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Infant Potty Training : A Gentle and Primeval Method Adapted to Modern Living
"A resource on infant toilet training including guidelines, medical and anthropological reports, testimonials, history, philosophy, cross-cultural research, and photos from around the world. This practice is also called elimination communication"--Provided by publisher.
- GenresParentingNonfiction
492 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 21, 2014
I'm not sure how much I can "like" a book on infant potty training. I respect how well-done this book is (aside from the poorly designed cover). The first few chapters cover how to work with your baby to read their cues about when they're defecating and how to make an association for them (for instance, saying "Pssss" when they pee will help them associate that sound with peeing). For small babies the associations and giving them the opportunity to go after waking and feeding (and closely watching them to see if they make a face when going) is about all you can do. But when they can sit up they can sit on a toilet and kind of tell you when they need to go. According to this book they can anyway.
The last 2/3rds of the book are supportive texts. One chapter has quotes from pediatricians about how infant potty training isn't going to mess up any baby (why would it?). There are also chapters on how infant potty training has been used for hundreds of years in other countries like India and China and some African countries. There were lots of pictures, which helped normalize the technique in my brain. I didn't read all the supportive texts though, because, while I do have an interest in the anthropology of child-rearing, I found my curiosity about potty training to be oddly satiated after about 80 pages.
The last 2/3rds of the book are supportive texts. One chapter has quotes from pediatricians about how infant potty training isn't going to mess up any baby (why would it?). There are also chapters on how infant potty training has been used for hundreds of years in other countries like India and China and some African countries. There were lots of pictures, which helped normalize the technique in my brain. I didn't read all the supportive texts though, because, while I do have an interest in the anthropology of child-rearing, I found my curiosity about potty training to be oddly satiated after about 80 pages.
June 17, 2009
This book was not bad. There were a few sections that seemed to drag, though, which is why I gave it 4 stars. I really liked Part 1, which discusses the concept and method of Infant Potty Training. I found Part 2 to be WAY too long and drawn out. It contains testimonials of 10 people who have used Infant Potty Training. Part 3 was interesting. It was similar to Part II, but the accounts were more brief and gave an idea of how people use Infant Potty Training in different parts of the world. I really liked Part 4. The anthropology stuff provided a good look at how people have practiced potty training historically. There were 3 things in this book that I liked enough that I want to remember them.
From page 303: “We think that when a baby cries it is because she is already wet or dirty. But maybe it’s because she doesn’t want to wet herself and she is trying to signal us to do something about it.”
From page 391: “The fear of doing something different should not hinder parents from doing what they believe is right. In addition, parents who make an honest, intelligent and sincere effort to do what they believe is best for a child should not feel guilty if they later learn of a better way to have behaved or handled certain situations.”
From page 427: “Toilet training is not an occasion where a child confronts an adult, as is often the case in the West. Self-soiling is not the goal of any punitive attitude and thus never manifests itself as a means of protest by the child.”
From page 303: “We think that when a baby cries it is because she is already wet or dirty. But maybe it’s because she doesn’t want to wet herself and she is trying to signal us to do something about it.”
From page 391: “The fear of doing something different should not hinder parents from doing what they believe is right. In addition, parents who make an honest, intelligent and sincere effort to do what they believe is best for a child should not feel guilty if they later learn of a better way to have behaved or handled certain situations.”
From page 427: “Toilet training is not an occasion where a child confronts an adult, as is often the case in the West. Self-soiling is not the goal of any punitive attitude and thus never manifests itself as a means of protest by the child.”
December 18, 2014
This book is a thorough reference guide to Elimination Communication / Natural Infant Hygiene. About half of the book consists of case studies, with a dozen+ chapters of international use and cross-cultural comparisons. I enjoyed this anthropological view. My other favorite chapters were
• that on the environmental impact of diapers and
• “Stage by Stage”, an overview providing snapshots with broad contours of what the method looks like during different developmental stages.
The author's tone is encouraging—and caustic. I think I get why she takes the tone she does; she spends so much time defending this method from its many demonizers and detractors (mostly Americans like she). The persecuted are naturally touchy.
Here's what bothered me most:
• She uses language that can easily be construed to deride or exclude fathers.
• Her remarks about teenaged mothers made me cringe: This method is not one they should use, she says, as they're children themselves and not responsible enough to handle the method.
Much of the time the writing was all you could ask for in a reference work, then BOOM! a stinkbomb would show up seemingly out of nowhere. Not unlike pottying, eh!?
• that on the environmental impact of diapers and
• “Stage by Stage”, an overview providing snapshots with broad contours of what the method looks like during different developmental stages.
The author's tone is encouraging—and caustic. I think I get why she takes the tone she does; she spends so much time defending this method from its many demonizers and detractors (mostly Americans like she). The persecuted are naturally touchy.
Here's what bothered me most:
• She uses language that can easily be construed to deride or exclude fathers.
• Her remarks about teenaged mothers made me cringe: This method is not one they should use, she says, as they're children themselves and not responsible enough to handle the method.
Much of the time the writing was all you could ask for in a reference work, then BOOM! a stinkbomb would show up seemingly out of nowhere. Not unlike pottying, eh!?
December 31, 2020
There's a lot in this book - how-to, testimonials, observations of different cultures. I was particularly interested in the last part; I wish it were easier to find out about how different cultures raise children! It definitely could have benefited from more editing (a few sections were just bullet points??), but it was super interesting. The middle part, the testimonials of Western parents, were sort of obnoxious and not very information-dense. There were also some woo sections, talking about telepathy . . . . come on, "just knowing" that your child has to go to the bathroom does not mean you're psychic.
September 27, 2020
well researched tome. Would have enjoyed more specifics in directions but it did not detract from book. Fav part is the across the world examples and testimonies.
June 29, 2025
DNF. Most of the information seems to be in the first section of the book.
November 15, 2013
This is the most complete and informative book available on the subject, but it's not exactly a reassuring invitation to infant pottying. I found it intimidating enough that it almost scared me off of trying. I ended up reading another book (Diaper Free), which gave me enough of a boost to actually try the practice; later, when is been doing it for a while, I came back to this one for help with the challenges I encountered. I'd recommend it as a resource for anyone trying EC, but maybe not as a first introduction.
February 28, 2015
This is a good guide to "elimination communication," and contains plenty of details, examples, and resources. Just try not to dwell on her occasional wingnutty screeds against public schools (how did these make it into the final draft?!). Also, she's a fan of the Pearls. Yikes. Also, the cute name she came up with for infant potty training is "trickle treat." Okay, this book is sounding worse and worse... But if you can ignore all the weird stuff, it's a handy guide!
May 4, 2011
This book contained some good information but it desperately needs editing. If you're writing a research paper on EC and want lots of source material and you have hours of reading time to kill, this is the book for you. If you're a parent who wants to learn about EC in order to put it into practice I would recommend another book on the topic.
July 13, 2011
My daughter and I actually appear in the Australian testimony. THis is a fantastic technique tho we only mastered it for #2's! As a resource of support and info, this and her earlier version which is much smaller, called "Trickle Treat" is a natural method that enhances infant/caregiver communications. Def worth checking out if you are into alternative parenting!
August 8, 2011
once again this is a good book, but not exactly the information i am looking for. i do like how it details and outlines other cultural practices of elimination and potty training in infants. fascinating read on the subject overall.
January 7, 2010
This book is awesome! So much valuable information about potty training world-wide.
August 13, 2016
This is the most informed and explanatory of the major diaper-free books (otherwise known as EC, diaper free, infant potty training, nappy free).
August 13, 2012
I'm excited to try this out.
February 12, 2013
If you've read any other book on EC, you don't need this.
July 24, 2015
Part 1 was informative but preachy. Did not read Part 2, which is a number of testimonials from around the world demonstrating how "awesome" IPT is.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews