Strollerderby : elimination communication

I Want To Be the "Urine Whisperer"

Adrienne Martini — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:00:00 GMT

My oldest kid took for-ev-er to get a handle on using the potty. Pee was no problem. It was the big P that seemed to flummox her. We tried everything. Encouragement. Bribes. Threats. Still - she did what she always does, which is wait until she was good and ready, then figured it out in two seconds. It drove us into fits. It'll be different with Kid Number Two. Why?

Because we have taken on Dr. P's philosophy, which is, in a nutshell, don't freak out. Want to do the EC route? Great -- just don't freak out. Want to wait until the kid initiates it himself? Great -- just don't freak out. Want to practice the Vulcan mind-meld of poop? Great -- just don't freak out.

So far, Kid Number Two, who is almost 3, shows no signs of giving one crap about using the pot. We continue to not fr...you get the idea. I'll let you know how it works out -- but suspect that he'll come to grips with it when he's good and ready.

To Pee or Not to Pee

Adrienne Martini — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 15:24:00 GMT

If you want to start a fight when you meet a new parent online, the quickest route isn't to bring up breast v. bottle or Waldorf v. Montessori. No, if you really want to descent into screaming fits of madness, whisper the words: elimination communication.

Who knew that the world of diaperless v. diapered infants could be so heated. Heather Caliri, who wrote a feature about her diaperless baby for Brain, Child magazine, has discovered, the mere mention of babies who pee can unleash all sorts of online angst. Among the weighty issues under debate are the merits of peeing in a public sink, the entitlement of parents and the proper use of hand santizer.

Nothing like a little urine to bring out the flamer in everyone.

Delusional Park Slope Parent Seeks Nanny/Saint

Madeline Holler — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 21:34:00 GMT

I’ve never had to hire a nanny. I stash my kids in the cheapest kiddie farm that minimally passes health inspections. So maybe I don’t really understand what it’s like to open my home and life to a stranger, who will spend a seemingly endless amount of time with my kids, doing the bulk of the drudgery so I don’t have to.

Still, I feel comfortable in saying that the requirements laid out in this ad for a Park Slope nanny will be met only by liars or those with hands bearing scars from stigmata.

Let’s unpack the ad:

Busy young couple … active, energetic nanny … three-month-old. Got it. Fluent in English … 1-2 year commitment … experience with family from newborn to elementary school a plus. They’re dreaming, but fine. They outline a four-day week, 12-hour days plus one weekend night per month. Next come the delusions/cries for help.

Experience with and/or support of exclusive breastfeeding and pumping is a requirement. I am imagining, here, a nanny being non-“supportive.” Pointing and laughing while she nurses? Making mom pump in the bathroom? Then: Interest in learning EC (elimination communication/ infant potty training) is a requirement. Experience with EC is a significant plus. Riiiight. No mention of combat pay, which is surely a requirement for holding a bowl under someone else’s naked three-month-old while he blasts one out.

Now, as if a diaper-less kid pissing all over the floor isn’t enough, there’s also the duty of preparing his meals, cleaning up after him, handling his laundry … AND … just maintaining the home's existing neatness and running occasional household errands ... But if the parents can’t do it (they can’t, right?), how should the nanny be able to?

Finally … must be willing to travel with the child … by public transportation … Is that with our without diapers? With or without the dry-cleaning? With or without maintaining the train’s existing neatness?

All that and more, plus you’re not even allowed to smoke! (But the ad says nothing about drinking on the job.)

Tired of Changing Diapers? Try Elimination Communication

Karen Murphy — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 19:14:00 GMT

I admit, when I first heard about Elimination Communication (EC) several years ago, I was skeptical. Really skeptical. Okay, maybe I even said, "Ewww." After all, what was this about? Rushing to hold your infant over a potty, based on intuition and certain cues? I'm a big believer in non-verbal communication, telepathy if you will, and in fact I've communicated with my own children that way when they were pre-verbal, using it for instance to know when they were hungry or thirsty (and don't many parents do that? Think about it; I'm sure you have done this too), but, uh, the peeing and pooping? It's one thing to mistake "I want that block" for "I'm thirsty", but....the pee. And the poop.

But what about the diapers? They're expensive, and lots of people have issues with the bleaches and gels and dyes that kids are wearing next to their kid-bits for longer and longer periods now, judging by the ever-increasing diaper sizes that are now available (soon! In Extra Jumbo Jumbo! New retro designs, great for the dorm!), and aren't we filling up our landfills with these things, each one with a half-life of about 400 years, collectively containing enough ammonia and methane to increase global warming at least ten degrees?

So...should the hipster parent be thinking about having their babies go commando? Apparently, this concept is not new, nor is it confined to super-crunchy AP parents. Parents in many parts of the world who don't have easy access to disposable diapers have been doing this for years. According to this article, "for most [EC parents], it's another way to stay in tune with their babies, just as they pick up cues the child is hungry or tired. They emphasize that it's a process, not a goal of training a child within a certain time frame." Okay, but what about the parents who work outside the home? And what is this about holding a potty under the child while he nurses? And what about the split-crotch ~~panties~~ uh, pants for babies?

If you're interested in this concept, there is a wealth of information available about it, but be aware that the experts advise that there is a "window of opportunity" for beginning EC that only extends to about five or six months of age. After that, it's Huggies all the way. Sorry, Charlie.