Oh my, Montana Lower and Tom Linwood from Byron Bay have taken parenting innovation to a whole new level! Through their YouTube channel ‘On The Way by Montana Lower’, they’ve opened up about their unique approach to potty training their daughter, Blue, starting when she was just a tiny two-week-old bub. Their story has definitely stirred up the pot online, with some folks cheering them on for their eco-friendly and proactive strategy, while others scratch their heads wondering about the nitty-gritty of how it all works.
The method they’ve embraced is called elimination communication (EC), a practice that’s all about tuning in to your baby’s natural rhythms and cues for when it’s time to go to the loo. You know, little signs like squirming, fussing, or that tell-tale grunt. Then, instead of reaching for a diaper, you hold your little one over a potty, toilet, sink, or even a bowl and signal it’s time to do their business. The idea is to build a connection between needing to go and actually going, skipping diapers whenever possible. While EC sounds pretty modern to some of us, it turns out it’s a traditional technique still used in many parts of the world.
Montana and Tom were inspired to give EC a go after learning about its benefits and commonality in various cultures. They noticed Blue’s ‘I need to go’ signals and introduced her to a plastic container potty. To their amazement, Blue got the hang of it in just one day at the tender age of two weeks, and she’s been avoiding poo-related diaper mishaps ever since.