Frequently asked questions
Here we answer some of the main questions parents and care givers have about potty training early
Why potty train early?
Simply, if your child is out of disposable nappies sooner, fewer nappies are used. This saves money and reduces the number of nappies going to landfill.
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Even saving a few nappies per day can have a big impact on your wallet and the environment.
When should I start potty training?
Experts say you should start from around 6 months old, when a child can sit up on their own. Eric (Children's bowel and bladder charity) and Institute of Health Visiting say children should be out of nappies by 18-30 months.
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But it also depends on the parents and the child, if you are comfortable supporting your child on the potty then it is possible to start earlier.
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Before 1950 and the advent of disposable nappies, children were toilet trained at an earlier age compared to today.
What is Elimination Communication?
Elimination Communication (EC) is the method of potty training, where parents learn to spot the sign and signals when a child needs to go to the potty.
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These signals are the 'communication' from the child when they need to 'eliminate' waste.
Won't my child tell me when they are ready to potty train?
If you follow this mantra, then your child should be ready from birth. We think it's a myth that children will indicate when they are ready to start potty training, at around 18 months old.
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It is quite striking that since the advent of disposable nappies the age at which children are potty trained has got older.
We think it's no coincidence that this myth of children indicating when they are ready to start potty training at around 18 months has become as commonplace as the use of disposable nappies.
Will early potty training harm my child?
We potty trained our children early, from a weeks old. In our experience it didn't do our children any harm.
As our children were young, we had to make sure the child's neck and body were fully supported while on the potty and this is really important to ensure you and your child are safe.
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Experts say that actually delaying potty training can cause issues such as constipation as well as toilet anxiety.
How many nappies could I save?
The savings can add up quickly. If your child is potty trained at 2 years old instead of 3 years, you could save up to 2,190 nappies or £319.74*.
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Even if children aren't fully trained, by encouraging them to use the potty, nappies (diapers) that haven't been used can be worn for longer.
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Using nappies for longer can help to reduce the number of nappies used per day, which can help to lessen your impact on the environment.
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*Savings based on the following nappies per day: 10 for 0-6 months, 8 for 6-12 months and 6 for 12+ month old and a cost per nappy of 14.6p (Source: Nuby). ​These figures exclude night time nappy use as a child's ability to go through the night dry is largely dependent on the child's hormonal development. ​
Why don't I just potty train over the summer?
We hear this all the time. Parents say I'll potty train my child over the summer where they can run around without a nappy on.
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But why wait till summer? Also, do people think if their child soils themself outside without a nappy on they will just hose them down outside? Of course not, this is why we think there is no better time to start potty training your child than today.
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Don't wait till summer, if you child 6 months or 16 months, start them today as you have nothing to lose. If you need advice, join one of our online training courses.
Why were babies potty trained earlier years ago?
There are a number of reasons, but probably the biggest reasons is convenience.
Just like like the vast majority of parents today use disposable nappies as they are convenient.
Parents of a bygone age used to potty train their children earlier as it was easier. They didn't have to keep washing and drying nappies (usually by hand).
As parents we all want an easy life and using a mix of old (potty training early) and new (disposable nappies as a failsafe) is the best of both worlds.
