With childcare, we’ve found it fine to be EC’ing at home whilst the nursery does their own thing. That said, they’ve always been happy to sit her on a potty after her midday nap, if nothing else. The one consequence of that mixed environment though is that she is now dry at home, but not a nursery, so we’re now trying to work out some kind of half-way house between EC’ing and “training” for the nursery.

So, having said all of that – you’re absolutely right. It’s from a position of privilege that we’ve been able to do. Affording the cloth nappies in the first place, whichis much more expensive as a bulk purchase than an on-going outlay of cheap disposables (plus there was a local council money-for-using-cloth-nappies scheme that we had the resources and knowledge to know about and claim). Having the time to wash nappies and the space to hang them out to dry. Being able to afford the heating to have her running around bum-out a lot of the time. Having wooden flooring that made the clean-up so much easier. Etc etc.

I didn’t do EC; partly because the ex would never have gone for it (and *right there* we have the “privilege of having a supportive partner” thing I touched on in my WFPP post) and partly because I didn’t even hear of it until B was about half a year old, by which time although I know it’s never “too late”, even if the ex had allowed it, it would have been much harder.

One of the things I’m coming up against now, with my two and a half year old, is that he’d *love* to be nappy free, and he can, if he’s not wearing anything on his bottom half, use a potty.

But … it’s winter here, it’s cold, and I simply cannot afford to have the heating on. (The irony; my ex husband can afford it, but doesn’t really approve of him going around with nothing on his bottom half *sigh*). So… yeah, kyriarchy laden.

Excellent post.

*hugs* It really is OK.

Thank you for this blog post, so very much. We have been planning on EC our ‘one day’ baby, whenever that time comes. I know I will be coming back to this post again, and again.

And, I’m a care provider who has tried (ie very part-time EC) with the little girl I care for. Whilst in diapers, starting at 12 months. Sure, it isn’t going to lead to being out of diapers within the year, but her awareness alone will make the process easier. It is about communication. So, don’t dismiss working parents finding a solution that works for them.

Thank you again for this post.

But yes, it is a hell of a lot harder on a “9-5″ schedule (really more like 7-6, what with commute and lunch hours!). Babies do take time and concentration, so it’s not as simple as just saying “bring babies to work!” but there are so many possibilities that would allow for both work and babycare, if only we would think creatively, and not enforce such rigid, family-unfriendly policies.

But that’s a rant for another day…

And I KNOW you know just how controversial parenting can be! ;)