earthwalker

I 'spose the old methods were abandoned because it appeared to "pressure" the child and let's face it....it means parents/carers have to be vigilant and get off their behinds. Toilet training like teaching manners, setting limits and organising a routine, takes time, energy, patience and maturity. Many (not all) are just not prepared to put in the effort.

Now this grumpy, middle-aged old bat is going to hop off her soapbox.

JJs

A friend of ours years ago was amazed to see our grandson talking, not wearing a diaper, etc and less than 2 years - his son was over 4 still wearing a diaper, still carrying a bottle, barely able to communicate (no he was not handicapped)....
Kids are like computers - they only send out what they get - if they get ignored they sure don't learn very much...
It really bugs me to see 'grown kids' walking around with pacifiers in their mouths - If they are old enough to walk, they are old enough to leave the binky behind!!

another grumpy, old bat... LOL

ptquilts

why is it you can house-break a puppy in a week or two, but to train a kid takes months or years?

Quiltforme

If you watch the movie Babies in africa they don't use diapers the baby and mom are in tune with each other. I agree it has to be a commitment to the Potty training I for one was not ready for my son to potty train so it did take him a while 3.

DebraK

lol, do you swat it with a newspaper? ;-)....joking.

mzsooz

It is the parents that are "trained". The central nervous system in babies are not fully developed at this age. I had a nurse tell me that a child is not considered fully potty trained until age 4.

My first daughter was 2...the second one was 4 when they were fully trained. The second DD was born with some disabilites due to an underdeveloped central nervous system.

Pzazz

Amazing how different and unique every child is. I have 3 boys. The eldest started pooping on the pot at about 7-8 months, and was out of diapers completely by 14 months, the middle child was a victim of bullying and although he was day trained by 18 months, he was still wearing a diaper/night protection at age 10. The youngest was done at about 2 1/2 yrs.

I was a stay at home mom, and believed in taking the time to put my children first....they are small for such a short time, I figured "stuff" would still be there after they had grown. And it was!!! ;)

Patti

Jan in VA

For those who have not experienced elimination communication, you will likely find it fascinating to hear that one of our first childbirth couples to do this was using the system before the first month of age.

Yes, the mother was "trained", she was very in tune with her baby's 'gotta go' signals just as she was because she was nursing and recognized the 'hungry' signals.

She would hold the baby in her arms with mom's hands supporting the backs of baby's thighs and baby leaning back against mom's upper arm and body; she held her over a little bowl (specially used for just this purpose), made a little ssppsss sound to baby, who would go immediately, then pat her little bumm with tissues and put the just-in-case diaper back on.

I babysat for one of my business partners whose barely 3 month old DD was using the EC system. I fed her a bottle of breast milk, burped her, talked to her a bit, then when I noticed a slight change in her eyes and actions, I took her down the hall to the bathroom, removed her diaper, and held her over the sink where she promptly made a tiny little 'pushing' sound and movement, and went just as pretty as you please. We did this twice while I was there. I'm not sure who I was more proud of, the baby or me!

(Yes, I told mom we'd used the sink -- because I couldn't lean over to hold her over the toilet and then straighten up again.)

Someone here mentioned this for seniors.......if we thought of our babies like we'd think of our elderly parents in nursing care, how horrified we'd be to find out they'd been allowed to sit for hours in their own mess, we wouldn't have any of this waiting til 2, 3, 4 years old baloney to potty train. We'd respect our children more than this. African women are shocked when they are asked if the babies ever wet them while being carried in slings....the moms are so in tune they always know when the baby is ready.

grann of 6

Because it takes a lot of time and vigilance. Parents these days don't have either; let me rephrase that, don't want to have either. If you have only one child it is easy, but try to train a little one when you have others running around. In Africa they don't have anything to do but carry their baby around and know when it has to go potty. They don't have cars, carpooling, away from home jobs, phones, cell phones, TV's, on and on and on. Off my soapbox I go.....

Moon Holiday

My brother was completely toilet trained before he was 7 months old. He'd say poo and my mom would hold him on the onto the toilet until he finished his business. Everyone said it was my mom who was toilet trained, not my brother.... it's been 57 years and he hasn't messed his pants yet. (ha..ha!)