In some cases, we find the research can actually make your parenting decisions more confusing, especially when new findings suggest that approaches we have all been using for years might not be the best way any more.
Potty training is one of these things that research is suggesting we might want to do a little differently to how you might expect, and how you may have done it (or seen it done) in the past.
Potty training is an area of parenting which feels incredibly important, and can be quite daunting. There is a huge amount of information out there being shared online, by friends and family and by professionals. The quality of advice, and research, available can vary enormously and can also become outdated quickly as new research is carried out.
We approach all our research and advice from an evidence-based viewpoint here at MFFY, so that you know everything we write about is backed up by science.
With this in mind, we feel it’s important to say that there is still some debate in the scientific community about when and how to potty train. New studies are being done all the time, and for some aspects of potty training there is simply a lack of good-quality clinical evidence.
We have reviewed the research and evidence available, and as with all our content we give you the most accurate and useful advice based on this. But we also constantly review and assess our articles based on new evidence – so this may not be the last you hear from us when it comes to potty training advice!
So, what approach does the most recent potty training advice take?
The potty training advice for parents from ERIC (the UK’s children’s bladder and bowel charity)[1] has recently been updated based on clinical evidence and research compiled by ERIC and their partners. We feel strongly that this approach reflects good levels of research and evidence, so that’s why we’re sharing it with you.
The newer approach focuses on potty training earlier than has become the norm in most of the UK.
It incorporates the idea of starting ‘potty learning’ with your baby as soon as they are able to sit up independently, making the transition to potty training (when they are around 18-24 months old) less of a ‘new and scary thought’.
This means you start to slowly introduce some of the skills needed for potty training at a young age, so that your baby has plenty of time to practise and build on the individual skills (like balancing on a potty, feeling movement without a nappy, and so on), but you don’t actively expect your baby to use a potty independently until they are a much older toddler.
This is different from the approach that has, for many years, been advocated in the UK, and what you (and the people around you) will probably be familiar with.
The approach previously recommended by ERIC, and still often recommended by other organisations, was heavily based on waiting for your child to show you that they are ready for potty training by looking out for ‘readiness signs’, and then introducing a potty.
ERIC’s research has shown that these signs of readiness are not easy to understand, or always consistent, resulting in confusion for parents trying to decide when to start potty training[2] and potential delays to potty training,[3] which are not so good for bladder and bowel health.
Because this advice is new, and different, you might find that as you read through articles on the app (which will come to your Today page at times appropriate to your baby’s personalised journey), you’re surprised or feeling conflicted about what to do.
Know that we will always share our sources, and be looking out for new data and research all the time.
If the evidence changes, so will our advice, so you know you’re always getting the most reliable and researched information to make your decisions.
Also know that you are the expert on your child, and your family. You can always be taking what we share, and making decisions that feel right for you about how, and when, you use the information within your own family. Always trust your gut and know you are allowed to change your mind when it feels right for you.
References:
[1] ‘Potty training: how to start & best age to potty train’ by ERIC: the children’s bowel & bladder charity (undated). Published online, available here: Potty training: how to start & best age to potty train
[2] Kaerts, N., Van Hal, G., Vermandel, A., Wyndaele, J.J. (2012). ‘Readiness signs used to define the proper moment to start toilet training: a review of the literature’. Neurourol Urodyn. 31. 4:437-40.
[3] van Nunen, K., Kaerts, N., Wyndaele, J.J., Vermandel, A., Hal, G.V. (2015). ‘Parents' views on toilet training: A quantitative study to identify the beliefs and attitudes of parents concerning TT’. J Child Health Care. 19. 2:265-74.