The Diaper-Free Baby_ The Natural Toilet Training Alternative - Christine Gross-Loh [69]
—KAREN, MOM TO ZANE, 16 MONTHS
We are having a combination of communications and misses. We’re having more misses than usual, but Jason is also communicating more readily through sign language, taking off his diaper/training pants/underwear before (or after) going, complaining about being wet, etc. It’s an interesting stage.
I find that when I keep track of catches and misses, it’s more stressful. I would start to think that I needed to work harder or be more aware. What a headache! Who needs it? Since letting go of my orientation toward results, I’ve become much more relaxed about practicing EC. The communication I share with Jason has also become more fluid.
—KATHERINE, MOM TO JEFFERSON, 4, AND JASON, 14 MONTHS
We fell out of sync with our daughter for several months from the time she was around twelve to fourteen months. I just cleaned up after her. The hardest part was the poops. She began only pooping while standing up. This lasted a few months. Mostly I left her naked so I could tell when she was starting to poop, and then I’d carry her to the toilet. After a while, things just resolved.
—LISA, MOM TO KAI, 3, AND NOE, 2
If my son has a potty pause, he’s almost always dissatisfied with his current situation and is looking for a different potty and/or position. As soon as I provide the experience he’s looking for, we get back on track. So I tell people who are going through this to get creative and try something new: Outside? Inside? Toilet insert? Bathtub? Sink? Bowl? Potty? Training pant? Held in position? Clothed, or not? And so forth.
—LAURA, MOM TO JULIAN, 2
At around nine months of age, Jasmine completely rejected the potty. We entered a period of normal diaper use for the next eleven months, but we still felt we had gained a great deal. Following EC had made everything much easier for us in the first nine months. We’d used fewer diapers, and she still maintained her awareness of elimination needs. At twenty months, she suddenly announced that she would not wear diapers anymore. There was no potty training process and she never had an accident.
Overall, EC was a great experience. The savings in time and energy were immense. Even if the only benefit had been avoiding diaper rash (which our first child had), it would have been worth it a million times over to save all the time and stress that went into the trips to the doctor. Similarly, if the only benefit was that Jasmine instantaneously potty trained on her own at one and a half, it would have been worth it because we were finished using diapers at least one year earlier than most children are. We had avoided all the hassles of potty training. But even without those two great bonuses, I still found it saved time and energy to put in the effort up front, practicing EC, rather than after the fact cleaning up dirty diapers and bottoms.
—BRIDGET, MOM TO CARLY, 5, AND JASMINE, 3
Ben goes through phases. Sometimes he likes the potty, sometimes he likes the toilet with a seat, sometimes he likes to be held over the toilet or sink. At times I try all of the above before he goes. And sometimes he’s just not in the mood and will not go. Mostly I deal with it by keeping the right attitude. If he goes, great; if he doesn’t, he doesn’t. I don’t look at it as something that I am succeeding or failing at. It’s just part of what I do to take care of him, like feeding him and bathing him.
—JULIE, MOM TO BEN, 14 MONTHS
My son’s been sick for a couple of weeks, so I try to pee him but not as often as before. He might resist it or arch his back or say no. During the day he’s distracted and not feeling well, so we just catch a pee right before he goes to bed.
—HELEN, MOM TO CORWIN, 19 MONTHS
One note: illness might not necessarily throw things off. Parents often wonder