Part time diaper free! is dedicated to helping you reduce
your diaper use as you gently, naturally and gradually practice
Elimination Communication with your baby, and discover the joys of doing
so!
Please feel free to share my website link with anyone you think may find
it intriguing or who may simply be curious!
This is the ONLY website specifically about part-time EC. By starting
your EC journey together with a friend you can help each other out...
you'll maximize what you are able to discover by sharing and
troubleshooting with other parents.
What are people saying about Part Time Diaper Free?
On this page you'll see some of the nice comments I've
received by parents who have become members here at Tribal Baby, sharing
about the impact that practicing EC is having or has had on their lives.
When Liam (now 10 months) was only 2 months old, I used to
give him a pre-departure potty stop prior to getting in the
car. Much more frequently than expected, he went. And I
could expect a quiet ride for the half-hour to the store.
Michele, Japan (I'm an American)
Charndra, I was amazed and inspired by your
easy-to-use EC information. I approached my daughter and
son-in-law about trying EC with my 2.5 month old granddaughter
and we read the book, "Infant Potty Training". We three are her
only caretakers so can do it full time. Baby caught on right
away and has done extremely well by putting her on a Baby Bjorn
Little potty before and after feedings as well as when she gives
a signal. It's been 2 weeks using EC and can report no poopy
diapers other than tiny dribbles (shes' a liquidy poop,
breastmilk baby) and many pee catches a day, including at night
- so she wakes up dry! Diaper usage is waaay down - there may
be 4 times in 24 hours where we don't catch a pee. Her proud
parents are pleased to tell anyone who will listen about EC.
Patti C, Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA
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...It
keeps me focused on how "we" do it instead of how one "should"
do it...
Thanks for putting all of your information
together in a website. It's been wonderful hearing the stories
and getting reinforcement that this process is not an all or
nothing! Your 7 secrets helped me to keep the right mindset
while we started our journey. And loved, loved, loved the potty
songs!! My daughter is 7 months old and really getting into new
songs, so she loves when I sing them to her. Thank you for
everything!
The main benefit was to learn that this is a
process that will have misses and setbacks and that just about
everyone has them. I loved the personal stories that highlight
the individuality of each family's journey. It keeps me focused
on how "we" do it instead of how one "should" do it.
I believe my daughter is having a bit of
trouble with teething again and her digestive system is
adjusting to solids so she's not the most responsive the last
couple of days. She was not okay wearing a diaper and let me
know it! Thank you for reminding me to stay relaxed and
light-hearted. It made for a pleasant day, since it allowed me
to better tune in to the fact that she was having a rough day
and offer extra cuddling and sympathy. :)
Jennifer in Michigan, USA.
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Fun...
Helpful...
Inspirational!
"Charndra's Seven Secrets to Developing Your
Diaper-Free Confidence is the perfect way to begin your EC journey, but also to
give anyone a boost no matter what stage they are at with their baby and the whole process.
She has a way of making what sounds difficult, very do-able, and also stress-free...because with a little baby, who needs more stress? :0)"
Shell, mother of three (youngest an EC baby), New Zealand. |
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... It's like having an
early warning detection system!
The most interesting thing I have found from our
EC adventure in general is that I always know when my baby is about
to get sick or do something new. Two days before illness or a
milestone she wees everywhere, refuses to be squatted but wees on
the floor two seconds later and is generally very difficult to live
with. It's like having an early warning detection system!
Sonya in the Northern Territory,
Australia
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...I'm very happy not
to know what it's like
to have to change a pooey diaper...
Hi Charndra,
Just a quick hello from me and my baby girl (BB), 5 months.
BB is getting the idea about toilet/poos/wees and diaper free. The
summer is a great time to get more into diaper free at home.
She's been an EC baby from birth and I'm very
happy not to know what it's like to have to change a pooey diaper.
We have spent a lot of time with BB giving her pottitunities while
singing her favourite songs/reading books and chatting.
She now says "Po" and it clearly means a
number 2 is on the way. Now the communication is starting to
flow in both directions and its all making sense.
Thanks for your amazing efforts in allowing parents access to
information about diaper free. What a great resource and a relief
for the planet.
Kind Regards, Sherilee in South Australia
Heather Road (Traditional
& Contemporary Music)
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And
I am finding that the EC thing is not as hard as it appeared... It
feels great to be doing it...
It
is a great idea to have a series of secrets, it is a nice
introduction to EC to help build one's confidence and
understanding of the process.
I
found the secrets to be very helpful and reassuring - reminded me
that it's a process not an end result that I'm after.
It's
great to have the Secrets to go back to at any time to get extra
reassurance, motivation, a reminder of things that I haven't tried
for a while.
Staying
light-hearted is a great way to start. This is something that I
guess is important all the way through, so its a really good
mindset to get into right from the start.
I
like that you start by saying EC is adaptable to your lifestyle -
makes it seem much less daunting and scary. It helps to remove
those doubts like 'but I can't do it because we go out too much or
its my 2nd child' (the 2nd child thing did it for me for a long
time, I felt like I couldn't give him the attention it would need,
but its actually meant I'm giving both kids more attention (myself
too) which is great!
In
fact, doing EC improved my communication all around with both kids
- not just in terms of toileting but understanding their needs
across the board. I think they also communicate more clearly
because they know I'm paying attention. I also feel like I pay
attention to my own body's messages (toileting, hunger, tiredness
etc) much more than I used to.
It
is also good also that you reinforce that its OK to use diapers
part time and that there is the option of using diapers all the
time but still being aware of their elimination needs.
'Do whatever suits the situation' is an excellent tip, helps to
stop me getting caught up in the idea that I'm failing if I'm not
doing it today or if he's in diapers all day or I forget to give
him a pee opportunity.
And
I am finding that the EC thing is not as hard as it appeared... It
feels great to be doing it. I'm surprised too at how aware its
making me all round - my daughter is in the process of moving
out of diapers herself (she has about half her time in diapers and
half nudie or in undies) and even though I was doing that in a
very relaxed way already, I am so much more relaxed about it now
and she hasn't had an accident since I started doing this with my
son- its like we're all so much more in tune.
Annie,
Melbourne, Australia. Annie started EC with her son at 10 months
of age. She has an older daughter as well.
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...we understood each other and that
he trusted me to help him...
"The 7 Secrets are very simply set out,
and could very well convert someone into trying EC. I confess to
having read your website many times over the last year or so, so
the ideas were not entirely new to me. I think it's good that it
reiterates that misses are normal, and ok!
I started EC with Callum at 6wks, he's
now almost 4 months, and some of my most interesting
observations have been the intuition that develops (or
expands?). I've had many catches due to "acting on random potty
thoughts". It was also lovely the first time that he looked up
at me while he peed (in the early days), and seemed to
acknowledge that we understood each other and that he trusted me
to help him."
Kerryn
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Thorough...
Encouraging... Easy...
"Even the most unsure brand new Mum or Dad could soon become an EC expert with
Charndra's course. It is broken down in to manageable bits so people
can get started right away. All the thinking is done for you and You can feel that anyone can do this; and there is great flexibility.
What a wonderful, fun way to enhance the relationship between you and your tiny perfect progeny!"
Shell,
mother of three (youngest an EC baby), New Zealand.
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Thank you for your 7 Secrets.
We are two months into the potty journey with
my 7 month old with 98% of bowel actions on the potty. He also
does a wee each time he is on the potty, but still has wet
nappies in between.
We both love doing the potty
learning.
Thanks for your site, I will certainly be referring others who
are beginners to it.
Cheers
Lynelle in Australia
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...The pot pot lives in the toilet room now and most
times when I myself go for a wee wee on the 'big' pot pot I take
Sage in and offer her a seat!
Hi Charndra
Thank you thank you thank you, your 'Seven Secrets' are an asset
in our household, I hope you enjoy the following story of our
experience so far............
Learning about the potty at 10 months of age has been a
wonderful experience not only for my daughter (Sage) but
everyone and anyone who is in the household at the time of being
'nappy free'!
We have always given Sage 'nappy free' time ever since she was
born, I have always been a believer of 'flying free' - some days
everything just needs a good airing! Anyway it wasn't until I
signed up for the 'Seven Secrets' that I realised this 'nappy
free' time can be utilised into some fun potty training.
As mentioned in your 'Seven Secrets' the poo poos are much
easier to read then wee wees but we are getting there and
enjoying every step of the way!
When nappy free and a wee occurs we praise Sage for doing so and
place her on the potty singing "weeeeee on the potteeeee"
with big grins and more praise overdose.
On successful notes there have been the times when we have read
Sages body 'motions' in time to place her on the pot pot for a
poo poo. One particular time Sage actually had a nappy on when
her Grandma noticed her in 'motion', took the nappy off and
placed her on the potty where Sage stayed until the 'motion' was
complete and the potty full. Praise and rounds of applause were
in abundance, as you could imagine.
The pot pot lives in the toilet room now and most times when I
myself go for a wee wee on the 'big' pot pot I take Sage in and
offer her a seat!
After reading the 'Seven Secrets' and other tidbits on your
website I realise that it seems to be just 'common sense' really
the practise of EC however most people are in too much of a
hurry these days to take the time out for their most precious
asset.
THANK YOU for taking time out to compile this information and
sharing!
Annette
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... Anyone can see
the positives of getting poos in the toilet rather than the
nappy!
Your guide and 7 secrets
make EC sound achievable for a "normal" mum and family. I guess
the few unfavourable media portrayals have made EC seem a very
weird practice.
I really liked reading the personal stories, to see how
different families approach EC and how they define the process.
It is really reassuring to consider a "part time" approach to
EC. I also appreciated the emails arriving every few days - it
was a little boost to keep me trying!
I used nappies full time for Catherine for the first couple of
months, then started offering the potty. It really is
such a thrill to understand a baby's signs and get a catch! Then
I signed up for the "7 Secrets" and these gave me a real boost
to keep on going, as well as some tips to try.
We have had some wonderfully successful days - such as using
only 2 cloth nappies in one day. It's obvious that she usually
prefers to eliminate anywhere else than her nappy, and if we
have a miss, it usually that I have missed or misinterpreted her
signs. Of course some days the nappy bucket is completely full
and I wonder if there is any point to offering a
potty-opportunity after each of all these wet nappies!
We still use nappies full- time - I think of the cloth
nappy as her undies, and try to help her keep them dry.
Of course some days we have more catches than others, but we
very rarely have a pooey nappy. We just use disposables at
night.
My extended family have been quite interested and supportive of
this latest venture. Anyone can see the positives of
getting poos in the toilet rather than the nappy! They
are as surprised as I am that Catherine can 'hang on' until I
get her to the toilet. So much for the theory that babies have
no bladder or bowel control. My mum is always impressed when she
sees us get a catch. "You're very clever", she says. "At least
one of you is, anyway!"
Thanks, Charndra. Your enthusiasm for EC is infectious!
Helen in Australia.
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I began, much more purposefully, to create non hectic days, or at least a much less hectic lifestyle.
"Being a new mum was a joy and EC was revelatory and freeing, in many ways
realizing the implications of "to practice or to not practice EC" - was actually incredibly profound for me. It made me
realize how powerful my choices were as a mother and what a political act I was making in choosing to commit to EC. As I did commit, I found that I was doing such an unusual practice created a different challenge to the previous challenge I had of dealing with the feeling of "wrongness" associated with 'ignoring' my babies elimination processes.
When I let a little EC into my life it TRANSFORMED me and my life as I
realized what an important role I played in influencing the level and quality of my connection and communication with my baby through this and other AP practices. This realization was very CONFRONTING to me at first because it made me acutely aware how responsible I was for the kind of life I created, as a mother, for my child. With this new consciousness I began, much more purposefully, to create non hectic days, or at least a much less hectic lifestyle.
It's funny how such a fundamental living act of helping one's baby toilet can be so profound and have so much philosophy attached to it!!!"
Annabelle H, Adelaide, South Australia
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It is AMAZING how communicative a baby can be when you listen!
Just a quick note to thank-you SO much for your wonderful wonderful website. I have poured over every single inch of it and think it's positively inspired stuff.
We have an 11 week old baby boy, Lucien, who has taken to EC like a duck to water. It is AMAZING (as I'm sure you know) how communicative
a baby can be when you listen! We have an almost 80% success rate at
home without a diaper in sight. But most of all it has made me understand him and, I think, him me, so well. And I'm so proud of
him! I can't believe everyone doesn't do this with their bubs. It makes me feel sorry for all those babies who cry out for a wee and then have to do it in their
diaper, and eventually give up communicating.
Charla and Lucien, Alice Springs, Australia.
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My husband is
especially pleased as he was dreading pooey diapers, and we very
rarely have any.
I thought I'd write and tell you what EC means to us.........
For our family EC has opened up a whole new world. I stumbled
across the concept in a parenting magazine while I was pregnant
and though that sounds like too much work, but couldn't get it
out of my mind. I had already decided I was using cloth diapers
and had made them ready to go....I had to use them after all
that work.
But EC made sense. Conventional Toilet Training doesn't when you
think about it, so I thought I'd give it a go and if it
saved one diaper a day that would be great.
I had no idea that at 16 months my little boy would hardly be
wearing diapers, and we would have so few messy diapers to
clean.
My husband is especially pleased as he was dreading
pooey diapers, and we very rarely have any.
Through EC we found out about baby sign language, attachment
parenting, extended breastfeeding, and many other parenting
choices that I hadn't heard of. I'm so pleased as we weren't
happy with what everyone else was telling us to do.
So thank goodness for EC, Your website is great I'll be passing
it on to any curious mums I meet.
Nicole, in Australia
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What
Has Practicing EC Brought Into YOUR Life?
I'd love to learn about and share your
experience here.
Please send your story to
charndra@tribalbaby.org
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Develop
Your Diaper Free Confidence as you Discover the Joys of Practicing
Elimination Communication
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