Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
PS: Parents Are Putting Diaperless Babies On Your Restaurant Chairs
By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 18, 2013
Modified Apr 18, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 18, 2013
Modified Apr 18, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
If you hear parents patiently hissing at their baby next time you're enjoying the Philly Peppersteak Stickybuns at the douchiest hot spot in lower Manhattan, don't be alarmed—those parents aren't trying to help their child avoid having an Indiana Jones-like aversion to snakes. They're just trying to make the baby go to the bathroom!
DNAInfo dives into the world of “elimination communication,” aka au natural toilet training—a phenomenon we already encountered at a Pier i cafe recently. The idea is that parents get used to the baby's cues for when they need to go to the toilet, instead of relying on a diaper. On the one hand, this eliminates problems like diaper rashes. On the other hand, there are the messes:
The hope is for the parent to “catch” pees and poops — whether atop open-cloth diapers, toilets, sinks or behind the multitude of parked cars on city streets.
But as Partow learned, often there are “misses.”
“I kept seeing him leave a trail of pee,” Partow, 41, said of her son. “The dog looked at me and said, ‘This isn’t fair. Why can he do that?’”
Parents often make the aforementioned hiss/siss noise (or grunts) when their baby goes to the bathroom in order to help them associate those sounds with feeling relieved. While it's fine for parents to do whatever they like with their kids in their own homes and on their own property, it brings up a question of what happens in truly public locations. Like, say, at a restaurant where other people are eating. Emergencies will happen, after all.
“The other day we accidentally left the house without putting her in a diaper before going to a restaurant,” said Sarah Longwell-Stevens, and early childhood educator and doula. “We peed her on the sidewalk, but she wouldn’t go. Then we tucked a pre-fold [cloth diaper] under her [at the restaurant table]. We were in a place where we didn’t want her to go and we didn’t want people talking about it.”
Other problems with the practice: the availability of toilets in the city. One mom said that at parks and playgrounds, “finding a little area of grass or some bushes was good. I’ve not owned a dog in the city, but I can relate." Then there are those babies who don't find a park area to go in time, and instead pee in the streets—something we were just talking about earlier today.
At the same time, as long as people are respectful of public spaces and other humans and remember that their child is not a puppy, let the Bedford-Stuyvesant lawyers-turned-Reiki healers do what they want to do. But you now what is not okay? Putting up multiple galleries of very graphic photos of babies on the internet. Is it just us, or is sharing your child's baby junk on the world wide web seem like a pretty terrible idea?
Tagged
baby
diapers
eating
elimination communication
kids
parents
toilet training
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
Can opening a restaurant in a New York museum turn the food into a work of art?
These city institutions — including museums, galleries, and auction houses — are hoping customers will find a luxurious meal to be as appealing as the priceless works on the walls.
By
Joshua David Stein
Published Nov 4, 2026
Why NYC restaurants are playing coy about sustainability
Though it has multiple benefits, the practice remains popular for one basic reason: it saves money.
By
Samantha Dady
Food
Why NYC restaurants are playing coy about sustainability
Though it has multiple benefits, the practice remains popular for one basic reason: it saves money.
By
Samantha Dady
Where are the cheapest drinks in NYC? A new report details the city's average prices.
By
Hannah Frishberg
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
By
Robert Sietsema
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .