6 months old & using the potty!
This is most likely one of those pictures that Owen will want to hide from any and all future lady friends!! But it’s also stinkin’ cute, and is evidence of at least ONE of our boys using the potty! I will not bore you with all the potty training methods and excitement I’ve tried that have not worked with our almost 3 year old. This is the kid who couldn’t asleep on his own or sleep through the night until this spring, at 2 1/2 years old. He’ll decide to use the potty (hopefully some day soon!!) when he’s ready just as he all of a sudden decided he would be able to sleep on his own, despite any earlier attempts to coax him sooner. Owen however, is a potty pro. I’ve tried elimination communication with both my babies- a fancy way of saying I take them to the potty when I think they need to go to save on diapers and in theory, avoid the potty training battle altogether. Obviously this didn’t work out so well with Jude who refused to use the potty after he was one year old, although it was still worth it from how much I saved on laundering my cloth diapers up until then. But I am already noticing that Owen let’s me know when he has to go much more clearly than Jude ever did and will pee just about every time I put him on the potty seat. (While smiling- it’s really cute! And at this point most of you are thinking I’m a little loopy, but that’s quite alright!:) He hasn’t pooped in his diaper since he was 6 weeks old, not because I tried really hard to train him not to, but it just happened- and I’m still amazed! This is a common practice in Asia, Africa, and other places and one of my favorite things in China (and most amusing) is seeing little ones bundled up for the dead of winter with their little bums peeking out of their split crotch pants- for easy peeing access of course! It’s not uncommon to see a mom hold her baby out over the floor of a subway or street and let the babe have at it- no one bats an eye! Of course there are more sanitary ways to practice this but over all I think it’s sad how diaper companies are convincing more and more people world wide to use diapers instead of their traditional way of pottying their children. Don’t even get me started on formula companies.
Any one else heard of this method or tried it themselves? Think I’m crazy?:) Have any funny pictures their kids will be embarrassed by in the future?!:)
Side note on our little Owie Bear- we had his 6 month check up last week and he’s in the 80% for height and weight! (Down from 95th) He was so still and quiet while the doctor checked him over and gave lots of smiles, sweet bear.
Jude also practices ‘elimination communication.’ He says, “Go away Papa/Mama I’m pooping”, while filling his diaper with man sized poo.
Comment by Foosh — October 19, 2009 @ 10:09 am
Oh my goodness - that’s THE most precious photo of sweet Owie. We all know Jude WILL get there - in HIS TIME!
I couldn’t help but laugh loudly at your comment Andrew!
Comment by Sharon Radebaugh — October 19, 2009 @ 1:46 pm
HAHA!!!!!!!
Comment by Jess — October 19, 2009 @ 1:52 pm
I wonder what Owen will think when he finds out this picture was posted all over the Internet. LOL Very cute tho. :-p
Comment by trish — October 20, 2009 @ 1:17 pm
Hi Jessica! I’m trying EC with our son, Abram, 6 months old. I really like it too…though our month in Humboldt set me back quite a bit as I didn’t keep up with it. Now, I’m afraid I lost most of our hard work, BUT I will get serious about it when our guests leave tomorrow. I haven’t been able to detect any signs from him that he is going to go…I just take him about when I think he will….do you have any tips for me? How long do you leave him on the potty? Since Abram is not sitting on his own yet…I have to hold him on the infant potty at counter height…but after a few minutes I give up and we try later. Thanks for this post!
Comment by Tracy Rickstrew — October 28, 2009 @ 12:30 pm
Tracy~ That’s great that you are trying this with Abram! I definately don’t do it much when away from home or on trips, but when I am home I try as much as I can, some days more than others. I think all babies give different clues that they have to go- with Jude he would make a little puckered lip face before he needed to pee, as well as get squirmy. Owen sometimes let’s out a yell or a grunt, or starts to get fussy for no apparent reason. I think getting into a rhythm helps, then you know about when they will need to go again and then you can start looking for the signs. I hold them a minute or so, usually if they have to go at all the air hitting them will be enough to help get things going, so you don’t need to wait too long. Cloth diapering helps with EC a lot since you check more frequently to see if they are wet anyway and it’s easier to tell how much they’ve gone.
Best of luck~ let me know how it goes! Hope you had a fun trip over to Humboldt!
Comment by Jess — October 28, 2009 @ 9:54 pm