When navigating life as a new mom, Rumer Willis is all about trying new things.
The House Bunny star appeared on the inaugural episode of The Village podcast, during which she chatted about a potty training technique she and her partner Derek Richard Thomas have been using with their 8-month-old daughter, Louetta Isley.
“It’s incredible. It’s so validating,” Willis said of elimination training — a method that involves parents picking up cues from their babies that signal their need for a potty, which can help lessen dependency on diapers.
The Dancing with the Stars champion explained, “We got a little potty. Derek even has a little potty song he plays for her.” Willis continued, “It’s so silly, but it’s all about taking your baby’s cues. Mind you, I have the privilege right now that I’ve gotten to spend every day with her. I haven’t had to go back to work, so I totally understand that there are challenges that way,” she clarified.
Willis shared the cues Louetta signals when she needs to pee or poop, helping to non-verbally communicate that she needs her potty. “[She would] make these funny faces and she would start to furrow her brow and her mouth would look like she was sucking on a straw,” the actress said. “And then, I would hear her poop and it was super loud. So then we got this little potty and when she would make the face, we would just pull her diaper off and sit her on it.”
The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actress continued, “Now if I can catch it, it’s so delightful. Babies have bodily awareness, so they don’t want to poop themselves.” She added, “We train them out of it by putting them in diapers and look, there’s no way I can catch all of her pees. They don’t make a cue for it, or maybe they do if you’re super, super aware. But I try to get as many as I can and it’s awesome. I think it’s so great.”
Throughout her first few months of motherhood, Willis has been outspoken about parenting methods that speak to her — despite frequent criticism from faceless strangers on the internet. From breastfeeding to censoring her daughter’s face in photos online, the Sorority Row star has held her ground on the way she chooses to mother Louetta.
A month after she was mom-shamed for sharing her “bougie” baby essentials, Willis made a post on Instagram that made one thing clear: she isn’t letting haters maintain a hold on her. “Moving into myself and integrating,” she began. “Letting go of uncertainty and unworthiness and deeply loving myself in all the forms I come in. Taking radical responsibility for everything in my life. Be mindful about what I choose to promote in my life… is it peace or upset. Where am I putting my energy.” Willis sagely concluded, “It’s always my choice…”
Before you go, check out what these celebrity moms have to say about being mom-shamed.
