would be interested to have more kids in the future, Ferguson replied: “One thousand percent no. This is it!” Ferguson and his husband chose surrogacy for their kids. The couple chose to conceive their first child using Mikita's sperm. Mikita had underwent chemotherapy as a teenager and was suggested by his parents then to freeze his sperm. Ferguson is the biological dad of the second child. Both their kids had the same surrogate.

​​5 lessons to learn from parents of highly-successful kids​​

6/6

​"...it was something I desired"​



For the actor, marriage was a dream and "having a kid was really pie in the sky." "It did not always feel like an option for me, but it was something I desired. I didn't know I desired it as much as I did until I met my husband, Justin," Ferguson told Business Insider. He had revealed it to the media that it was his husband who influenced him to embrace fatherhood.

How to support when your parents lose their parents​

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