Publications
- Potty training can be a challenge for moms, and it may take time for children to catch on.
- Zarah, and husband James Nolland, have revealed how allowing their first-born son, Lorenzo, to use the potty just one month after he was born has saved the family thousands on disposable nappies.
- The method, called elimination communication, is an ancient technique that sees a child learn how to use a potty from an extremely early age.
A proud mom who says her son now stays completely dry during the day at just 21 months old has shared her potty training hack.
Zarah (31) and her husband, James Nolland (30), have revealed how allowing their first-born son, Lorenzo, to use the potty just one month after he was born has saved the family thousands on disposable nappies.
The couple, who live in Queensland, Australia, have saved almost £1400 (almost R30 000) thanks to a unique potty-training hack.
The method, called elimination communication, is an ancient technique, that sees the child learn how to use a potty from an extremely early age. It works by parents watching for signals their child needs to go and offering them the chance to use the potty then or at specific timed intervals.
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"I did a lot of research into elimination communication while I was still pregnant. It’s not really a technique that is commonplace here in Australia, but it’s an incredible way to give your child independence and train them to use the toilet rather than having to sit in their own mess," says Zarah, an online health coach.
"I watched a lot of videos and read up on other parent’s experiences which was really insightful. I started using the technique on Lorenzo when he turned one month, as well as using modern cloth nappies, which we have loved and found really easy to use along with saving us a lot of money. I would have to pay attention to his face and gestures to figure out if he needed to go for a wee or a poo. We did a lot of nappy free time, which was also helpful for me to understand his cues."
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In order to teach Lorenzo how to use the potty, Zarah would take him to the bathroom and sit him opposite the mirror, so she could hold him safely while communicating with him.
"The first time I put him in front of the mirror, he actually pooped within ten seconds. James and I were pretty shocked at how quickly it came to him that he could just go there and then," the mom shares.
"For pee, I would wiggle my finger and make a 'pss' noise and for poop, I would ball up my fist, shake and say, 'poo poo'. He picked up on the signals pretty fast and then started to use them himself during the day when he needed to go. He still had a few accidents here and there when I didn’t trust my gut instincts that he needed to use the toilet."
Zarah continued her method of taking Lorenzo to the toilet every time he signalled while also using cloth diapers throughout the day.
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At 12 months, Lorenzo stopped wearing nappies throughout the day and changed to underwear. "He can go to the toilet completely by himself now, as he uses a little step to get up to the seat. He’s still wearing a cloth nappy at night time and on long car rides, but we’ve made some incredible progress," says Zarah.
Using a cloth nappy might seem a bit overwhelming to some, but Zarah says it soon becomes normal and only a few extra loads of laundry each week. "We also don’t need to buy baby wipes, and instead use a bidet to clean him and cotton cloths to dry. This has been amazing for preventing nappy rash or skin irritation down there, which has also eliminated our need to use nappy cream," she says.
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Zarah now shares her elimination communication with other hopeful parents on social media and has received a mixed bag of reactions.
"TikTok is quite a brutal place for comments; I get a lot of people saying things like, 'Don’t have a baby if you don’t want to change diapers', and 'Let kids be kids', but there are also open-minded supportive comments. My response is that no human or animal for that matter actually enjoys the feeling of sitting in their own faeces and urine," she says.
"Once infants do get used to soiling themselves, we then later have to the task of unlearning that habit known as potty training, which many parents can struggle with. I’ve done a mini YouTube series sharing tips and tricks on our elimination communication journey for those interested in learning more.
"My mum and friends have been super supportive, and a lot of friends have mentioned that they might try the same with their next children along with many friends who decided to try the method out on their young children with great success."
CREDIT: MERCURY PRESS/MAGAZINEFEATURES.CO.ZA
