The Diaper-Free Baby_ The Natural Toilet Training Alternative - Christine Gross-Loh [74]
EC AND WORKING PARENTS
One of the most important messages about EC that I tell parents is that EC to any degree is still EC. That’s why I placed such emphasis on the part-time and occasional EC categories in previous chapters. Applying EC part-time, especially when you’re just starting out, takes pressure off parents and helps them realize that EC is truly achievable. Needless to say, part-time EC can be especially appropriate for working parents.
Many working parents love the way that EC fosters another connection between them and their child during the time they have together. If their child is with an open-minded caregiver, they may encourage the caregiver to form his or her own EC relationship with the child. Other parents may choose that their children be conventionally diapered during the week and EC’ed only during evenings or weekends.
Some working parents prioritize full-time EC during the time they have together with their child because they feel it’s even more crucial to provide a consistent environment when their time at home is limited. Parents who work may also make other adjustments if they can—similar to what they might do when establishing a healthy nursing relationship with a newborn baby—such as stretching out parental leave as long as possible so that the family can get off to a good EC’ing start, juggling schedules so that the baby is with one parent as much as possible during the first few months of life, and arranging to be with the baby during lunch breaks.
By the way, a large percentage of the parents I’ve quoted throughout this book are working parents, so be sure to reread anecdotes from previous chapters as well.
Parents Speak About Working and EC:
Zane changes a lot during the week, and I’m not always aware of those changes. For a long time I thought he still occasionally peed at twenty-minute intervals, until one weekend I just observed him without worrying about catching pees. Lo and behold, it turned out he could hold it much longer than that!
—KAREN, MOM TO ZANE, 19 MONTHS
Once Betsy was sixteen months, she would walk toward the potty and lift up her shirt when she had to go—a very clear signal. When her day-care providers saw that she was using the potty, we started sending her there in underwear. They were also willing to let us bring in a potty for her.
—EMILY, MOM TO BETSY, 2
We each toilet the baby equally, and I think that is the secret to success with dual working parents. Both parents must see the value of it and contribute to the effort because both parents are probably equally spent when they get home from work. Success also comes from being consistent—for us that meant all time away from day care was diaper-free/EC time. The more we did it, the more we realized how convenient EC was compared to diaper wearing.
When Felix was seven to twelve months old and in institutional day-care, our routine was the same every day. My husband would offer him the toilet at home, then drive to the day care, take Felix to the toilet there, diaper him, and leave. I’d arrive at lunch, check him and change him immediately, nurse, take him to the toilet, and go back to work. After work I would go to the day care, take the diaper off immediately, clean him up, nurse him, and again offer the toilet. Even if he didn’t go, I wanted him to know that he would always have the opportunity. I used my wrap to tie him on my back while heading home on the subway. As soon as I got home, I’d take him off my back and potty him. In five months of doing this, he never once wet or soiled