This parenting method is probably the most extreme and difficult to maintain. Elimination communication is when parents let their baby or toddler signal to them when they need to go and then defecate without their diaper on. The parent can usually get there fast enough to catch the waste in something, but what about when the parent doesn’t get there in time? Gross.

Advocates for the practice say elimination communication is better for the bank account and the environment, as it cuts down on the amount of diapers parents need to buy and use. An older baby usually goes through 6 to 8 diapers a day and it could cost anywhere from $50 to $120 per month to diaper a child exclusively in disposables. After three years, you could easily spend more than $3000 on diapers alone. That’s a lot of money! Plus, using this parenting method supposedly speeds up potty training because your child never becomes dependent on diapers. However, most children grow up in families where both parents work outside of the home. It would be difficult for parents to do all the time, but could be done on a part time basis.

Some parents let their children use the bathroom wherever they need too, while others place their children on pedestals… or in china cabinets.