Weather
4 on your side4 On Your Side: Diaperless Potty TrainingBy Courtny Gerrish
Potty training: It's a rite of passage for every toddler, but what if you didn't have to wait two or three years for your baby to ditch the diapers? The trend toward 'diaper-free' babies is catching on. As any parent knows, what goes in eventually gushes out. No matter how cute the baby is--no diaper is immune to the blowout! Pei Lee and Paul Chang are the happy if not exhausted parents to Megan, Melissa, Matilda and Molly. They decided to ditch diapers when firstborn Megan developed eczema and diaper rashes. "It was a little hard, but once you get to know their cues, it's almost intuitive," Paul admits. With the birth of baby Molly two months ago, Paul and Pei turned to potty-training expert Willow Lune for a brush up on their diaper-free techniques. Lune teaches two hour workshops showing parents what she learned during a tour of Asia. "the basic hold is the child with head supported by your chest and facing outward and holding the legs here, so that you're able to hold the baby over the potty," Lune explains. Lune says start by observing your baby -- does she cry or wiggle when she has to go? Or you can use the clock, offering your baby a chance to go after naps or meals. Paul exclaims, "The first time you do it, it feels really great, and you feel like, 'Wow what an accomplishment, and I can do this!'" Lune says it's never too late to start, and you can use a diaper, preferably a cloth one, at night or when you're out. "I tell you, it's wonderful, not cleaning poops, no baby wipes, no smelling the poops, it goes in the toilet, you flush it, it's done, that's the best," Pei gushes. For a lot of parents, having a diaperless baby in the house is sort of like having a ticking time bomb. But diaper free fans say relax--a mess or two is all part of the process. Not everyone is a fan of the diaper-free method. Some people see it as unsanitary, and think that children that young simply aren't ready for it. |
On Demand |

