Babies Get Head Start On Toilet Training

"Diaper Free" Movement Encourages Parents To Start Training At Birth

(AP) 
In the United States, many of the parents are stay-at-home-moms, but there are also working mothers. Some meet in online groups, at homes and in public parks to share experiences and cheer each others' efforts.

Experts at the Child Study Center at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center say children younger than 12 months have no control over bladder or bowel movements and little control for 6 months after that.

But some parents begin going diaper-free at birth, and the infants can initiate bowel movements on cue as young as 3 to 4 months, said Elizabeth Parise, spokeswoman of DiaperFreeBaby.org, a network of free support groups promoting the practice.

And unlike some methods of toilet training, there are no rewards or punishment associated with it.

Dr. Mark Wolraich, professor of pediatrics and director of the Child Study Center, said the practice essentially conditions young children to go to the bathroom at predictable times or show clear signs when they must go.

"To be truly toilet-trained, the child has to be able to have the sensation that they need to go, be able to interpret that sensation and be able to then tell the parent and take some action," said Wolraich, who is also editor of the American Academy of Pediatrics' book on toilet training.

"And that's different from reading the subtle signs that the child is making when they have to go to the bathroom."

Parents attempt the early training to forge closer ties with their infants, to reduce the environmental impact associated with diapers and to avoid skin irritation caused by a wet diaper, Parise said.

Others were inspired by observing the practice while traveling abroad.

The practice also enables parents to get insight into an infant's development since more accidents occur if a child falls sick or enters a new phase such as learning to crawl, walk or talk.

This is because an infant may be too distracted by illness or efforts to master a new skill to communicate the need to go to the bathroom, said Melinda Rothstein, an MIT business school graduate who co-founded DiaperFreeBaby.org.

She says finding a supportive daycare center is the biggest challenge for parents who choose not to use diapers. Other problems include finding tiny underwear for diaper-free infants.

Isis Arnesen, 33, of Boston, has a 14-week-old daughter, Lucia, who is diaper-free. She said it can be awkward to explain the process to people, such as when she helped Lucia relieve herself in a sink at a public restroom.

"Sometimes I don't know what's gonna happen and it doesn't work, and sometimes I feel a little embarrassed," Arnesen said. "It makes her happy though, right? She smiles, she's happy."

[jshmks]

Yo mom, let him do his business, why you gotta be staring?

[christiansin]

Huh? Instinctive? So, babies have been using a potty for millions of years and have evolved a potty instinct?

What do people living in diaperless cultures do with their infants?

I do seem to recall reading something about toddlers running around naked and deficating where every they might roam. Then the family dog might come along and clean it up in a most unpleasant manner.

Whatever works I guess...

[phil-in-fin]

My little son Timothy, born on 9/11, 2004, hasn''t had a diaper for two years, and only once has he had an "accident" without a diaper.

In the bathroom he has a step if he wants to use the toilet, and a little pot if he wants to go there.

When we are out shopping, there are maternity rooms in every mall that have everything for helping parents with their small children, including small toilets, pots, and large toilets with steps.

All I have to do is ask Timothy, "Do you have to go to the bathroom?" He nods his head, and so we go to the bathroom.

It isn''t rocket science, but then again we live in Finland, where children''s health and care is a priority.

[jrlordjr]

We can always learn better ways of doing things, but this sounds like the indulgent-mommy version of following baby around with a pan under its bum, and when six-month old baby dumps in the pan, mommy declares,"My goodness, how prodigious you are!"

[oleander8]

These are trained parents, not trained babies.

I would say that Finland isn''t the only country where children are held dearly. Americans, English, even the French love their children. But maybe some in Finland just are a little nuts in the social areas. You don''t see many people from Finland creating much in this world...may it''s to much of a nanny state?

PS: After traveling the whole world several times in my lifetime, I can say NO country loves their children any less the people of Finland.

[phil-in-fin]

To KEITHGARDNER,

I guess you never heard of Nokia?

Kone?

Stora Enso?

Carl G. E. Mannerheim?

Martti Ahtisaari?

Sibelius?

Mika Hdkkinen?

Kimi Rdikkvnen?

[phil-in-fin]

Mika Hakkinen?

Kimi Raikkvnen?

(Sorry about that: CBS won''t let me spell their names properly. In both of these names the "a" should actually be an "a" with two dots over it: an "a" with an umlaut).

[phil-in-fin]

Kimi Raikkonen?

(Oh yeah, and in this name, the "o" should be with an umlaut. So sorry about that.)

[phil-in-fin]

To KEITHGARDNER,

My wife has asked an excellent question, and now let me ask you:

Do you even know where Finland is, since you traveled around the world several times you must have visited here several times?

[cathaleen]

In how many languages can you say stupid?

[browerclan]

It does sound like trained parents rather than children.

My comment to that mom who lets her child use a sink as a toilet in a public bathroom: "Do you know the difference between a sink and toilet. One is for WASHING YOUR HANDS AFTER YOU USE THE OTHER."
How dare she risk my health and that others so her infant can be diaperless!!! It reminds me of that jerk who boarded two airplanes when doctors had warned him he virulent TB.

[phil-in-fin]

To Browerclan, who said,

"My comment to that mom who lets her child use a sink as a toilet in a public bathroom: Do you know the difference between a sink and toilet. One is for WASHING YOUR HANDS AFTER YOU USE THE OTHER.
How dare she risk my health and that others so her infant can be diaperless!!! It reminds me of that jerk who boarded two airplanes when doctors had warned him he virulent TB."

You are absolutely right!

How stupid can a person be to let their child pee in a sink?!

Can you imagine using that sink to shave your face, and then you cut yourself?

Puke!

[dragonmouse-2009]

"Pee in the sink" of a PUBLIC restroom....

Nasty!!! What is so "wonderful" about pressuring "babies" into potty training so early. They all learn just fine in their own time without peeing behind the tree at the park.

[nlm2383]

I think this is a great idea. I don''t have any kids yet, but this is something I''m going to consider when I do.

[incog-nito]

This is a great idea! If you don''t mind having all kinds of stains all over your carpet, furniture, beds, etc. and your house smelling like a latrine. I know right away when I walk into a house if the owner has a cat, and that''s plenty for me.

[erasmus6]

Okay and so what happens if the kid is in bed at night and the parent doesn''t see him "clasp his right hand around his left wrist to signal that he needs to go"?

And what happens when the kid gets older and is in the habit of pissin'' on trees and in sinks?

YIKES, someone needs to give their head a shake.

[briannorwood]

I believe we are fast becoming a nation of mad people!

It reminds me of a some friends of mine who were tried to raise their kids without saying "no", as this was too negative.

It was pretty fun to see their four year old son smash the aquarium with a baseball bat!

I won''t be surprised to see these kids grow up to be like those creepy adults who like to wear diapers!

[nbenn514]

Okay - let me get this straight- you expose countless people to your kid''s pee in a public bathroom so that you personally don''t have to (eww perish the thought!) touch a dirty diaper? I am so grateful I don''t personally know anyone that selfish. Would love to see these kids when they''re teenagers after they''ve been taught that mommy doesn''t like to be exposed to any messes. Poor kids.

[erasmus6]

"It reminds me of some friends who tried to raise their kids without saying "no", as this was too negative." posted by briannorwood

Yeah, me too. My nephew and his wife are doing the same with their kid. He is now 5 and is a BRAT. Actually I would be better to describe him as a DEMON child.:)

I don''t get some parents, why would they want their kids getting into the HABIT of peeing in sinks and on trees? It is like these parents that take their babies into bed with them. They are too lazy to have to get out of bed to feed them and change their diapers. They would rather take the chance that they won''t roll over and suffocate them. And if they manage to survive that then later they have to listen to them scream and cry when they have to get them out of the habit of sleeping with mommy and daddy. Of course there are some that are even too lazy to do that and end up letting them sleep with them into adulthood. hahaha.

[xenalily]

I don''t see anything wrong with this if it''s what you want to do. You have to invest a lot of time in it. Though it may not be socially acceptable to let your child pee in a sink in a public restroom I have news for those of you who think that may be a source of infection: the toilet seat you sat on as well as the handle you touched to turn the water on and off in the sink has more germs than any baby pee ever could.
Hey- you know- this is better for the environment and is probably much more comfortable for the child. Can you imagine wearing a plastic wadded up diaper all day? It seems that kids are allowed to go far too long before being potty trained nowadays. Why do parents wait now until kids are almost four before they get potty trained? I think it''s easier for a parent to stick a kid in a diaper instead of taking the time to teach them to be potty trained. Furthermore, and I know this is going to really provoke attack, but if a puppy can be paper trained why can''t a younger child be potty trained? My mother had me potty trained by 1 and most people I know say they were about that age. Now there is a tendency for parents to weight much longer.

[phil-in-fin]

To nbenn514, because he or she said,

"Would love to see these kids when they''''re teenagers after they''''ve been taught that mommy doesn''''t like to be exposed to any messes. Poor kids."


So, to you, it is more logical for your kids to sh*t in their pants (albeit in diaper), than to sh*t in a toilet?

Children aren''t stupid, you know, they learn quite fast when they are taught properly.

I guess, if you can''t begin teaching your one and a half year child to use the toilet properly, then I guess you are not much use in teaching your child anything else.

Do you expect your child just to learn on his or her own how to use the toilet? Maybe someone at school will help him or her: perhaps the school''s custodian?

[snoopy28173]

Toilet training from birth? Now I''ve heard everything! If a dirty diapper is the only thing parents had to worry about, I''d say bring it on. But it''s not the only thing. A newborn infant knows when he''s hungry and sleepy or has a tummy ache or just does not feel good. They don''t know when they have to go to the bathroom.

Give me a break on this one.

[snoopy28173]

Toilet training from birth? Now I''ve heard everything! If a dirty diapper is the only thing parents had to worry about, I''d say bring it on. But it''s not the only thing. A newborn infant knows when he''s hungry and sleepy or has a tummy ache or just does not feel good. They don''t know when they have to go to the bathroom.

Give me a break on this one.

[erasmus6]

Pee is actually sterile but it is still inappropriate to be peeing in a sink. If they are going into a washroom, why not take them to a toilet. Why the sink?

[cantshutup]

Isis Arnesen, 33, of Boston, has a 14-week-old daughter, Lucia, who is diaper-free. She said it can be awkward to explain the process to people, such as when she helped Lucia relieve herself in a sink at a public restroom.


i''m all for less diaper waste but these people are loons...who lets their child urinate in a sink????? maybe i should prop myself up on the sink to take a whiz??? wonder if she''d mind that?

[cantshutup]

when my child was little he LOVED clifford the big red dog...i bought him a clifford potty seat at an IKEA in germany...i told him what it was for, he refused to pee in clifford...i never pressured my child endlessly like some folks do...i''d ask him if he wanted to pee in the clifford potty and always he''d refuse, crying "no pee on clifford!" one day at 18 months he simply pulled his diaper off and refused to wear another...i followed him around nervously to clean up pee on the floor which he never did...i thought i was the luckiest mom on earth, but it could have had something to do with the clifford potty and how much he loved that big red dog!

[oleander8]

To erasmus6:

You''re a loon. Babies and children have been sleeping in the same bed with their parents since the beginning of time. America is the country where a room for every baby, a separate bed for every baby became "fashionable" and family beds became "suspect".

[cathaleen]

Let''s see, what words come to mind. Stupid, inane, rediculous, etc.