EC graduate, potty trained, etc

[lnitti]

What is the definition of an EC Graduate?
What is the definition of potty trained?

I don't know whether to say my dd is an EC Graduate, potty trained, almost potty trained or what?

[ktmama]

I was never comfortable using "potty training" since it implied some sort of training, or worse yet, what most parents put their kids through to get them un-diaper-trained.

[boigrrrlwonder]

I use the term potty trained, just because more people understand that. And I tell people that she's mostly potty-trained. In a culture where the expectation of potty trained is never having an accident, can undress, get on the potty, wipe, redress, and wash hands all by themselves, we still aren't there, even though T has been out of diapers for over a year.

[lisavark]

I also say mostly potty trained. Since DD is only 19 months, I usually get a lot of surprised looks even for that.

But in EC circles I say she's a phase 1 grad. This was on the EC yahoo group a long time ago, and it's my favorite way to talk about EC graduations now:

PHASES OF GRADUATION:
Phase 1: Staying dry pretty reliably with mom's help
Phase 2: Signalling rather consistantly, needing occasional reminders
Phase 3: Independence in going potty
Phase 4: Self sufficient, including wiping.

Obviously our culture's idea of "potty trained" is phase 3 or 4. EC cultures will call a kid "trained" at phase 1.

[lindsayjean]

I say potty training just because it's the common lingo and people wouldn't understand or care if I explained my real opinion on the matter. Ha.

My DD was fully 'potty trained' by 16 months. For us, that meant being in underwear fulltime (including nights) and she maybe had 1 or 2 accidents a week.

With that said, she is now 2 1/2 and I still wipe her and she needs me to lift her up to our toilet to go... but I consider her potty trained since she never ever goes in her pants.

[lguse]

I just say "dry."

[hrsmom]

I really love those stages, Lisa, thank you for posting this! We're at phase 1, which is pretty cool! I can see calling that "potty trained" b/c we don't have wet pants and what 18-month-old can take themself and wipe anyway?

[pixiepunk]

for me it really depends on who i'm talking to. most people really don't care about semantics and i don't feel the need to go into the whole blah blah blah, so i will just say that she's "pretty much potty trained."

my DH's grandma, whom i adore, asked me last time we saw her if i had the baby "broke" yet good grief, she's not a dog!!! it was really funny, actually. she's really wonderful, and one of my biggest family supporters on that side with extended BF'ing, it's just the term she uses i guess. she's old and grew up on a farm, whatcha gonna do?! i certainly wasn't about to get into a philosophical discussion about it, so i just smiled and said "uh huh."

[emmaegbert]

I hated to say my son was "potty trained" so I mostly said, "he stopped needing diapers" at 22 mos which is pretty noncommital, actually, and fits well w/ Phase 1 ECers. Or, I just said, "he uses the toilet" (I didn't know about EC, but kind of did it by accident following his cues.)

[isabchi]

My DS fit i the Stage 2 is 14 months old. I would say is almost "EC graduate". I don't like the term "graduate", but... I don't know what other term could be more explicit.

[sapphire_chan]

Originally Posted by boigrrrlwonder

. In a culture where the expectation of potty trained is never having an accident, can undress, get on the potty, wipe, redress, and wash hands all by themselves,

Lots of 5 year olds aren't potty trained then. Kids need help with handwashing all the time because of high sinks and such.
.