New UK guidance, developed by The Institute of Health Visiting in collaboration with ERIC, The Children’s Bladder and Bowel Charity, represents a significant shift away from delay-based, child-led waiting, towards a skills-based, health-focused approach that supports earlier learning in a gentle, responsive way.

If you’ve ever been told to “wait until your child is ready” before starting potty training, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common things that parents hear, but it’s also one of the biggest myths!

In this post, I’ll correct some common misinformation about potty learning and explore what the research really says about babies’ natural abilities, development, and readiness.