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According to the original Supernanny, Jo Frost, in her four decades of potty training children, it has never taken her longer than a week to get them using the toilet like a pro.
That may seem intimidatingly quick, but the childcare expert says it’s all to do with consistency — something she claims many parents today are lacking.
In an Instagram post, Jo urged mums and dads to ‘wise up’, adding: ‘Help your child ASAP to move forward with this milestone for their sake.’
‘[Diaper] companies are loving the excuses you make for why you haven’t potty trained your child yet,’ the Channel 4 star wrote. ‘The longer they stay in them, the more they make.’
She warned against using ‘training pants’, explaining: ‘Parents you are being fooled… They look like underwear but feel like a diaper, so toddlers are in them longer because they feel less uncomfortable whilst you become complacent.
‘And in the meantime, your teachers are left trying to do a job you should be doing.’
A recent report from the charity Kindred found this was a common issue:90% of teachers said they have at least one child in their class still in nappies, and around half claimed they have to dedicate time in the school day to deal with personal hygiene issues, instead of lessons.
Underscoring the importance of being ‘all in’, Jo advised investing in a travel potty to commit kids to learning even when on the go, as deviating from a routine can ‘delay the process’.
A number of people shared their thoughts on the post in the comments, including @mezza_pompz who wrote: ‘Unless something is medically wrong, there is no excuse for a 4-5yr old to be in nappies.’
Another, @trish_yarwood, said: ‘As a nanny and a mum I totally agree!’ while @robbieleeladybug added: ‘That’s true Jo. When preschool teaching I’ve seen children who need to be toilet trained. They are 4… It’s actually not that hard to toilet train kids but just takes time and effort on the part of the parent or carer.’
However, some felt differently, arguing that Jo was ‘mum-shaming’.
‘Every child is different. Every parent parents differently. All cultures are different,’ commented @jacquipax. ‘Yes, there are milestones that are usually met by the average child by a certain age bracket, but there are many reasons for differences. I’m all for raising awareness but this is written rather condescendingly.’
‘This one I highly disagree with because every child is different,’ added @mhairi.c.c ‘I won’t be pushing my child’s milestones. Encouraging, yes. But not pushing all for the nappy costs… I’m happy to spend on nappies until she is ready.’
A third, @sarahconley.11, said: ‘I can’t say I agree… Children aren’t dogs to be “trained” – it takes that right balance between their physical and mental ability to stop needing nappies/pull ups.’
Many others asked Jo for further tips on potty training, sharing their own dilemmas about everything from bed wetting to resistance from little ones.
When should I start potty training?
While Jo didn’t give an exact ‘right’ time to start potty training, she suggests it should happen before they start nursery or school.
This tracks with advice from expert potty consultant Rebecca Mottram from Little Bunny Bear, who previously told Metro: ‘Research shows that parents and carers are generally potty training too late and that the best age to stop using nappies altogether is somewhere between 18-30 months.’
She recommends starting from infancy – ideally as soon as your child can safely sit up on their own – explaining that practicing these skills as you go ‘offers a gentle learning curve and is the best way to approach potty training.’
‘The truth is that parents do not need to wait until their child is capable of doing everything independently or until their child tells them they want to stop wearing nappies before they start potty learning,’ adds Rebecca.
Some parents even start from birth, using a technique called elimination communication (EC), where you listen to your baby’s cues to discover when they need to go, then hold them in place above a toilet or potty – effectively meaning they don’t need to use a nappy.
If you’re wondering about signs your child is keen to start learning, Amanda Jenner, toilet training expert and founder of the Potty Training Academy. says to look out for ‘stopping in their tracks when they have done a wee or poo, insisting on a nappy change and hiding when doing a wee or a poo in their nappy.’
What if my child wets the bed?
According to Rebecca, this is the last step in fully potty training a child, and you should first look to master it in the daytime.
As they feel more comfortably using the potty or toilet during the day, it should become more natural overnight.
The NHS says to always make sure they have been before bed so that their bladder is completely empty, and to keep a potty by the bed for easy access. Additionally, a waterproof sheet is an essential for those middle-of-night accidents.
What if my child is resistant to potty training?
‘Resistance usually starts because children want more control in the process,’ Rachel says. ‘It is not a sign they are not ready to learn potty skills or that learning should stop. Parents should give their child the opportunity to do things for themselves as far as possible.’
Making the potty a more attractive setting by putting their favourite toys or books may help, but rewards (like sweets or a sticker chart) are likely to only hinder your efforts in the long-term.
She says: ‘For most children, encouraging and supporting them to be as independent as possible is the best way to motivate them. To stay motivated, children need encouragement for their effort and not just for the end result.’
Another common reason why little ones eschew the potty is because they’re being prompted to go too often.
‘This can be avoided by learning the child’s habits (such as their signals or timing), giving them control in the process and teaching as they go along,’ Rebecca says.
What if they keep having accidents?
Even with the best will in the world, sometimes a child may end up struggling to learn.
Amanda says that if after a week or so of potty training they’re still consistently having accidents, it can help to ‘leave it for a while and start again in a month or two’.
‘While ideally you wouldn’t to and fro, sometimes it can all seem a little too much in the early days,’ says Rachel Fitz-Desorgher, leading baby and parenting expert.
‘Consider a break from pants without any fuss or worry, and then simply move back to pants when life seems a little more straightforward again. This is a journey, not a race, and we are all human after all.’
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