By Nurse Rebecca Mottram & Aki MacFarlane of EC UK
Making the move away from nappies can feel daunting, but with the right preparation, it doesn’t have to be. Whether your child has used the potty before or you’re starting from scratch, knowing what to look out for makes all the difference.
No need to wait for ‘readiness’
The truth is, waiting for signs that your child is “ready” often leads to unnecessary delays. These delays can contribute to constipation, bladder issues, and more stress for both of you. Research shows that the best time to stop using nappies is between 18–30 months, when most toddlers are naturally capable of taking the lead in the process, even if they still need support.
It is important that your child develops at least some of the skills they will need to succeed with stopping using nappies before you try and ditch them. You don’t need to wait though, you can teach and support them to gain these skills.
EC Isn’t always a shortcut
Practicing baby pottying or ‘elimination communication’ is the perfect way to build potty skills. However, although this lays a strong foundation, going fully nappy-free takes those skills to the next level. Your child still needs to be able to recognise the urge to go, getting to the potty in time, and manage clothing before they can be fully independent. So, don’t be fooled into thinking that just because you have done EC with your child, stopping using nappies will be a breeze or your child will definitely be out of nappies by 18 months. While this is more likely to be true, it is not guaranteed!
Children might start to resist, withhold, or regress if they don’t feel supported or if expectations are mismatched to their capability. Good guidance can help avoid common pitfalls (like pressure or over-reliance on reminders), and ensure your child has the best chance of success.
Is Your Child Ready? And Are You!?
We’ve created a free, printable “Ditch the Nappies” checklist to help you decide if now is the right time to begin. It includes two key parts:
- A simple checklist to help you assess your child’s basic skills
- A constipation checker—because 1 in 3 children in the UK are constipated, and this can seriously affect toilet learning
From understanding basic commands to spotting signs of poo withholding, this checklist covers it all in one easy format you can stick on your fridge or keep in your changing bag.
Whether your child is 12 months or 3 years, this guide can help you make informed, confident choices.
What Issues could you head off by using this checklist?
We see lots of questions from parents who have tried to ditch nappies because they feel their child is old enough now, or because they have time off work/school holidays coming up, but have found they’re making limited progress, or have encountered resistance from their child.
We see parents who have decided to ditch the nappies for their child because it is the half term holiday, and while it’s great that the parents have this dedicated time to focus on their child, they haven’t considered whether their child shows signs that they would really benefit from a more gradual transition away from nappies, and they encounter fear and resistance in the form of the child withholding poo and/or wee until their nappy is back on.
We see parents who have been familiarising their child with the potty in a relaxed way since the child was a few months old – which is a great foundation for ditching nappies – but the parents have assumed this means they will be able to ditch nappies under the age of 18 months old. However the parents haven’t understood that, at this age, their child may not yet be able to take themself to the toilet independently, and they wrongly assume that their attempt to ditch nappies is failing because their child is not yet reliably communicating their need to wee or poo or moving themself to the potty every time.
However, if you use this checklist to understand what skills your child needs to ditch nappies, and consider what you can do to help them develop these skills, you can give yourself and your child the best chance of success.
Why this checklist works
As a children’s nurse and a fellow parent, Rebecca Mottram has spent years developing an approach that is rooted in clinical evidence, not internet trends. This checklist is part of the Go Potty Method, a 3-step approach she created that supports children to become independent at their own pace.
Aki has experience in health research and is a fellow parent who has practised EC with her 2 children. She has used her experiences to guide and advise many more families on how to introduce a potty early. If you’re part of the ECUK Facebook Group or WhatsApp community, you’ll know how powerful community support is when navigating early toilet learning. Together, we’re making sure parents have the tools they need to raise confident, happy, nappy-free kids.
Nurse Rebecca Mottram is an advocate for Baby Pottying and a potty training expert. She is the author of two books; The Baby Pottying Guide and Positively Potty, the host of the Go Potty Podcast and founder of the Little Bunny Bear shop. If you are trying to resolve a potty problem, you can explore Rebecca’s free resources, join her Facebook group or request a private consultation.