Potty training can be a challenging milestone for parents and children alike.
Traditionally, experts recommend starting between 18 and 24 months, although some children aren’t ready until they are three.
However, one Australian couple, Montana Lower and Tom Linwood, managed to achieve this feat with their daughter, Blue, at just two weeks old.
Their success was due to a method known as “elimination communication,” a technique that might seem unconventional to many but proved highly effective for them.
Elimination communication revolves around parents’ keen observation of their baby’s cues indicating the need to use the toilet.
This process involves parents promptly responding to these cues by taking the baby to the toilet.
It’s a practice that requires parents to be as attuned to their baby’s needs as they would be when recognizing hunger or tiredness.
Naturally, this requires a lot of commitment and attentiveness from the parents, but rest assured it’s worth the effort.
Montana and Tom, residents of Byron Bay, Australia, had their reservations about the technique at first.
Despite their reservations, they decided to give it a try.
To their astonishment, baby Blue quickly adapted to the method.
Within a single day, she began signaling her needs to her parents, showcasing that baby’s are a lot more attentive than you might think.
The success of elimination communication hinges on how good the parents are at accurately (and consistently) reading their baby’s signals.
This means being highly observant and responsive, a task that requires both patience and dedication.
Montana and Tom’s experience illustrates that with the right level of attention, babies can start to communicate their toilet needs much earlier than the conventional potty training age.
One significant advantage of this method is preventing the baby from sitting in soiled diapers.
Prolonged exposure to wet or soiled diapers can lead to discomfort and, in some cases, rashes.
Moreover, for girls, there is a belief that staying in soiled diapers can lead to shame and disassociation with their private areas.
By using elimination communication, parents can help their children avoid unwanted hygienic complications and infections like those.
Additionally, the method is considered to be cleaner and more comfortable for both the baby and the parents.
Without the constant need to change dirty diapers, parents can maintain a higher standard of hygiene for their baby.
This cleanliness contributes to the baby’s overall comfort, making for a happier and more content child.
Another benefit is the potential to strengthen the bond between parents and baby.
The process of closely observing and responding to the baby’s needs is also a great exercise for any parent, since you’ll be doing a lot of that anyway.
This increased attentiveness can also boost the baby’s self-esteem, as they feel understood and cared for from a very young age.
Despite its benefits, elimination communication requires a high level of dedication and can be quite messy during the initial learning phase.
Parents must be prepared for accidents and be willing to clean up frequently as they and their baby learn to navigate this new method together.
Patience and persistence are key, but for those willing to invest the effort, the results can be rewarding.
Montana and Tom’s commitment to the elimination communication method has paid off remarkably.
Blue has not used a diaper since she was two weeks old, so the results definitely speak for themselves.
While this method may not be suitable for everyone, their experience highlights an alternative to traditional potty training that can potentially yield impressive results.
For parents looking for a more natural and early-start method, elimination communication offers a viable and potentially rewarding option.
Hear Montana and Tom share how they potty trained their baby in the video below.
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