Would You Want to Potty Train a 6-Month-Old Baby? This Family Did It
Would you even want a baby this small to get potty trained?
I’m not ashamed to say it: I like changing my baby’s diapers. Everything about Peony is cute, including her poop. Plus, she’s extra super-duper cute on her changing table. She giggles like mad when I blow kisses on her belly. She kicks her legs with delight when I tickle her tush. Not only do I not mind changing her diapers, but sometimes I even look forward to it (there’s something kind of rewarding and cathartic about having her go from a heavy diaper to a fresh one).
I’m already way too guilty of wishing time away when it comes to Peony. She’s my last baby in diapers, and I’m not looking forward to the day when she starts using the potty (and especially the potty-training process, which wasn’t so fun with my older daughter).
Which is why I’m seriously shaking my head at this family that potty-trained their 6-month-old baby, according to The Huffington Post (via the Daily Express).
Can you even imagine? Would you even want to?
Six-month-old Izabella Oniciu says “boo boo” when she has to go to the bathroom. Her parents respond by putting her on the potty.
“Babies are not stupid. I speak to Izabella the way I speak to adults, not in baby talk,” her mom said. “I think she responds well to everything because I’ve listened to her from birth.”
Her dad also credits Izabella’s “achievement” to the Mozart music she listened to while in utero.
Listening Mozart or adult talk — whatever the reason Izabella can go on the potty — it would not be something I’d be bragging about. I’m enjoying (or trying to, at least) all of these small moments in my baby’s life. I think I’d actually be kind of ashamed of myself if I were wishing away her infancy to the extent that I wasn’t allowing her to just be a baby — in diapers. Even if Izabella’s parents call her potty training a “gift” in their relationship.
Signifying her need to go to the bathroom isn’t all Izabella isn’t trained to do (because that’s what this is, right? Training? Kind of like a dog, no?), by the way. She also can express her desire to eat. Although to be fair, my Peony lets me know plenty loud and clear when she wants to eat. And I’m quite proud to say that has required no training at all.
Would you want a baby so young to be potty trained?
Photo credit: iStock
Actually, if you read the original piece, they are not bragging about having potty trained her, they’re bragging about the fact that she has potty trained herself as she could communicate when she needed to go.
But, yes, I would brag about it! It’s much better for the child not to sit on a full nappy.
I have a friend who did this with her daughter. She is a SAHM which I think makes it much more feasible to do. I was surprised at first, but when telling my own mother and grandmother about it, my grandma, born and raised in Scotland, said that’s what everyone did when she was growing up. She said that babies wore diapers, but the mom would just learn when her baby had to go and watch for cues and set them on the pot to go. They usually were out of diapers before 1 year old. She said that when she immigrated to the U.S. in the 60′s she thought it was strange that 2 and 3 year olds were still in diapers.
Kind of like a dog? Why is it kind of like a dog for a 6 month old and not a 2 year old? Or a 4-5 year old the way things are going.
I think the EC thing is a little wacko, but I don’t get why you think training is demeaning for an infant but not a toddler?
@Meagan — When training a toddler you’re talking to them in a language they can understand, and they are able to comprehend what’s happening to them and what you’re trying to get them to do, and why. I have a 7-month-old baby and I assure you that if I tried to “train” her to do anything right now it would be like talking to a wall, or a dog. It seems cruel and mean to me on many levels. When I signed on for parenting, diapers for a few years were just part of the deal. I accept that.
It amazes me that you are a parenting blogger and seem amazed by a 6 month old using the potty. EC is a pretty big idea right now. In fact, there have been myriad Babble posts about it. The only amazing thing to me is that this kid is making news.
How does it seem “cruel and mean” to you? Do you consider it cruel and mean to train a dog? Do you consider the half of the world’s population that trains early to be “cruel and mean”?
And you consider talking to your baby to be like talking to a wall? Your tone is a serious turn off.
I was going to post a comment but Alison pretty much summed up how I felt. This is a very judgemental post….and I don’t really get how it’s cruel and mean ??? I think it’s cruel and mean to make a baby sit in a dirty diaper any longer than they have to!
We practice modified EC, and like previous commenters, your tone struck me as pretty ugly. A large percentage of the world approaches potty training this way, and it seems closed-minded to rudely dismiss it just because you’re unfamiliar with it. If you’d like to educate yourself more about it, you can read our blog post about it, including the three links at the bottom of the post. http://shotgunkorea.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/potty-training/
The U.S. is multi-cultural society, not everyone parents the same way, and that’s OK.
My SIL practices EC & it’s one of her favorite topics. Kinda mean to say that child is trained ‘like a dog’…she’s just taught something that you choose not to focus on when you parent.
My opinion on it is that it’s for people with a lot of time on their hands that are very child-focused…that’s not the kind of Mama I am and not the kind of Mama I’m trying to be. I’m not the ‘my baby can read’ type. I like for mine to advance on their own time and choose not to pressure them to learn & achieve(beyond what feels like having fun to them) prior to school. I also like to enjoy my baby-time and enjoy a little time away too…even though I’m a SAHM
I have to agree with everyone else, I don’t see how this a bad thing at all. I get that you love chaining your daughters diaper, I do to. I pretty much love every part of taking care of my daughter, but I am also looking forward to her being able to use a real potty. She is 7 months now and we are about to start the process. It’s not so much about training her, but more learning to communicate with one another and learn when she has to go, then she can learn how to go in an actual toilet. And about the talking to a wall or dog comment, I talk to my daughter constantly and while she doesn’t understand my every word, she is learning. Oh and lastly, as a lady with three dogs in our family, I talk to them as well and they get more than you think. Might want to be a little more open minded and think it through before you type next time.
Mil is from mexico and she believes once a kid can walk – it’s time. Kids there got paper-trained, actually. We will start once this baby has a little more awareness. She already waves “bye bye” to her poop getting flushed, and is interested in watching me use the toilet, and sometimes stays dry overnight – maybe around 15 months we can start with potty training.
Training a dog seems less demeaning than training a toddler, which can be full of power struggles and anger. I bet the 6 month old didn’t ever feel ashamed or cry in frustration during her training process.
I am in agreement with most of the above commenters, your saying that potty training a baby is “cruel and mean” comes off really closed-minded and offensive to those of us who have practiced early toilet learning, which is actually (as other people have pointed out) MOST of the world, both in developed and undeveloped countries.
I don’t do the full EC with my baby who is 10 months now, but when he was born whenever I heard him pooping I would say “poo poo”. When he was around 3-4 months, I stared putting him on a little potty a couple times a day for a minute or two (after nursing) and saying “poo poo”, he quickly learned to go in the potty. There was nothing “cruel and mean” about it. It was as easy, gentle, and joyous as any other nurturing parenting activity.
Now at 10 months he will often crawl up to me whining when he has to poop. I really don’t see how it is “wishing away his babyhood” for him to be able to tell me that he has to poop – it is not like I fast-tracked him to a 3-year-old, he is still very much a little baby. He just happens to be a baby who doesn’t like to sit in his own waste, and is capable (just like all babies) of telling me so I can help him.
I think the whole EC movement is cool, and would try it myself if I was a SAHM. However, this blogger is no stranger to judging others for their choices and writing closed-minded, offensive posts (see her post on cloth diapering especially). Even though she claims to want moms to mind their own business and be supportive of each other, she continues to write posts in this nasty tone. I don’t understand why.
Would I want to? Sure. More power to them. Sounds hard though.
If you can teach them to receive food from one opening, you can teach them to get rid of the waste from the other. When I went to China, the onesies don’t even cover their private parts.
Most of the blogs I read on here are very supportive and even enlightening. My MIL first told me about training my hubby and SIL when they were little. And I really wish I could have done it with my kids. I was very taken aback at the tone and highly disappointed at how rude and judgemental this author is. I get that we all have our opinions, hence the idea of blogging… but to find that you are constantly this way??? Hmm… Can you ignore certain bloggers? I guess I’ll have to find out. My younger son has been an absolute fight with his diapers, literally since birth. We have the hardest time changing him still. And at 18 mos, we TRY to sit on the potty multiple times a day. Although at this point he is skilled enough to jump up and RUN full speed ahead away. So, if I could have/would have been able to research this and get it done sooner, you bet your sweet @$$ I would have!
I completely agree with you. I would not try to “potty train” my baby. I also have to add that my SIL was big into the idea and my nephew did not end up being completely potty trained until he was 3. My daughter, on the other hand, used diapers for two years and then was completely trained within a week. I enjoyed every moment of her babyhood and see no reason to try these types of methods with my next little one. Over the years, I have found that a good parenting blog can be a great resource with a ton useful tips that only come with experience. One of my favorites is Young Urban Moms. I get great tips, advice, stories, and ideas from moms that are really easy to relate to and really funny. You should check them out.
I’ve heard that it isn’t possible to have a baby potty trained because their bladder/bowels aren’t mature yet (they aren’t able to control them). I am just starting to hear about EC and impressed that people are staying they children are potty trained at such a young age.
I practice EC part time with my baby girl of 4 months. The rest of the time she is in cloth diapers. I do not see how practicing EC is cruel at all and it is so common all over the world. I’m glad I practice EC, not only does my daughter not sit in a dirty diaper, she smiles and is happy when she goes on the potty, she doesnt have any more diaper rash, and we are not throwing money at buying diapers! It is a lot of work, but for the parents that DO put in the time and energy to do it it is amazing to communicate with your little one in that way.
I think the tone of this article was a bit harsh and Judgy That said Potty training is training.. I believe in letting your kid choose when the time is right. Then there is no “training ” but rather a day or two of trial and error before the kid just gets it. I have seen EC back fire. On parents. Kids who learn that control to early CAN.use it as a a weapon against their parents in a power struggle. Which we all know young children want to control their lives and surroundings. When they cant they use food and potty as weapons. Id rather clean a diaper than a poo left on the floor by an angry / frustrated toddler. Not to say this will always be the case, but I have seen it offten enough to not be interested in envesting the time and energy in something that may or may not be helpful in my child’s development.
I use cloth, I don’t “leave my child in wet or soiled ” diapers. My kids bums stay clean and healthy. Its part of my job. When they are ready to use the potty and be responsible for their own EC they let me know.
I agree with you. I don’t think its right to potty train a baby so young. I also read an article written by a pediatric urologist that discourages early potty training. It states the dangers in early potty training.
I ECd my child. She was never forced to do anything. It saved me lots of diaper laundry. She is not completely potty trained at 2. She knows how to use the potty but still needs diapers too.
I have a sneaking suspicion that you merely skimmed the Huffington Post article, considering that you misquoted it. I say more power to those parents if they have the time and the inclination. I have three kids under the age of 5 and I can barely find time to go to the potty myself, let alone watch my infant’s cues!
My goodness, what do you think people did before all our modern conveniences? They taught their little babies to use some kind of potty of course. Read some history, babies in diapers until they are 2 and 3 is strictly a modern idea.
@Meredith Carroll really a few YEARS.? that is cruel. other countries do it before a year. you’re not giving your child enough credit. my baby is 6 months crawling trying to talk and eating solids. i am concidering potty training her as soon as she decides to walk and it better be done before a year because i cant afford diapers at this point. and why compare a child to a dog. they are human and people use the bathroom not diapers until they are really old or just born. dogs poop and pee outside. its not training its teaching. nurture you baby’s brain. they understand everything you say if you speak to them like adults instead of baby talk. they learn their language starting in utero. they learn how to say things when they’re out. i agree with most of the people on here. its not cruel at all. its cruel tho to try and keep your baby an infant forever. i have seen a four year old in diapers and changed it. trust me you want them potty trained.