Earthy Potty Training

We all have our own ways of doing things as a parent.  All families and all children are different.  What works for one family may fall very short for the next!  What happened to work for me both times with my girls in the case of pottty training was just letting them fly free.  As in go diaperless when it was convenient for me from a very young age.  And all though I have had much potty to clean up along the way, I feel that them seeing the cause and effect of urninating on the floor really does make some kind of a connection for them!  Here is a tad of info on the whole elimination communication trend.


Elimination Communication:

is a practice in which a caregiver uses timing, signals, cues, and intuition to address an infants need to eliminate waste. Caregivers try to recognize and respond to babies' bodily needs and enable them to urinate and defecate in an appropriate place. Caregivers may use (nappies) as a back-up in case of misses some or all of the time, or not at all. EC emphasizes communication between the caregiver and child, helping them both become more attuned to the child's innate rhythms and control of urination and defecation. The term "elimination communication" was inspired by traditional practices of diaper-less baby care in less industrialized countries and hunter-gatherer cultures. Some practitioners of EC begin soon after birth, the optimum window being zero to four months, although it can be started with babies of any age. The practice can be done full-time, part-time, or just occasionally.

Now I realize how crazy that sounds, especially for a really busy working family with other children!  But I have to say that even using it a hair in your everyday routine is helpful!  We as a family were not gun ho in the beginning.  The first time I saw this was at a farmers market with a little girl about 8 months and her mommy.  I was playing with my kiddo at the park near the weekly farmers market and straight up saw a lady take a little potty chair out of her bag, and pull down babies cloth diaper and sat her on the little toilet.  I was playing with my year and some change old already pregnant with my second watching  this and knowing the concept but had never really understood the idea,  and  I was in awe with the visual of in fact that little baby girl pot-tying in the little toilet!  I soon bought the same little toilet and hit the ground running way more aggressive with project potty train the EC way.  My goal was to have Bryten my first potty trained at least by when her baby sister came.


For Bryten she was in fact potty trained by 2 had a small regression when a home depot toilet flushed itself on her little bottom, we literally had to bring a little potty chair in my purse after that and had her go on it ;) but was back on the saddle potty trained the day her sister came.  She saw me diapering her sister and said Diapers are for babies.  And that was that!  ;)

With my second Daphne I did the same thing, I just stopped puting her in diapers at home.  Here and there when I was lazy or busy I would of course but really just doing it a few times a week was what worked for me.  Then around 2 years I started doing it completley, just let her fly nakie when we were home, or in panties.  It takes a ton more work to be making sure that when she is wiggly it is a cue that she needs to sit on the pot.  But Like her big sister I can say now that she is potty trained at 2.5.

So this is my little guideline, take it for what it's worth.  Start the day having child go on the toilet.  Have child pick out panties for the day.  Making sure that you are paying attention to when they are wiggling or when they are drinking liquids you take those cues and stick them on the potty.!  Traveling with a little potty chair in you car is key as well.  Taking it out and having them try when you get to places or again when cues are being made.  There will be accidents, but that is it okay!  They are learning, I found myself getting frustrated in the begining because I knew she was bright enough to understand concept.  But then I had to remind myself to keep it fun, even when she had an accident.  Say "oh no how sad honey, but that's okay we can clean it up and try again, you are such a big girl".  Remembering that mantra is key!  ;)  Cause lord knows its hard!  At the end of the night not letting them drink liquids for an hour before bed, having them pick their training pants or panties for bed, or actual panites like in our case and put them to bed.  If you have the will power to be waking them up 1/2 way through the night to try potty more power to ya! Or just waiting until morning, but making sure to put them on toilet right away!

I know it sounds silly but I promise if you pay attention to when they are drinking, and wiggiling that is all you need to know to get to them to potty on time.  It takes a patience and a hell of a lot of your time I do so understand, but then they are potty trained.  It is over, and you will be so happy when the day comes, to have smaller purses and a sweet child that is super happy with themselves.  I let everyone in the family know that Daphne is taking gifts for her new accomplishment, and if people want to send her a wrapped set of panties, it just makes it more fun for her.

So now on to the eco tips.  Potty training can be rather expensive if you start buying all the bells and whistles, as well as nasty on the planet!

• After ending up in a landfill, disposable diapers can take up to 300 years to decompose, according to Natural-Environment.com. Despite fears that germs in the diapers from human excrement may contaminate ground water, the Environmental Protection Agency says it is safe to dispose of diapers along with other garbage.

• ABC News reports that about 95 percent of American families choose to use disposable diapers, resulting in 18 billion diapers ending up in landfills every year. According to Natural-Environment.com more than 82,000 tons of plastic and 250,000 trees are used to make disposable diapers each year.

Here is my must get list for a fast and effective earthy potty training experience.  Have these guys in your arsenal and you will have success!

Training Pants:

Getting pullups doesn't do anyone any favors!  You are not potty training if you are putting on a pull up in my opinion.  The whole attitude that if she has an accident she has a pull up on has to leave the equation for potty training to work.  As much as you want them to feel a sense of urgency to get to the toilet you must as well to get them to the toilet or this whole thing will fail!  Just a little personal experience advice!  These are great for bed time, or if you are taking a trip to the grocery store because they hold in poooo.  But they don't help matters with potty much.  So subconsciously you almost have to stay on point.  And that is good!

 http://www.clothdiaper.com/PRODUCTS/TRAINING-PANTS/Bambino-Mio-Training-Pants.html



http://www.kushies.com/Catalogue/diapers/training_pants/taining_pants.html





Waterproof Mattress Covers:
This is more for you to not feel like you are going to have a conniption because there will be accidents my friends, ohhhhh there will be accidents!
  
http://www.diapers.com/p/bargoose-organic-cotton-waterproof-fitted-crib-mattress-cover-16328




Underpants:
Letting your little one pick is magic, they are so excited to pick and wear underwear!  I promise grabbing underwear and putting child in them is what motivates them, not the idea of them having them when you go on the potty!  They need to feel like a potty champion to be one!

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/105499310/little-acorn-designs-potty-learning?ref=sr_gallery_1&sref=sr_f262163cc74330513e5212ad48fbbc24319c55dfe30f0e9fffe165fd6b67e66a_1367775340_14352596_underwear&ga_search_query=kids+underwear&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_ref=auto1&ga_search_type=all&favorite_listing_id=105499310&show_panel=true


 http://www.target.com/p/fruit-of-the-loom-girls-9-pack-hipster-underwear-assorted-colors/-/A-13797877#prodSlot=medium_1_3&term=kids+underwear

 
 Training Seats:

This is a great one for your toilet at home for little bottoms, you can also bring it when you travel!
http://www.inhabitots.com/bamboo-potty-seat-from-growing-up-green/


This little guy is our go to travel potty, it comes in the car with us, hangs out in the backyard with us when we are gardening.  It is our life line for a tricky situation!  If my tush fit I would probably use it!  ;)
 http://www.babybjorn.com/us/products/bathroom/little-potty/little-potty/
 

Book:
 http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com/007145800X.html

Forums:
http://www.diaperfreebaby.org/

Those are the potty training essentials, nothing more nothing less.  There is no need to buy all those wasteful toilet liners, and cardboard toilets.  Buy a few of these essentials and I promise you will be in business.  In my book potty training is a team effort, all participants giving  50/50!  Mommas and daddies got to be on the same page and helping just as much as the little one is trying for this to work!  They will do what they know, so teach them!  It truey does take a village to potty train, you need partner, siblings, granparents, caregivers all on the same page for it to work.  No slacking!  Please choose earthy items when you embark on this adventure, it will take pateinece, wine, and perhaps relaxing breathing techiqniques, but you can do it.  Make it fun, and it will work!

Tread Lightly!