Older Toddlers (18+ Months): Reaching Toilet Independence

If you did EC when your toddler was a baby...

You may be wondering when you'll be "done" with EC.  How do you wrap up the process and quit using diapers altogether?  Most books on EC have a lot of information on how to do EC with a baby... but don't give much guidance at all on how to complete the process with a toddler.

The guide titled How to Potty Train Your Toddler (or wrap up EC) below explains in detail how you can transition from part-time potty use (EC) to full-time potty use (potty-training) and ditch diapers for good.  This is the most effective way to “wrap up” EC.  Your baby may be ready for this process any time between 12-24 months, with the average being right around 18 months.  Until you're ready to begin, you can continue doing part time EC.

If you haven't introduced the potty to your toddler yet...

You may be surprised to learn that toddlers are capable of toilet independence as young as 16-20 months.  This is especially true when parents use Elimination Communication (EC) on their babies before transitioning to full-time potty use.  “Wait ‘til they’re ready” isn’t parenting advice—it’s a marketing slogan used by disposable diaper companies to maximize their profits.  You can fully potty-train much earlier than the national USA average of 3 years.

If you’ve never done EC before, the ideal potty-training window is 20-30 months, according to Jamie Glowacki of Oh Crap!  Potty Training.  If your baby isn’t quite 20 months yet, you can either try fully potty training now or take a look at the previous section for younger toddlers (12-17 months) to do a bit of EC first.  If your child is over 30 months, do not delay potty training any longer as it gets harder the longer you wait.

Start with the guide titled How to Potty Train Your Toddler (or wrap up EC). For troubleshooting questions, scroll all the way down for the age-based FAQ sheet.

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How to Potty Train Your Toddler (or wrap up EC)

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