Practitioners Of 'Diaper-Free' Movement Claim It's Never Too Early To Start Potty Training

Associated Press:

Dominic is a product of a growing "diaper-free" movement founded on the belief that babies are born with an instinctive ability to signal when they have to answer nature's call. Parents who practice the so-called "elimination communication" learn to read their children's body language to help them recognize the need, and they mimic the sounds that a child associates with the bathroom.

Read the whole story: Associated Press

Comments

[naturegirl]

11:37 PM on 08/30/2007

Here's a twist. We're aspiring to adopt practices of other countries. This fad has surely been initiated by stay-at-home mothers (with too much time on their hands) who for some reason felt that their already overindulged kids weren't receiving enough of their attention.
I fail to see how this "movement" enhances a child's development. I'm all for breastfeeding in the Lady's Lounge (I breastfed all three of my children). I'm all for eliminating plastic diapers (I used cloth diapers for a brief time). There are many biodegradable alternatives out there now. I'm not all for confusing children with arbitrary systems of "elimination communication." We train our pets to relieve themselves in certain places. Our children need to be socialized in a similar manner - not permitted to piss in sinks or poop in the park (in the event that mom doesn't make it to a toilet). Do your thing at home, if you must, but please don't foist it on the general public. Children should not be training parents; parents need to train their children.
One more thing; I had no angst whatsoever around potty training. My children "let me know" when they were ready to stop using diapers (they removed them and went to the potty). This occured between 13 and 22 months of age. There was no anxiety attached for them or for me. Controlling the bowel is a natural progression. Let's get real, and stop creating fads around perfectly natural stages of development.

[kwright]

10:58 AM on 08/29/2007

the point is they are babies, not adults. there is a proper time to teach them. that is when the muscles and ability to control their bodily functions come into play. around 12 to 18 months.

[Sumocat]

12:28 PM on 08/29/2007

Did you read any of the article? They aren't teaching control; they're teaching awareness and communication. When the baby feels it coming, he or she signals the parent, and the parent takes care of it. There's no mention of withholding elimination. Rather, it's a pre-emptive measure.

Babies don't leak urine constantly. Urine collects and then gets released, sometimes to comical effect. Same with feces. Babies can feel when they need to expel. They do communicate this unintentionally. I've known many mothers who can tell their baby is about to go and are greeted with dirty diapers shortly thereafter. The diaper-free method builds on this and teaches the baby to signal intentionally. Diaper or no, that's pretty useful.

[AnneThropology]

02:07 PM on 08/29/2007

Yep. I have a friend who does this (with great success) with her baby.

It is not toilet training. It is PARENT training. The child is in no way responsible for "control." If there is an accident (and there are), she says matter-of-factly, "whoops, sorry kiddo, I missed that one."

For the record, she isn't a hyper over-achiever; she's a hippie environmentalist.

I read the book on the subject, and it makes sense.

My husband, who is Zulu, read the book as well - as he put it, "Everyone at home does this, and no one needs a fancy book to learn it. We just know when the baby is going to go."

[Sumocat]

09:59 AM on 08/29/2007

Why so much criticism of teaching babies to expel waste like adults? They have to learn it eventually. This lines right up with my personal philosophy that kids should learn to wipe as soon as their hands can reach.

And how much of a wuss are you if you're worried about diseases spread by babies? I've survived using airport toilets, sun-baked porta-potties, and trough-style urinals. Baby urine doesn't disgust me in the least.

[kwright]

08:50 AM on 08/29/2007

wow! these good moms have too much time on their hands. what will these good moms will do when they get a call from the school principal about their kid peeing in the sink? i can only wonder what they would do if they had twins or triplets.

[ohiomark]

08:06 PM on 08/28/2007

If diapers are good enough for old people and crazy astronauts, then they are good enough for infants who can't control themselves.

[curiousasheck]

06:40 PM on 08/28/2007

I suppose "Science" will want to tie this into a "gene".

So in the future parents can be assured their baby will have the " good potty gene".

Custom Humans to Order

[Trilby]

11:41 AM on 08/28/2007

1) Parents have a distinct lack of judgment when it comes to their own kids and what strangers may find offensive, and 2) compare this movement (ha ha) with parents who let their kids continue in diapers until way past 3. ("I'm a big kid now!" "Not if you're still in diapers, kid!") Now THAT'S gross!

[Condi]

09:18 AM on 08/28/2007

Don't tell Vitter.

[Macready]

08:46 AM on 08/28/2007

what a load of crap!!!!!!!

[missette]

08:09 AM on 08/28/2007

By the way, there is a method for preventing the "irritation that comes from a wet diaper." It's called changing them, often. I used cloth, all-cotton, diapers through a very affordable diaper service for mine, changed them when they were wet, and they never had diaper rash. People leave disposables on their babies until they are saturated and then wonder why theie little bottoms look so sore. Peeing in public sinks and into the ground water? Sorry, but there's nothing environmentally aware about that.

[Charity]

01:08 PM on 08/28/2007

i'll second that! just this past weekend i saw a rather big kid - maybe four? - running around in diapers - a dirty disposable diaper.

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[Charity]

03:08 AM on 08/28/2007

from the article:

"Isis Arnesen, 33, of Boston, has a 14-week-old daughter, Lucia, who is diaper-free. She said it can be awkward to explain the process to people, such as when she helped Lucia relieve herself in a sink at a public restroom.

"Sometimes I don't know what's gonna happen and it doesn't work, and sometimes I feel a little embarrassed," Arnesen said. "It makes her happy though, right? She smiles, she's happy."

___-------

okay, folks, now i've heard everything. not only is this labor intensive insanity for new parents, but it is also disgusting, unsanitary and most likely could spread disease.

the required vaccines that babies must have are eventually expelled via their feces and urine. if their bottoms are being put over a community sink or a neighbor's sink or a lawn (see article),then we have a community health issue here.

i also wonder as to how this will eventually affect the child when he/she grows up and mom isn't there to anticipate when a shit is coming on.

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[Qbear]

02:02 AM on 08/28/2007

Mrs. Vitter,
Take notes

[seasalt]

01:47 PM on 08/28/2007

Oh, dear.

LMAO

[Alida]

01:20 AM on 08/28/2007

Yeah, like we moms don't already have enough stuff to deal with. I rather change a diaper than a sheet or my dress! Note: Using a sink in the public bathroom to pee in is just gross, I don't care how old the tike is!

[OtayPanky]

10:38 PM on 08/27/2007

The ever clever Japanese have invented a remarkable device that that turns a toilet into a sort of playpen-pool-potty.

You just strap the little darling in and leave him (or her) there. He has a fun, safe wonderful time splashing and playing with the various toy-like attachments.

Of course, you have to make sure that the flush lever is made child-proof - but they have a kit that works like a charm.

[missette]

10:20 PM on 08/27/2007

Oh please.