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TAKE ACTION! Four things you can do to support children to toilet train earlier… 1 Learn: access the evidence base via this QR code 2 Watch ERIC’s series of videos at tinyurl.com/eric- potty 3 Listen to the Go Potty podcast by Rebecca Mottram at littlebunnybear. com/podcast 4 Connect: email me at hello@sprout-innovation. co.uk to discuss how we could collaborate the 1990s, which often featured older children, has normalised later toilet training. These factors, combined, have led to the emergence of three pervasive myths that perpetuate late and ineffective potty training. These are: 1. Starting between ages 2 and 3: Historically and globally, children start much earlier and are mostly trained by 1–2 years. 2. “Signs of readiness”: While some children show clear signals like the “wee wee dance”, many do not, leading parents to mistakenly think their child isn’t ready. 3. The “three-day method” can work for all: Promoted as a quick fix, this method is not universally effective and can be extremely stressful for parents and children, and if it doesn’t work can entrench further problems. The evidence suggests that teaching the necessary skills gradually as children become developmentally ready, rather than through intensive “training”, is more in line with how they develop other skills and is likely to lead to starting potty training earlier. Plus, it’s less pressurising for all involved than the one-size-fits-all “three- day method”, which expects children to go from never having encountered a potty before to being ready for accident-free outings within the space of a long weekend. Rebecca Mottram, children’s nurse and pottying expert, says, “We wouldn’t strap children to a high chair for 18 months and then expect them to walk. We understand that learning to walk is a gradual process that starts with head control, and that there will be many steps and little tumbles along the way. We should think of teaching children to use the toilet in the same way.” Mottram, alongside ERIC, the Children’s Bowel and Bladder Charity, advocates for an approach where children are introduced to the potty as soon as they can sit up on their own. This method involves sitting children on the potty at times when they are likely to need it (e.g. upon waking, after meals) and praising them if they do a wee or a poo, helping them to form positive associations with potty use. Some nurseries are already taking steps towards adopting this method. ERIC is working with Bristol City Council to provide training to their 10 maintained nursery settings, and Cheryl Hadland, founder of Tops Day Nurseries, tells me: “We plan to start potty training much earlier, imminently, so children become used to seeing other children and having their pees and poos caught in a pot as soon as they can sit securely. I think different managers and their teams will address this in different ways, and we will feed back on their success as we experiment.” Currently, most nursery settings operate under a parent-led approach, meaning they wait for parents to signal that they are beginning potty training at home before providing support. But what if nursery staff felt confident and empowered to proactively teach children and their parents the skills they need to become nappy-free sooner? In my experience, parents are crying out for this support. I’d love to start a conversation with any early years professionals who would like to collaborate on developing an evidence- based, child-centred approach in their setting. Sprout is a social enterprise on a mission to transform infant toileting for the better. Visit sprout-innovation.co.uk Teachearlyyears.com 31