Continuing EC When
Childcare Starts
Changing Childcare Arrangements
If your baby is starting nursery soon, or you have plans for a family member or childminder to spend more time looking after them, you might have concerns about how the EC you've been doing will continue, or perhaps you are putting off giving EC a go because of upcoming changes to your childcare arrangements.
In the article, we'll take a look at some of the possible scenarios you might face and some approaches you might like to consider.
Different Carers, Different Rules (And That's Okay!)
The first thing to bear in mind is that even small babies are very good at associating specific activities with individual carers. Babies quickly learn to expect and anticipate different responses to similar situations depending on whose care they are under.
The same is true for location, babies become familiar with certain routines or patterns of events, and these often hold associations to specific locations.
So, in short, a change to childcare arrangements does not have to mean an end to EC. The EC you do is still of value, and should make things easier for other carers when they are ready to support your baby with potty use.
That said, there will definitely be benefits if you can get other carers on board with EC.
How to Approach Childcare Professionals About EC
In the UK, official guidance now advises parents and carers to introduce the potty to babies at between 6 and 12 months of age. If you intend to make use of a nursery or childminder, have a conversation with them about how they plan to support or are supporting this directive.
Describe to them the approach you've been using at home, if the opportunity is there, demonstrate any holds you find particularly effective. If they seem receptive share your easy wins: e.g., straight after lunch, 5 minutes after the afternoon nap, or a certain wriggle.
Getting Family Onboard with EC
Awareness of EC and the benefits of early potty use have been steadily growing in recent years, but some myths still linger, which means potty training can be a contentious issue among families.
Siblings might view your parenting choices as criticism of their own, or grandparents may suggest you are being too demanding of your little one. If this is the case the best thing to do is to let the catches speak for themselves.
Often when others see EC in action it becomes obvious how natural and non-coercive it really is.
My wife's mother Mary didn't need any convincing. Even before she regularly had our daughter one day a week from when S was 8 months old she was fully on board with EC. As the eldest of five she had helped her younger siblings with potty use in the late 1950's. In fact I think she quite liked the bragging rights that her granddaughter was using the potty so early!
Getting Support from Nurseries
Keep in mind that in UK group childcare settings a single carer can be looking after up to 3 babies aged under 2 years. So, if your childcare setting will not offer the potty as frequently or responsively as you do at home, your baby will adapt to this and use their nappy more at childcare.
However, it's always worth asking if they can support a modified version of EC, for example simply sitting baby on the potty at their scheduled nappy change time. This will let your baby know that there is a potty at nursery, and can also help your childcare setting recognise your baby's toileting abilities!
Although I would only be a little disappointed if they offered no potty use at all, the good news is, if you're otherwise happy with a childcare setting, lack of support for EC doesn't need to be a dealbreaker.
Our Nursery Experience
At the same time as Mary started having S one day a week, S started attending a local nursery 3 days a week until she was 12 months old and then 4 days a week after that.
The nursery had a space for babies under one, a baby room, and a toddler room for when babies became steady on their feet. The nursery didn't offer the potty at all until babies reached the toddler room. In our case before S was in the toddler room she was happy to pee into a nappy at nursery and then poo into the potty as soon as she got home. She then took to using the potty at nursery very well once it became available to her.
We didn't notice a difference at home. She might have stopped using nappies earlier if the nursery had been a little more accommodating, but we had never treated EC as a race and I'm happy with the way things worked out.
Working With Childminders
Although a single childminder can potentially be caring for more children, they are more likely to be caring for a mixed age range, so it's possible that if some of the children are a bit more independent, the childminder can give a little more attention to a younger baby in terms of offering the potty at opportune moments. Have the conversation, see how you go.
EC progress at home may slow down a little, purely because you and your baby have less time together to practice. But, ultimately keep going and you will still see the benefits.