Tag: potty training age

I am so excited to be in a position to help families embark on their own journeys to potty independence! My own family’s adventure began a little over three years ago, when my first son was 2 weeks old. I had stumbled across information on Elimination Communication while researching diaper consumption, and was instantly fascinated by the idea. Everyone I spoke to thought I was completely crazy when I would talk with enthusiasm about babies who used potties from birth, and when I became pregnant and was obviously determined to give it a try, I knew that they secretly thought I would fail and give it up.

Then, on my first day of trying it out, at only 2 weeks old, I caught our first pee, and was hooked! At 11mth we changed our last-ever poopy diaper, and at 14mth we packed away daytime diapers for good. Although we hit some pretty rough (so, so rough!) bumps on the road, our little guy was completely potty trained at 21mth.

I watched as my new mom friends struggled with the idea of potty training, especially at a young age. It was evident that societal pressure was telling them that it was “too early” to start, and that somehow their child (probably around 3 years old) would show magical “signs of readiness,” which would be their cue to start. Because of these inhibitions, I watched parents experience anxiety over whether or not their child would be potty trained in time for kindergarten, because they were being told their children weren’t “ready yet.” And frankly, it was awful to watch. It was awful for the children to be denied the opportunity to take control of their own hygiene needs, and it was awful for the parents to experience so much fear, anxiety, and guilt over the potty training process. I knew I had to help, and I completed the Go Diaper Free Certified Coach Training Program so that I would have the tools to do so.

Now I have worked with newborn babies beginning their Elimination Communication journey, with young toddlers who are potty training much earlier than the societal norm, and with preschoolers who didn’t start until after their third birthday. No matter the age, I am so proud to help babies and children (and their families) reach toilet independence.

So, when’s the right time to start? That depends entirely on you! Your child is ready when you are ready, whether at 1 day old or at 3+yrs. No one’s journey is in any way invalid, and no one should ever experience guilt, fear, or anxiety over their child’s potty learning. Parenting is hard enough already, without adding on that stress!

In my [extremely biased!] opinion, I think the best time to start is NOW, whatever the age of your child. It is never too early (or too late!) to help a child to recognize their own bodily signals and to teach them to eliminate in potties and toilets, rather than soiling themselves. This can be done either through Elimination Communication (for babies 0-18mth), potty training (toddlers and preschoolers 18mth+), or a combination of both. If you, as a parent, are feeling ready (and no worries if you aren’t – there’s a lot of cultural conditioning that parents have to combat here!), this journey can start NOW!