I get a lot of pitches to my inbox, trying to get me to write about anything from kid's CDs to edible craft stations to just about any book ever written having to do with children under the sun (too many to link to.)

I rarely write about any of them but sometimes a witty subject line catches my eye and I'm hooked. Like the pitch I got today about potty training your baby early through sign language.

The email read: Give the Gift of Potty Training. I'm always looking for ideas.

Inside, was a description of how I can be more "eco-conscious" by "getting babies as young as 12 months old out of diapers which is good for the environment" through the "Baby Signs Potty Training Kit."

According to the website,

"... potty training a baby under the age of 24 months is actually easier than potty training an older child. Why? Because as children get older, they want to make more and more decisions on their own. This natural progression towards independence is healthy, but it also often sets the stage for a battle of wills when it comes to potty training."

Ok, but isn't there a physiological element to this argument that would outweigh any toddler stubbornness, or will? To me, the notion of potty training a baby when he or she can't even say "hi mama" is borderline absurd.

This is not to say that I'm not pro baby sign language to enhance a baby's communication skills. But you can teach your baby about the potty and to sign for the potty without physically making them use the toilet.

And, the environmental link that early potty training may keep thousands of diapers out of the landfills may be true, but it's asinine. There are plenty of other ways, like cloth diapering, that we can use to reduce diaper waste without forcing our children to make in the toilet until they are ready.

What say you? Would you sign up for Potty Train with Baby Signs?

Sara Fisher is a mother of two living in Roscoe Village. She also blogs at selfmademom.net.

See more of Sara's stories here.

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