Has anyone tried to start EC with their baby this late? Please do share your experiences as I'm not quite sure how to do it or if it's even possible at this age! I wish I had known about it earlier. Any tips are appreciated!
Why shouldn't she say elimination communication? That response doesn't help at all with her question. She is asking a valid question about EC.
I do know there are lots of message boards dedicated to EC so that's where I would start as those moms and dads are pros!
Red-you made me giggle "poopy signs"! Too funny!
I also don't see the problem with calling it elimination communication... you aren't expecting the kids to say it... You are just teaching yourself to read your child's cues, and your child to have more difinitive cues (hence the 'communication') about when they need to go. (Hence the 'elimination') I guess she could call it poopy-signs, if she doesn't want to overthink it. ;)
I imagine you could start the same way I did with my younger baby. (since she was about 8 months...) Instead of changing her on the bed, I started taking off her diaper when she needed it, and giving her a couple minutes to sit on her potty. Tell her to go potty, and give her a sign. (I just use the sign for poop~ make a 'thumbs up' with your right hand, with your left grab your thumb and pull up. (the left hand slides off your thumb, right hand stays stationary...) If she goes on the potty, AWESOME! Tons of praise, maybe a treat. If not, just clean her up and put her in a new diaper. (Or a pair of underwear with a pantiliner, if you are willing to keep a super-close eye on her... it's easier to tell when they are going...) Also give her a chance to 'go' within 10 minutes of feeding, or waking up. Eventually you will be able to figure out her bladder's 'schedule', and natural cues that she needs to go. Hopefully, she will pick up on the signs you are showing her and more difinitively let you know. Good luck!!!
I have to say that you need to start calling it what it is. Poop! Then start talking about it. Do you have a poop? Oh look, a poop - and show it to him! Who made a poop? You did!! The more you talk (about everything, really) the better off your child is.
Good luck!
Christine- your ignorance is showing. Look up the terminology that you obviously don't understand before your criticize it.
I'm with Red on this one. At this age, it will need to be a hybrid of EC and potty training. Just follow your child's cues and go as fast or as slow as you need to.
We used EC with our oldest when he was 20months, he was totally independent in the bathroom by 24mos (except wiping #2's).
The other gals are right, at this age its kind of a hybrid between EC and potty training, but its a great age to start! www.diaperfreebaby.com is a good site, an if you go join the mothering.com message boards, there is an entire board dedicated to EC,. and the moms on there are wonderful.
Haha, too funny (the first comment:) People's ignorance is hilarious sometimes, eh? :) Well, my advice would be to wait until he's 23/24 months and then use the Potty Training in Three Days book by Lois Kleint. I tried EC with my first, then started PTing, then didn't (basically I was all over the place - NOT good!). I would do ONE method and with a child that age I would use the 3 day book I used, it worked with my son when we finally DID it. My second son is 23 months and I am jsut waiting for my husband to do the 3 days again :) For boys, the book recommends 22-26 months I think, or something around there...good luck!! It CAN be done and once it's done it's SOOOO nice, but the 3 days (and the the first couple weeks after the 3 days) are hard, but then very nice :)
EC should be started at a very young age.
at 21 months you are on the verge of terrible 2s and a whole bunch of other power struggles.
At this point it's potty training.
And EC isn't really training your child it's training yourself to see the ques of when your child need to go. Then you rush them to the bathroom.
Forget about EC and just go straight to POTTY TRAINING! EC just trains you, not them. Try the 3 day method by Lora Jenson.
I don't think you really need to do EC at this age. He is plenty old enough for regular potty training. Before disposable diapers, the median age that children were potty trained in this country was 18 months (the rest of the world is still way earlier than we are). I would just get some underwear and start sitting him on the toilet (get a training seat cover so he doesn't fall in). He is likely still at an age where he wants to please. When he gets a little older, he will start feeling out his independence and it will likely get more difficult. IMO the recommendations for 'potty readiness' are just silly.
There's great deal of information at this site: readiness checklists, and the science/research on various approaches to potty training: http://www.parentingscience.com/toilet-training-readiness...
There are also warnings about what can go wrong to help you avoid common emotional pitfalls. Follow the internal links for a wealth of information; you may see the possibility of using this approach with your child. Good luck!
