What EC Is All About

This summer marks the end of a year during which DiaperFreeBaby Mentors, Contacts, and members were instrumental in helping to raise public awareness of the gentle practice of Elimination Communication, or EC. We've seen great numbers of parents flocking to DiaperFreeBaby for information because EC resonates with them for so many reasons: it encourages parents to listen to their babies and to stay attuned to their needs while allowing them to approach diapering in the most ecologically sound and reasonable way there is. We've all done our share in helping spread the word about what EC is - and what it's not - and the word continues to spread. But sometimes a growth in public awareness is accompanied by misperceptions, especially about something like EC that counters decades of standard practice and toileting advice.

For those out there who may not be sure what EC is really all about, here are some thoughts to keep in mind:

EC is not about coercive toilet training; rather it's about gently staying in sync with and communicating with our babies.

EC is not about stressed-out parents; rather, babies and parents fall into a natural rhythm much like eating and sleeping, and EC can be done to any degree; parents are encouraged to figure out the pace that is right for their own families.

EC is not about achievement or about having the first toilet-trained baby on the block; rather, it's about creating a foundation of communication between a parent and baby - a foundation that will last a lifetime.

You can be sure that if you embark on the EC journey, you will make like-minded friends, find encouragement for your responsive parenting practices, and get your relationship with your new little one off to a good start. These are all wonderful reasons to look further into EC and DiaperFreeBaby. If you like what you see, we encourage you to consider becoming a member of DiaperFreeBaby. You'll find a membership application on the last page of this newsletter.

Call for Submissions
DiaperFreeBaby is always looking for good writers who are enthusiastic about sharing their EC experience with parents new to EC. For our quarterly publication, Infant Pottying Today, we are specifically seeking submissions for the following columns:

Cover Story: an 1000-2000 word piece on some aspect of the practice of EC which would be of general interest to most readers.

Getting Started - a personal story about getting started on EC, which could include how you discovered EC, why it appealed to you, and what it was like to begin. 800 words and up.

Graduation: Different stories about graduation - the journey to a toilet-independent lifestyle. This experience varies for everyone and as such we welcome hearing about your individual experiences. 800 words and up.

Question from an EC'ing Family, FAQ, and Helpful Tips: Brief, 300 words or less answers to specific EC'ing questions. We need both questions and answers. Past examples have been: EC'ing in Cold Weather, EC'ing in Public, Nighttime EC.

Creative Corner: Poems, essays, or artwork on the topic of EC.

Photos: Photos of your EC'ed baby. A few tips: make sure you're down at baby's level and close up, try to have a clean background (no stray or dangling objects), and help baby to put on a happy expression for the camera.

Please send your submissions or your questions to Infant Pottying Today.