What Does “Lazy EC” Mean to You?
A phrase that's appearing more and more within the baby pottying (Elimination Communication, EC) community is "Lazy EC".
But what does it actually mean?
I recently asked Aki MacFarlane, EC Educator and Mentor, exactly that question, and her answer was this...
"I really hate the term because I don't think any amount of EC is lazy. I don't think any parts of parenting are lazy. It's all quite a lot of hard work."
The phrase "Lazy EC" often becomes shorthand for parents who aren't trying to catch every wee or poo. But the problem is that it can mean completely different things to different families.
As Aki explains:
"When someone says, 'Oh, I'm doing lazy,' and someone else says, 'Me too,' they'll look at that other person's journey and think, 'Why isn't mine looking like that?' And it's actually because they've taken quite wildly different approaches."
One family might offer the potty every morning and before bed.
Another might only use it at home.
Another might catch most poos but ignore wees.
They're all very different approaches, so it's easy to see how comparing journeys can quickly become unhelpful.
"You're Going To Get Out What You Put In."
If you're able to practise baby pottying full-time, respond to lots of cues and offer frequent potty opportunities, your child may become independent at 12 or 13 months.
As Aki puts it:
"If you're like me, you're not able to do that for a whole number of reasons, then you're probably not going to get your child out of nappies as early, but you're still going to see a whole host of benefits."
It's not simply about the number of potty offers you make. Consistency is often far more important than quantity.
A predictable potty routine helps your baby begin to understand what's expected, builds familiarity with the potty and creates opportunities for communication. Whether that's offering first thing in the morning, before bath time or at another regular point in your day, those consistent moments can become meaningful over time.
Is Quicker Independence the Only Goal of Baby Pottying?
I think this is where it's helpful to take a step back.
It's easy to measure success purely by the age a child comes out of nappies, but that's only one possible outcome.
Every family starts baby pottying for different reasons.
For some, it's about building communication with their baby.
For others, it's about reducing the number of nappies they use.
Some parents simply want their child to become familiar with the potty from an early age, with the hope that the transition to potty independence will feel more natural when the time comes.
All of those are valid goals, and all of them can be achieved through part-time baby pottying.
A Family Who Only Used The Potty Once a Day
Aki shared a lovely example of a family she knows.
“They only put their daughter on the potty first thing in the morning once a day to catch a morning poo. And that was it... They still had this kind of faith that that would still help them when it came to fully potty training her. Which was true, actually... they said it was an absolute breeze."
Did they save as many nappies as someone practising EC throughout the day?
Probably not.
Did they experience every possible benefit?
Maybe not.
But their daughter already understood what the potty was for, and that familiarity made the transition much easier later on. And that had been their goal from the beginning.
Do What Works For Your Family
What I loved about this example was how simple it was. A morning potty routine can take very little extra effort, but still help your child build familiarity with the potty over time.
If you've ever cleaned up a poo explosion in a nappy, you'll know exactly how much hassle it can be to clean up.
By comparison, sitting your baby on the potty first thing in the morning while you're already in the bathroom brushing your teeth often doesn't add any extra time to your day.
But the important thing is understanding what you're hoping to achieve and finding an approach that works for your family.
If your goal is to catch every wee and poo, your approach will naturally look different from someone whose goal is simply to build potty familiarity or make the transition out of nappies smoother later on.
There isn't one "right" way to practise baby pottying.
So, What Should We Call It?
The fact that so many people describe themselves as practising "lazy EC" says something about how EC is often perceived. It suggests we've unintentionally created an expectation that it means catching every wee and poo. In reality, that's never been the definition. It has always been about communication and responding to your baby in a way that works for your family.
Whether you're offering the potty throughout the day or simply catching one predictable poo each morning, you're still helping your baby build awareness, communication and familiarity with the potty.
To me, there isn't really such a thing as 'Lazy EC'. There are simply families practising baby pottying in different ways, with different goals, at different stages of life. If your approach works for your family and helps your baby build familiarity with the potty, then that's successful baby pottying.
