QUESTION OF THE WEEK #27

Oh God, my hippie parents are teaching me "Elimination Communication."

This Week's Question:

Should we follow the advice of the DiaperFreeBaby Organization and potty train babies before they're even able to walk or talk?

Background: An increasing number of American parents are embracing the practice of infant potty training, sometimes referred to as "Elimination Communication," "Natural Infant Hygiene," or "Fresh Chocolate Pudding Alert." Intended to decrease dependence on diapers, the process involves observing a baby's signs and signals.

Proponents argue that this is environmentally correct, plus you save thousands of dollars in diapers, avoid diaper rash, and develop strong baby-parent bonds.

Critics point out that this exhaustive practice requires parents/guardians to supervise as many as twenty "deposits" a day. Moreover, Dr. Spock counsels against any potty training in the first year as he believes it could lead to rebellion later through bedwetting.

FYI: This practice is much more common abroad; more than 50% of the world's children are toilet trained by the time they turn one year old.

--Junichi