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Elimination Communication Secret # 1: Keep Your Approach Light-hearted – Have Fun.
Elimination Communication Secret # 1: Keep Your Approach Light-hearted – Have Fun.
Elimination Communication is a traditional practice in many parts of the world, even today.
Yet in our ‘modern’ societies this knowledge was lost a few generations ago and if we want to do it with our babies, we need to re-discover the approaches and attitudes needed to do it successfully.
The 7 Secrets to Elimination Communication give you these attitudes and approaches – positive ones – that you need to get started, or perhaps continue, with the correct mind-set. In this secret you will discover how important it is to focus on the fun of offering potty breaks, to ENJOY the process.
For baby potty training is a process, not a destination. It is a gentle, cooperative, joint process between you and your baby. Thinking it is a matter of teaching a few cues and baby will perform on command is w-r-o-n-g, and to do so will cause frustration and burn out. If you know you are a performance- driven person, EC probably isn’t the thing for you, as it ebbs and flows, it isn’t a straight line of improvement leading to early toilet training. Training in the sense of ‘infant or baby potty training’ is used as a term to give access to the concept for people researching for the term online, and as a term meaning learning together.
“When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things.” Joe Namath
It is very important for you to develop and then maintain a light-hearted approach to practising EC. Have fun as you offer ‘pee breaks’ to your baby, sing songs, have a giggle at misses and see everything that happens within the ‘big picture’ – a gentle ongoing learning opportunity for your baby – and yourself. Attending to pees and poos is of course just one aspect of your baby’s life, although it is so exciting and addictive to tune in this way, it is also important to keep balance and perspective – there is always another wee on the way.
What are three keys to keeping a light-hearted approach?
1. Engage your sense of humour – Chuckle when you miss a wee. Cheer when you catch a wee. … enjoy yourself; you are parenting your baby, caring for their needs; how wonderful.. Use nappies if you are feeling distracted; use diapers when you are out of the home, or always between offers if you prefer, at least for a while – there is more about this in an upcoming secret. EC is something you do together with your baby, as a team, getting it ‘right’ isn’t important – moving forwards and being responsive is.
2. Recognise this – a ‘potty opportunity’ is just an offer or an invitation for baby to relieve themselves – they wont always need to go and we mustn’t become stressed over counting catches and misses – they are essentially unimportant so long as the communication is kept up. Having a simple attitude of ‘going with the flow’ as you learn and practise together is ideal. Aim to see invitations for baby to use the toilet place as no different from offering a friend a coffee, or a snack – think nothing if they say “No, thanks”. On an emotional level, consider a missed wee as if it were a spilled drink – oops, better change that nappy. (Better wipe that up.)
3. Make up funny terms for patterns you notice, stages you pass through. It is fun and helpful. For instance, the “Morning pee frenzy” – when small babies may pee several times in rapid succession after waking, or the “crawling floods”. Knowing how normal it is for babies to have lots of ‘misses’ in these stages helps you to have an unemotional response – it is to be expected; use appropriate protection. Baby is doing their best – so are you.
So, remember Secret #1 to Developing Your Elimination Communication Confidence: Keep your approach light-hearted – have fun.
Bonus Resource: Discover a fun way parents practicing EC engage with their baby during potty breaks… Potty Songs and Potty Cheers.
Easing Into EC Tip #1: Ask Your Baby…
As elimination communication is such a respectful and cooperative practice, begin by talking to your baby about what you’ll be doing together, perhaps like this;
“Hey Baby, I’d like to try this ‘EC’ thing with you; we’ll do it together. I’m sure we’ll have fun. I’ll feel a bit silly at first and we’ll surely get our wires crossed at times, but that’s OK – we’ll do our best… have patience with me. Soon, we’ll have you wearing a few less diapers, won’t that be great?”
So, be a team from the start, cooperate and empathise with each other.
Have fun connecting,
Charndra
P.S. Being part-time nappy free IS fun – lots of fun – every time you have a go and ‘click’ with your baby’s needs, well, it just brings JOY to your heart. There should be no stress involved, just striving for greater connection and personal growth as a parent and baby – as a co-operative team. Discover More About How to Get Started with Elimination Communication…
The Elimination Communication Classic Squat Position:
– This photo shows me holding baby Jett in the classic EC Squat position.
It aids easy elimination, and is the traditional way of holding a baby.
A newborn is supported by your body, as they are until they can sit on a potty.
This ‘In arms’ position is great as you can offer a quick wee when out over a loo or a discrete bush when out hiking to keep that diaper dry a bit longer.
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Hey! I love your new site! I checked you out a few years ago when I was attempting EC with my first! It worked beautifully with her and now we have #2, she’s just a few weeks old and this time around ECing is such a breeze!