Toilet Learning - the relaxed approach with my youngest son.

Toliet training was so stressful for me when my big kids were toddlers. Argh!...the memories. It took months for both of them.

When my youngest was about 18months I started having him nappy free for half days. I had read about elimination communication but couldn't see any signals that

he needed to go when he did go. I feared he would never learn to go to the toilet. I was wrong. I had the potty available to him and he quickly learnt to use it. It was just a simple potty which he could sit on (usually backwards!)- and easy to clean too. At about 2 years of age he was wearing nappies to bed and when we went out. Quite often we would go out and he would ask to go to the toilet. When I say ask, I mean he ripped at his nappy as he had little vocabulary. So even though he wasn't speaking well he could communicate his needs.

Now at almost 2 and a half, my youngest child has been fully out of nappies for a few months. He very rarely has accidents, even at night. The only real setback we have had is last month when he was unwell. He usually uses the toilet but we encouraged him to use the potty if he couldn't make it to the toilet.

I recommend nappy free time from an early age, its good for them. Make it easy for them to use the toilet or potty. If you have floorboards just have some cloth flats or little towels for accident quick clean up. In the warmer months enjoy the great outdoors. I don't think there is a real rush for children to be toilet trained, maybe that is why I found it so stressful with my big kids.