Infant potty learning in the time of covid19

Not enough money for nappies? More time with your baby than you’d expected thanks to Covid lockdowns or job changes? This could be the perfect time for potty training. For parents who are at home with young babies or even toddlers, it may be a great opportunity to consider an alternative to the typical kiwi attitude of ‘pop on a nappy and wait till they tell me they want to use the loo’.

Sounding a bit weird? Don’t be scared, there are millions of people around the world who find the idea of letting their baby toilet in a nappy a bit weird, too. Some of those people take a different approach to potty training, opting to give their baby the opportunity to use a potty from a surprisingly young age – even from newborn.

Using a nappy on your child, but giving them frequent opportunities to use a potty or toilet – is a happy medium that gives parents the confidence to go out and about (or stay in at home), while teaching the child that the place to eliminate (that’s poo & wee, for most of us!) is on a toilet or potty.

If you’ve ever noticed that your baby wees just after you’ve taken off their nappy, you’ll realise that this isn’t as crazy an idea as some might think. The rush of cool air when the nappy comes off is a cue for elimination – and that means it’s also a great time to pop baby onto a potty.

So why do this in a pandemic year?

Well, it’s all about consistency and paying attention to your baby. If the mere thought stresses you out, no problem. You can always come back to it when you’re in a better place. But if you’re intrigued, read on.

Perfect time to become self-sufficient

Many of us have spent much more time at home than usual in this year of Covid lockdowns. That provides the perfect opportunity to develop a routine that incorporates potty time for your baby. You might have started to notice when they’re straining to push out a big one, too. Imagine if that solid waste when into an easily washed potty instead of onto a stinky disposable (sitting in your bin for a week or so) or onto a cloth nappy (better for the environment, but you know you’re going to have to soak and wash that sucker). Being able to flush solid waste away (or even apply it to your composting toilet if that’s your jam) is one of the most satisfying things the parent of a young child can do. OK, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but not much!

You might have read this far in the hope of money-saving tips. It’s pretty simple, really. Every nappy your child doesn’t soil is one less nappy you have to pay for. If you’re using disposables, you’ll buy less by pottying your baby. If you’re using cloth nappies, you’ll wash less. Either way, it’s a saving. And once you start ‘catching’ poops – and eventually wees, too – you get the bonus feel-good feeling of saving the world, one nappy at a time. It’s surprisingly addictive.

This article was written by Melissa Gunn from Auckland, New Zealand. Melissa trained as a scientist. She used EC with her own children (those days are now long past). She also writes climate-change based urban fantasy novels, which you can find at www.melissagunn.com

We’ve been doing a bit of online shopping today, as you do in lockdown. These are products we like from the Summer Infant range.

If going nappy-free is a bit extreme for you, you’re not alone.

Fortunately, there is a middle path.

It’s also a good route for children with sensitive skin, but more about that in another post.

It’s pretty simple, really.

Either way, it’s a saving.