Local Practices‌ 4.2.1 Children’s Defecation Practices Sample Clauses

Local Practices‌ 4.2.1 Children’s Defecation Practices. ‌ The mothers’ explanations of children’s defecation practices indicate that, in the early years of life, children’s defecation practices rely on a close communication between mother and child. Even during the child’s infancy, a mother quickly becomes attuned to her child’s eating and elimination schedules, and can tell when the child is ready to defecate. As the child matures and is able to verbally communicate, she is taught to inform her mother when she is “pressed” (a colloquial term used in Kenya to describe the urge to urinate or defecate). Unstructured open defecation is discouraged, and the mother prefers that the child tell her when she is pressed so that she can assist here with the process in a safer and more structured way. These safe and structured practices occur outside the latrine for the first few years of life; however, little children are usually not permitted to use the latrine.