Okay so everyone wants their child out of nappies as soon as possible right? Changing nappies is inconvenient, messy and smelly, especially as children get older. However the main two reasons parents wait is because they didn't know they COULD train a baby or because they have heard it could be detrimental to the child's well-being. Toilet training can be detrimental at any age if harsh training methods are used but this is no reason to delay training. I hope you will find encouragement in the following information and experience I have gathered. I have found not only can you start training early but that is important to do so.

But Shouldn't You Wait Until A Child is "Ready"?
Firstly, you may have heard paediatricians and other experts advise against early training. Here is one such example of a well respected author on baby and toddler sleep

"A child can be put on the toilet even as an infant, and in some cultures this is routinely done. A small percentage of American and Canadian parents have adopted this practice, called Elimination Communication (EC). Before you sign up thinking your life just go a whole lot easier, you need to know that EC is not potty training. It is a long-lasting, gentle, gradual system that is used instead of diapers to manage a child's waste. It replaces hourly diaper changes with hourly visits to the potty. With this method, parents read their baby's body language and sound cues and put her on a pot when they think it is time for her to eliminate. The parent manages the child's elimination process until the child is physically capable of total independent toileting - which usually happens at that magical age span we talked of earlier: from two and a half to four...In The No-Cry Potty Training Solution we'll approach toilet training from the more common toddler-readiness approach." - Elizabeth Pantley 'The No-Cry Potty Training Solution'

Whilst her books on sleep are brilliant, I strongly disagree with Elizabeth Pantley's attitude on toilet training readiness. Elizabeth Pantley appears to be suggesting parents wait until about 2.5 years before starting potty training and to start earlier is not actually toddler training but parent training. I strongly disagree. It is never too early to start training babies and they can in fact gain control as early as 3 months. As far as adverse effects, none have actually been reported. In fact the statistics of bed wetters amongst late starters is actually higher! The most important thing is to keep it fun! Harm has only ever been done when children have been trained by harsh methods, regardless of the age. The great thing about training before the child reaches about 15 months of age, is they are more likely to want to participate, and are thus trained a lot faster.

I also have first hand experience of early results with potty training. At almost 15 months old our son understands the meaning of the following words: potty, sit, wee or wee-wee, “poo” or “poo”-”poo”, nappy, pants, all-done and yay! Elizabeth Pantley's book suggests that your child is not ready to train unless they understand the meaning of certain words...but how can you expect them to know these words if you don't teach them?! And what better way than to do it WHILST potty training! Yes EC is communicating the elimination process to your child, but it is so much more than that, he is also learning to take himself to the potty when he needs to eliminate. Just because our son is not yet ready to use the toilet independently (ie - has more misses than catches, can't yet pull his pants up & down by himself -although he does try, or reach the flush button or the basin - without wanting to play with everything along the way) does NOT mean he is not ready! You will also hear that children are not able to control their bowel and bladder until they are much older. Well at about 12months old our son was already displaying the ability to stop and start both "wees" and "“poo”s" - especially when he knew I was watching! In fact regardless of what age you "choose to train your child"...you have already been training him/her all along. Maybe you have been inadvertently training your baby to eliminate in their nappy?

Some Disadvantages Of Delaying Training (until the "magical" age of 2-4):
• ELIMINATING IN NAPPIES IS UNHEALTHY and is neglecting the infant's need for proper hygiene- children are more prone to nappy rash whilst wearing nappies and most of the illnesses that thrive in child care centres are caused by E-coli, the bacteria from faecal contamination. Delayed potty training is associated with “poo”r pelvic floor muscle control and not fully emptying the bladder, resulting in frequent urination, chronic infections and can even lead to scarring of the kidneys. No adverse effects have actually been reported and it was in fact ironically noted by Dr T. Berry Brazelton himself (the same Dr responsible for heavily promoting disposables when they came onto the market in America- who later became head of the Pampers institute) that 2/3 of toddlers who wet the bed started toilet training after the age of 18months and 87.5% of children who wet the bed after the age of 5 had started training after 18months of age. Yet he still promoted a child-centred approach to training resulting in an increase of sales

• IT SENDS NEGATIVE MESSAGES ABOUT THE BODY - Keeping children constantly in nappies communicates rejection of the genital area and the natural process of elimination

• IT MAKES TRAINING HARDER - If children do not start toilet training before age 2-3 they develop an established habit of eliminating in their nappy, mainly due to ignoring or not recognising wetness. Motivating a toddler to use the potty is much more difficult than training a baby. Parents try to sell children on using the potty before they are old enough to make reasoned decisions, whereas babies take it as normal routine and a way of gaining attention & having fun with care-givers. Constipation is also more common after age 2 and can put some children off training. (NOTE: Pull-ups- may make it easier for parents to see when a nappy change is needed (or at least if its wet) but many children’s motivation to stay dry is so as not to ruin the pictures, but often they can’t figure out how to keep the pictures form dissolving)

• IT'S NOT GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT - all that energy used to manufacture disposables, launder cloth nappies and not to mention the disposal of disposables. Disposables are the 3rd leading component of Western landfill (behind newspapers & fast food/beverage containers), thus discarding large quantities of untreated sewerage into the Earth.

• IT CAN ACTUALLY BE MORE CONVENIENT THAN YOU MIGHT THINK!
Unfortunately modern day parents first priority is often convenience. But...I don't find cleaning up "“poo”-ey" nappies convenient, or bringing a child into bed with me in the middle of the night because they wet the bed. We also use cloth nappies, which have actually shown to decrease the completion age for training by 1 year! So with modern inventions such as washing machines and fitted nappies it is certainly more convenient than it was for previous generations. So the few inconveniences of laundering nappies and placing our son regularly on the potty or portable potty, sure outweigh the inconveniences and health concerns of delaying the whole process by an extra year or two. See my notes on cloth nappies for more information.

Have Parents Always Waited Until Their Child is 2-4 and Why The Change?
Toilet training babies is still a common practice in Eastern Europe, Africa, The Orient & Latin America. But it was once just as popular amongst Western Society. In the 1940's automatic washing machines were invented and it was no longer as difficult to wash nappies, so parents began to delay training until their baby could sit up. By 1957 only 50% of children began toilet training by 9 months with 90% of children toilet trained by age 2 1/2. In 1961 disposable nappies flooded the marketplace and consequently parents delayed training even longer, as parents & doctors went along with the advice of the advertisers that children were not yet "ready" to be trained until much later, despite the centuries of experience that showed otherwise. By 1998, only 22% of children were toilet trained by age 2 1/2. In 2001 the average age of toilet trained girls was 2yrs 11months, boys were 3 years 3months.

Tips to Remember When Training Your Baby:
• It doesn’t occur to parents in Western society that a baby may be crying to alert them that they need to eliminate. If parents don’t respond to a baby’s signals that it needs to eliminate, infants eventually tune out the physical sensations & stop signalling. Teach your infant the difference between wet & dry by changing your infant’s nappy at least every 2hrs.
• To develop a regular pattern of elimination, simplify training & promote bowel health- avoid giving your children snacks & sips throughout the day, sedentary activities and keeping children up late at night.
• Don’t be startled if your child has an accident when their nappy is off. By doing so you may unknowingly train your child not to eliminate when their bottom is bare.
• Take note of when he/ she eats & drinks to help you establish their elimination pattern
• Certain foods & additives can cause constipation, diarrhoea or frequent urination. Intense excitement, vigorous exercise or caffeine (including from breast milk) may hasten or increase a child’s need for the potty.
• Patience & kindness is needed when children have toileting accidents, whilst understanding that accidents are undesirable. Disapproval and too much pressure \could be detrimental to the whole learning process. Be sympathetic & reassuring but encourage toddlers to help you clean up, promoting self esteem as well as good hygiene. If he/she has a tantrum, don’t discipline this time round, just let the tantrum run its course while you clean up. Maybe next time he/she will help.
• There are babies that have never been placed in nappies - the Mexicans & Native Americans would carry around little naked babies and hold them out when they need do eliminate. And then some Chinese toddlers wear split pants that are open at the crotch! However if you are going to attempt to do this in our modern society you would probably find it quite difficult. If you had begun training from Newborn the whole scenario may be different...you would be more aware of his signals when your baby needs to eliminate. With an older baby he/she may no longer signal to let you know he/she needs to go as he/she has learnt to just go in his/her nappy. The best way is to keep your baby in nappies for now and place him on the potty at times when he would usually go. Babies usually need to "wee" on waking and a little while after feeding/ fluids. Change his nappy regularly so you can notice when he is still dry (cloth nappies are excellent for this) & so in time it will be more obvious to him when his nappy is wet.
• If you want to start with your newborn, I would suggest part-time training and communication. (unless you are really dedicated) and wait to use extended nappy free time until your child is walking well (with minimal tripping) and is doing on average 1-2 bowel movements a day. When our son was still crawling we did give him short times without a nappy on, but it would get a messy and for safety's sake you don't want your child slipping over or playing in it!
• Supervision is key when using nappy free time or training pants.

How to Continue Potty Training When You Are Away From Home:
I recommend using a fold-down portable potty (BabyU Potette) with absorbent disposable liners that we place him on just like we would at home. Make sure you do not leave your child unsupervised though with this as the legs are collapsible and the plastic bag poses a choking hazard. Try not to worry about what other people think (easier said than done). Breastfeeding went out of vogue for a time there too, but now people are coming to realise it's not so silly after all... Hopefully the same thing will happen with potty training babies too! Besides you will always receive some criticism and differing of opinions as a parent. If you need to, find a private place (like a curtained breastfeeding room, a shared parents toilet or disabled toilet). Always use somewhere private though if you can get there quick enough - both for your child's sake and the comfort of onlookers. If your child isn't bothered, don't worry If you can't get to the bathroom quick enough.

When Looking For A Potty There Are Some Points To Consider :
Look for a sturdy design. You will need to start out with a potty chair not a toilet seat. You will want one that will not be easily tipped over if the child wriggles or slumps to one side and may even have a high back. If shopping for a toddler, get the toddler to help choose which one they like. HOWEVER don't go for fancy musical types as these can be a distraction to the child who will more than likely turn around to see where the sound came from or to play with the attachments. Also whilst a splash guard can be a great idea to prevent boys from squirting upwards, if they hit themselves on the guard, it may turn them off using the potty (to avoid this make sure you place them well back on the potty if possible, otherwise don't worry too much & praise them all the same). We bought a very simple yet sturdy design (I think it was from Big W?) in WHITE not blue or pink...so as it would still be suitable if we ever have a girl. A BabyU Potette folding travel potty is an essential too! I have also recently acquired a Weeman, which I thought my son might like using when he doesn't have "time" for sitting down. I have yet to implement it as I find taking him to the toilet causing too many distractions. I might try it once we move and the bathroom is more adequately child proofed and let you know.

  Joshua started potty training at 8 months old

How We Have Approached Potty Training with Our Son:
I waited until our son was able to sit unsupported, but in hindsight, there is no reason why I couldn't have started him earlier. In fact it may have even been easier when he was less active and wanting to get up and run off!

8-10 MONTHS OLD
We started training our son when he was able to sit up well without support. We placed him on the potty ASAP after he woke up and about 20mins after he had any fluids (water/breastmilk). This is the time he would naturally need to urinate. When he did, we smiled, clapped & cheered whilst saying “wee wee wee!” (Some parents also use "pss...pss..pss"). Noticing we made a big deal of this he would then try to do this again the next time we placed him on the potty. Even in the middle of the night, his bottom only had to touch the potty & he did a wee. We noticed his normal elimination pattern was to do a ““poo”” in the morning, usually on the first potty sit or shortly after breakfast. When we notice him screw up his face, grunt & shiver, we know he’s having a bowel movement and we praise him like before while saying ““poo” “poo”” and doing the sign language action for ““poo””. He usually then claps, stands up or puts his arms up to tell us when he's done (or had enough)!

10-11 MONTHS OLD
Had some trouble with him sitting on the potty because he had started walking and needed a bit of coaxing to sit down instead of get up and start exploring. We would try to encourage him to sit back down caused distress, so we took his lead and eased off.

11-14 MONTHS OLD
We praised whatever time he did spend on the potty. I would listen out for the grunting sounds that indicated a he was doing a "“poo”" and would then take his nappy off and place him on th potty. I noticed he would become startled at this and would shake his head and run away. During nappy off time I noticed he would sneak off to the corner of the room and do a “poo” in the corner. So, I placed his potty (which previously only came out at "potty" time) into the corner of the room - which was sheltered by a chair to give him some privacy and to make going into the secret corner fun! It worked! He went into the corner and did a tiny bit of ““poo”” and “wee” NEXT to the potty. But he would stop when I caught him doing it. Later, when I wasn't looking he completed his bowel movement, showing that he had already begun to develop control over his bladder and bowel movements. During this period of time, I was also amazed to discover he went two full nights (on separate occasions) without urinating.

14 MONTHS OLD
We continued to encourage our son to sit HIMSELF on the potty (even if it meant he had clothes on) instead of us placing him there. Both I and my husband would sit on the potty (clothed of course) and say "Yay...Mummy's on the potty" or "Yay...Daddy's on the potty" and applaud. Which our son found hilarious! We would also do the same with his Teddy which he has recently become fond of. I have also been teaching him the words "sit" and "sit down" - I even bought him a TV chair (a little yellow hippo) to teach him to sit for extended periods of time. Not long after this I noticed him sit in the potty for a moment and was excited that he was starting to get the idea. After months of refusing to sit on the potty, he went and sat on the potty without me even knowing! Whilst he has been un-interested in sitting on the potty I continued his EC (Elimination Communication) going by giving him nappy free time, and occasionally putting him in training pants when we are at home. While I was on the computer in the office, my son came to the door with his training pants halfway down his bottom and requesting my attention. He had done a "“poo”" in his training pants and was trying to pull the pants off. I then discovered there was also a little bit of "wee" in his potty...I couldn't believe it! He must have done "wee" and "“poo”" on the potty in his training pants and then come to tell me! When he wets his training pants, he stands still in the puddle of "wee" (instead of playing in it like he used to) and cries out to let me know. He has even stood over the potty with his training pants and jeans on and then whilst still standing at the potty cried out to let me know. I have noticed a small amount of "wee" once or twice in his potty that lets me know he has sat down on it in his training pants.

So at nearly 15 MONTHS OLD my son can take himself to the potty and do a "wee" or "“poo”" and then let me know. Once I come and see what he has done in the potty, he is very proud of himself and claps approvingly! And even when he does a "“poo”" in his nappy, he almost always finds me to let me know.

Recommended Further Reading:
•'Early Start Potty Training' by Linda Sonna Ph.D.
(Written by a medical 'expert' - informative as to why early training is best)
• 'Potty Training Your Baby-A Practical Guide for Easier Toilet Training’ by Katie Van Pelt
(A short read, easy how to guide from a mother with 3 generations experience)
• 'The Diaper Free Baby' by Christine Gross-Loh
(Discusses the term 'Elimination Communication', share stories of many families with links to a support group and website- www.diaperfreebaby.org

As a parent you do the best job you know how to do. You follow your parents’ example and the direction of 'experts' whom you trust. This does not make you a bad parent. Congratulate yourself for doing YOUR very best! My goal in writing this article is that you may find it thought provoking and maybe even useful if your children are still very young. I would love to hear your feedback and how you went about training your own children.