Potty Training/ Diapering Max?

[EchoMom]

So what are you asking for advice for then? Looks like your original post was a question on peoples thoughts. Clearly you have your mind made up.

Good luck, hope all your kids comply to your preconceived expectations, or that its easy to replace them.

Yep, my original post sure was a question and people's answers have helped me alot. I posted because I wanted to know about other provider's experience, when did kids in their care tend to stop needing diaper changes, if it bothered them, if they had a cut off point that was too old for them.

Clearly I do not have my mind made up about my policy. Yes I do have my mind made up about what I think is an appropriate age to not need diapers anymore. But no, my mind is not made up about my business and my policies. Just because I think diaper free by age 3 is an absolutely attainable goal doesn't mean I necessarily want to make it a policy.

And in fact, I doubt I will make it a policy because I care about the kids in my care, I care enough that I do work very hard with them on potty learning, so much so that they are successful and proud of themselves and have beaming smiles when they can tell their parent at the end of the day "I was dry all day!
Or, "I went pee pee in the toilet 4 times!" But no, I don't think that I would have the heart to terminate a child/family that's been with me for months/years.

[EchoMom]

I completely agree with you about not pushing a child before they are ready. However, I want to clarify that that is not what elimination communication is all about. And, in fact, I think it's much more "appropriate" than many of the other ways people go about "training" their children. Done with the intention of "elimination communication" (i.e. communicating with your child), rather than with the intention of rushing children through stages for your own convenience, it's amazing and gentle and the complete opposite of pushing.

In essence, we "train" children to use diapers. Babies, like all animals, don't want to sit in their feces. Give them an opportunity to go outside of the diaper, pay attention for their cues as to when they need to go, and they can, and will, with no need for praise or encouragement or punishment or bribes or any of the other stuff parents resort to.

Very well said!

[Hunni Bee]

I've taken care of special needs children. I have no issue with changing a special needs child/adult's diaper. I suppose I should have explained that.

It didn't seem like you did I just replied to your post.

And I suppose I came across wrong. These issues are just piled on top of the other issues with where I'm working. One being that we're totally not set up for inclusion. Its just really hard to balance changing him every 45 minutes with 19 other children and one other adult....

[momma2girls]

I think it depends entirely upon the child as well. Do they understand the concept, can they control it, etc. I have a mom doing this new "3 day potty training" thing at home right now. I think a lot of parents send them to us and expect us to do it and not really work with them at home at all. Another thing is the pacifier. I go to the store and see kids who are 3 and 4 with them and that drives me crazy!

I hear you- It drives me insane as well. Potty training a daycare child must start at home, and making good progress, before I start with it here at daycare..