Bathroom Talk

We are starting a new journey in our house. Things are getting a little crazy and a lot of interesting around here! We are taking the big leap of faith toward a diaper free home as this adventure called elimination communication unfolds.

So what is elimination communication you ask? Oh, you didn't? Well, I'm going to tell you anyways; elimination communication is the process of associating the toilet with going to the bathroom. Sounds simple enough right? The idea is to communicate in ways that your little one can understand whenever they have a bowel movement and to make that relatable to sitting on the toilet and going. It is NOT potty training. It is a sort of precursor to that. So if it’s not potty training, why do it right? well, in part, it’s cheaper, less water use on our cloth diapers and less detergent use also but for the most part, families that successful use elimination communication are able to actually potty train their buttons by 6 months to a year old! Basically, the age a child can get him or herself to the potty (depending on when they start to craw and walk). Button is five month now so obviously, we are not expecting him to start actual potty training for some time. So why do it at all? because we want to instill a concept that seems to have been lost to the western hemisphere, that children don't like, nor want to crap themselves or have urine sitting on their butts for, well, at all. The whole idea of diapering is really flawed to me. 50% of the world does not even use any form of diapers at all; and while it would be near impossible for two working parents to really do this, I am blessed enough to be a stay at home mom. Therefore, I feel there is really no reason Button should have to sit in his own stool or urine at all. Though I understand it is a truly controversial idea.

The gist of this all is, we are starting to teach Button the phases "go pee" and "go poop" whenever he starts making the movements and sounds of having to go and doing our best to provide the means to go somewhere sanitary (i.e. his little toilet) so that he does not lose his natural instinct to not want fecal matter on his poor little bottom and so that he will learn to associate the toilet with going to the bathroom. We do NOT expect him to hold himself  (because children this age simply do not have that kind of control over there bowels yet) but we do expect him to start learning that the phrase "go pee" and "go poop" are related to actually doing those things and that the toilet is associated with going to the bathroom.

I know many of you already think I'm crazy, that's why you keep reading right? I am also aware that this is a very touchy and debatable way of nurturing but it is my hope that you all will read this with an open mind and caring heart ( I won’t judge you if you don't judge me). That it might spark something in someone and if nothing else, teach you something new about the world. So, here we are, lots of days spent sitting on the baby toilet, listening for little grunts, saying pee a thousand times, and trying not to fall off toilets. Oh, the life of being a mom!