Fans of “elimination communication” say that it’s possible. This new trend in potty training boasts that infants can be trained to go diaper (and accident) free as early as 6 months. The proponents claim that it is just a matter of learning when your baby is about to go, and learning his natural cues. These cues include grunting, straining and any period of time shortly after eating. Parents also use voice cues while holding their infant over the potty or another receptacle. Those families who have successfully incorporated elimination communication into their lives say that it helps children gain bladder control by 24 months or earlier.

The reality is that elimination communication actually trains parents and not the children. By paying close attention to the infant’s cues, a parent learns when they need to relieve themselves. It is an incorrect assumption that the child actually learns to control their bodily functions. The process requires a huge time commitment from parents and the benefits are really only avoiding diaper duty. It is up to every parent who is considering elimination communication to decide whether this is a beneficial trade-off. For most busy parents, however, the commitment and dedication is not worth the reward.