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Frequently Asked Questions
Short answers to your questions
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What if I can't do it full-time?No one does it full-time. Every parent gets to choose when they start, continue and stop, whether they want to do it once a day, only in the day or night, skip a day/week completely, or whatever. Babies are very forgiving and will adapt to whatever you make 'their normal'.
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Isn't doing it part-time confusing for my baby?Learning something new is not all or nothing. It's a gradual process to do something more and more. Many babies easily swap between lots of things e.g. breast and bottle, bed and cot, etc. nappy and potty is no different.
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What if we're having lots of 'misses'?You’re just out of sync for today and maybe one of you wants to have a break for a day. Your baby might have some distraction from teething pains, trying to master a new skill like crawling or just feeling tired or under the weather in general. See our Help section for more detail.
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What if I feel overwhelmed or stressed?Just take a break. There are plenty of times to practice. This is not something you have to do right now or even all the time. Just remember it can be done very part-time or with breaks. Don’t put undue pressure on yourself – there are situations where it might just be easier to put a nappy on and get on with life. Figure out which amount is right for you. You can always put your baby into nappies when you know life will be more busy, you can anticipate them and plan for it.
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Isn't it a drawn out way to toilet train?The initial learning period doesn’t last long and then you can practice as much or as little as you like, but with the choice to reduce nappy use on any given day if you want to. These days nappy use is drawn out to several years and this is one way you can reduce the chance of that.
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What if we are always out and about?Do it if you want to. You could just use nappies when out and about, or take a travel potty, or get practiced at using other people’s toilets (using an in arm hold can be useful to practice for this to avoid having to sit on the seat even later on). Babies can learn to swap between a nappy, a potty and a toilet very easily.
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Won't my baby think everywhere is their bathroom?This is no different to eating/nursing in lots of places but eventually they learn that the kitchen is the best place to go, and by imitation of adults this comes quickly.
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What if my child has health issues or a disability?Milestones may be different to the average child which can be confusing and could make any toilet training hard to contemplate. You have very likely spent a lot of time observing your child and become very attuned to their needs in general. They may communicate differently and a different approach is needed for many things anyway. Practicing toilet learning at a young age could be very beneficial as it draws on instincts to help babies learn what parts of their bodies they can control and to use body language or signals to say when they need to go.
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Aren't potties an unnecessary intermediate step?Potties are a tool. like a spoon. you can choose to use it or not. Toddlers like that it is theirs, that it is at their level and good for posture. However, you may like to just practice the in-arms holds and move straight to a toilet seat reducer and then the toilet later on.
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What will others think of me if they see me potty my baby?Enter your answer here
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What if I can't do it full-time?No one does it full-time. Every parent gets to choose when they start, continue and stop, whether they want to do it once a day, only in the day or night, skip a day/week completely, or whatever. Babies are very forgiving and will adapt to whatever you make 'their normal'.
-
Isn't doing it part-time confusing for my baby?Learning something new is not all or nothing. It's a gradual process to do something more and more. Many babies easily swap between lots of things e.g. breast and bottle, bed and cot, etc. nappy and potty is no different.
-
What if we're having lots of 'misses'?You’re just out of sync for today and maybe one of you wants to have a break for a day. Your baby might have some distraction from teething pains, trying to master a new skill like crawling or just feeling tired or under the weather in general. See our Help section for more detail.
-
What if I feel overwhelmed or stressed?Just take a break. There are plenty of times to practice. This is not something you have to do right now or even all the time. Just remember it can be done very part-time or with breaks. Don’t put undue pressure on yourself – there are situations where it might just be easier to put a nappy on and get on with life. Figure out which amount is right for you. You can always put your baby into nappies when you know life will be more busy, you can anticipate them and plan for it.
-
Isn't it a drawn out way to toilet train?The initial learning period doesn’t last long and then you can practice as much or as little as you like, but with the choice to reduce nappy use on any given day if you want to. These days nappy use is drawn out to several years and this is one way you can reduce the chance of that.
-
What if we are always out and about?Do it if you want to. You could just use nappies when out and about, or take a travel potty, or get practiced at using other people’s toilets (using an in arm hold can be useful to practice for this to avoid having to sit on the seat even later on). Babies can learn to swap between a nappy, a potty and a toilet very easily.
-
Won't my baby think everywhere is their bathroom?This is no different to eating/nursing in lots of places but eventually they learn that the kitchen is the best place to go, and by imitation of adults this comes quickly.
-
What if my child has health issues or a disability?Milestones may be different to the average child which can be confusing and could make any toilet training hard to contemplate. You have very likely spent a lot of time observing your child and become very attuned to their needs in general. They may communicate differently and a different approach is needed for many things anyway. Practicing toilet learning at a young age could be very beneficial as it draws on instincts to help babies learn what parts of their bodies they can control and to use body language or signals to say when they need to go.
-
Aren't potties an unnecessary intermediate step?Potties are a tool. like a spoon. you can choose to use it or not. Toddlers like that it is theirs, that it is at their level and good for posture. However, you may like to just practice the in-arms holds and move straight to a toilet seat reducer and then the toilet later on.
-
What will others think of me if they see me potty my baby?Enter your answer here
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