New Potty-training Trend

[cubictriangle]

New potty-training trend: Going 'diaper-free'

08:09 AM CDT on Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Associated Press

SUTTON, Mass. - Thirteen-month-old Dominic Klatt stopped banging the furniture in the verandah, looked at his mother and clasped his right hand around his left wrist to signal that he needed to go to the bathroom.

His mother took the diaper-less tot to a tree in the yard, held him in a squatting position and made a gentle hissing sound -- prompting the infant to relieve himself on cue before he rushed back to play.

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.

Erinn Klatt began toilet training her son at birth and said he has not wet his bed at night since he was six months old.

"The nice part is ... really getting the majority of poops in the toilet versus having to clean that," Klatt said. "I don't have to wake up at night and change diapers or have wet sheets anywhere. That's really nice.

"And being able to travel without a big, bloated diaper bag is terrific," she said.

Some parents and toilet training experts are skeptical.

"They teach them from birth? Oh, my God!" said 40-year-old Lisa Bolcato, as she held her 5-month-old daughter, Rose, at a park on Boston Common. "When you're getting two hours of sleeps between feedings, I don't think that you have the time to do it. You just make sure that your child's healthy and happy and well-fed."

Still, the practice is common in many parts of rural Africa and Asia where parents cannot afford diapers.

In the United States, many of the parents are stay-at-home-moms, but there are also working mothers. Some meet in online groups, at homes and in public parks to share experiences and cheer each others' efforts.

Experts at the Child Study Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center say children younger than 12 months have no control over bladder or bowel movements and little control for 6 months after that.

But some parents begin going diaper-free at birth, and the infants can initiate bowel movements on cue as young as 3 to 4 months, said Elizabeth Parise, spokeswoman of DiaperFreeBaby.org, a network of free support groups promoting the practice.

And unlike some methods of toilet training, there are no rewards or punishment associated with it.

Dr. Mark Wolraich, professor of pediatrics and director of the Child Study Center, said the practice essentially conditions young children to go to the bathroom at predictable times or show clear signs when they must go.

"To be truly toilet-trained, the child has to be able to have the sensation that they need to go, be able to interpret that sensation and be able to then tell the parent and take some action," said Wolraich, who is also editor of the American Academy of Pediatrics' book on toilet training.

"And that's different from reading the subtle signs that the child is making when they have to go to the bathroom."

Parents attempt the early training to forge closer ties with their infants, to reduce the environmental impact associated with diapers and to avoid skin irritation caused by a wet diaper, Parise said.

Others were inspired by observing the practice while traveling abroad.

The practice also enables parents to get insight into an infant's development since more accidents occur if a child falls sick or enters a new phase such as learning to crawl, walk or talk.

This is because an infant may be too distracted by illness or efforts to master a new skill to communicate the need to go to the bathroom, said Melinda Rothstein, an MIT business school graduate who co-founded DiaperFreeBaby.org.

She says finding a supportive daycare center is the biggest challenge for parents who choose not to use diapers. Other problems include finding tiny underwear for diaper-free infants.

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."

[Codymoogle]

I saw this before. I think it's wrong to do this to a baby...as far as the helping to save the environment (which I've heard this "movement" claims to do)? Maybe there are less diapers in the trash...but there's more polluted waters in the ocean when babies use sinks and stuff. I've also heard that babies don't actually develop sphincter control until around 6 months old anyway...so dashing your baby over to the nearest tree to pee isn't TRUE potty training, in my opinion. On another note...when will the toddlers that go diaper free learn to use the actual toilet and not a tree or bush? When they would get older that's not acceptable behavior in society...

In my opinion, the whole thing is kind of odd, to be honest and I don't believe it will ever really become a "big thing". But, people will do what people will do.

Just my thoughts.

~ Pipi Moogles

[baby_G_diaperlover]

I saw this before. I think it's wrong to do this to a baby...as far as the helping to save the environment (which I've heard this "movement" claims to do)? Maybe there are less diapers in the trash...but there's more polluted waters in the ocean when babies use sinks and stuff. I've also heard that babies don't actually develop sphincter control until around 6 months old anyway...so dashing your baby over to the nearest tree to pee isn't TRUE potty training, in my opinion. On another note...when will the toddlers that go diaper free learn to use the actual toilet and not a tree or bush? When they would get older that's not acceptable behavior in society...

In my opinion, the whole thing is kind of odd, to be honest and I don't believe it will ever really become a "big thing". But, people will do what people will do.

Just my thoughts.

~ Pipi Moogles

i agree 100%

[BabyJune]

A totally appalling concept. It deprives a child of the best time of their life. It might be "convenient" for the parents, but it takes away the closeness of raising a child and forces the child to grow up too fast with a missing element of their development.

Not only that, but how can a child become an infantilist later in life if they've never experienced the joy and comfort of diapers?

Baby June 11/13/2007

[cubictriangle]

When I seen this I thought it was odd. I just had to post it cause it was bizzare. i wonder if when these kids grow up they will have soon kind of tree fetish, or worse a sink fetish.

[storzech]

Personally what the stupid parents are doing, letting there children go wherevere is a reason why the plage happened in the dark ages. If I catch one of the parents letting there children pee or take a dump in a sink or anywhere else in public, I will personally have them arrested and sue them for leaving biohazards open to the public plus it is plain , wrong and unsanitary. I mean you go to a family restraunt and Mr or Mrs son of a bitch takes Jr into the bathroom to go in the sink or right there in the open on the restraunt floor that is putting untold burdon on the restraunt to keep the status quoe for the health codes. In my opinion if you see this personally call the police and have the person arrested for public defication.

[Guest]

A tree isn't potty trained!

[mogumbo]

Funny... I've seen topic this bandied about on other boards and it usually inspires an interesting debate. My own brother even tried this with his own son (and failed miserably I might add). Basically, you're not potty training the kid but training the parents to respond to the kid when he/she shows signs of a need to relieve.

What a crock!

Parents constantly hovering around junior waiting for signs that the tyke needs to go potty and then directing them to whatever spot is convenient at the time. Lots of accidents (when the 'rents aren't paying attention), clean ups in aisle three and/or a mess someone else steps in.

It's pretty much fact that humans lack the developmental resources to manage potty training much before 18 months to two years. The brain just isn't ready to coordinate these activities yet. Anyone who says they've done this with any degree of success has only trained themselves to respond to baby's needs and is living in a grave state of denial about junior.

My $.02.

Mo

[BabyDavey]

When I seen this I thought it was odd. I just had to post it cause it was bizzare. i wonder if when these kids grow up they will have soon kind of tree fetish, or worse a sink fetish.

Kind of reminds me of a Simpsons scene featuring Homer's silhouette in the window of their house dancing while singing...: "I take a whisky drink, I take a chocolate drink, And when I have to pee, I use the kitchen sink. I sing the song that reminds me I'm a urinating guy. ..."

What would I do if I didn't have cartoon images clogging my brain.

[Pull-ups man]

I personaly find the opinions od Square_Duck very interesting. Yes, it is true that many "westen" parents are returning back to a diaper-free state, but I also think that for many parents the so-called luxury of diapers for their children is something that the parents are so used to that it is difficult for them to imagine it could be different.

But it is true, diapers as we know them today, are around for about 50 years. I doubt that my parents ever had diapers when they were babies since they lived in the former Czechoslovakia and under that regime you were happy when you got basic needs. It would be interesting to heard about the time when diapers were only common in the "West".

This is again one of those topics in society refering to what is and is not acceptable umongs people today.

For example, if you live in a place surrounded by nature (a farm, small village ot town, etc.) I can imagine people returning to the way it was before diapers were broadly introduced, but think about the big cities around the world (NY, LA, London, etc.), I simply cant imagine a mommy with her baby taking a leak on a busy street in the afternoon.

One interesting think that I happened to notice recently: diapers are expensive for the poorer people that live in the cities. I have not seen that a baby would be diaper-free, but it is fairly common even umong the middle class that when a child is old enough (2-3 years) it is not put in training pants (Pull-ups) but is diaper-free. One of that main reasons is that training pants are not so much in use compared to diapers. Here where I live, it is tolerated by the society that toddlers just take a leak in front of a line of people waiting for a bus. The people in the line dont seem to notice much. But I havent seen such a case for some time now.

Sorry if this opinion of mine was a bit of a drag to read, but I found it interesting to share since I got to know very well both the American and European cultures. I wrote this without much thought, but I will try to do some research into this matter and try to come up with some other thoughts and ideas.

I am a DL. When I found this out I has shocked, but now when I have kids I will not push them to be potty-trained until 3 or so.

Thanks for the news,

Pull-ups man

[messyman]

It would be good if this caught on in North America. It involves parents actually spending time with their kids. But instead we now have pampers size seven. A diaper that in the past would only be marketed to parents of handicapped children now available at your local store. Sure childhood obesity is part of the reason for introducing it but child neglect is probably right after that.

[justindiapers]

The only problem that I have with this is the issue of "accidents" in public places. If someone wants to try this at home, that's their business. But in public places, the baby needs to have a diaper on. I doubt you'd ever be able to guarantee that there won't be any accidents, and that is completely unacceptable in our society. And letting the baby poop in a public sink is gross and a health hazard.

But otherwise, I don't have a problem with it. It encourages parents to actually pay attention to their kids and it reduces diaper usage - both good things.

[diamondback6881]

i acually saw a lady pull down her kids pants and he crapped in a potted tree when i was walking the Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain.

[DiaperBigBoy]

They just don't want kids to wear diapers ever again. Let's get rid of diapers forever why don't we. DO they really think that not using diapers is going to help out the world. SHHHHEEASSHHHH some people

[Radioman]

All I could think about when reading this was how cruel the the Kids. This wasnt

about the child, but was more about how more easy it was going to be on the parents.

Stupid people. Maybe we should just go back to having open sewers running down the

middle of our streets. Just because its ok in some third world country doesnt make it

right.

my $.05..

[AutieAB]

This is the outcome in later life.>>Click here<<

Actually, I suspect the outcome later in life might be: >>Click here<<

Given how many people here cite lack of intimacy and care in their early years as a source of their AB/DL feelings, I think it has to be considered one of the contributing factors to the development of AB-ism. I'm not saying that all of the "diaper-free" babies will end up as AB/DL's, obviously, but it wouldn't surprise me if more than you expect ended up buying their diapers as adults instead.

And the "they do it in the third world" thing is just self-gratuitous nonsense. Find me the mother of a baby in a poor third-world country who wouldn't jump at the opportunity to have the basic levels of hygiene afforded by modern diapers, wipes, etc for their child. Perhaps the diaper-free lot should buy them anyway and then donate them to someone less fortunate than themselves. They don't do that? Oh there's a surprise...

[Guest]

If somebody let's there kid piss near me, like on the street, you better believe I'm going to bitch. I don't want my new shoes all pissy. I've got my own pee to worry about. ....and if I track baby poop in my car, some mother is paying for it... Either directly, or paying a body shop to take out the key gouges in their doors!

It's bad enough seeing dog shit on the pavement, I don't want some nasty human crapping all over. Put a damn diaper on and deal with it!

[Diaper Mike 05]

This "elimination communication" is probably the worst idea I have ever seen. Just let nature dictate and the child will be toilet-trained when they are ready. As has been noted by others, human waste all over isn't sanitary, and the stink would be awful if enough parents tried this.