Potty Learning With Montessori | Elimination Communication

The last potty learning update I shared was about the signs of readiness I noticed with Benedict, and this week I wanted to talk about the next step we take. To follow Jerome's potty learning journey, go here. Also in the the potty learning 2.0 series, following Benedict's progress as he has learned to use the potty on his own, read how to have a no pressure attitude, why praise and rewards are not recommended and the distinction between potty learning and potty training. To read my entire journey with Jerome, read our first potty learning series.

And to read how to approach Montessori potty learning from start to finish go here.

Let me preface this by saying that, if you are uncomfortable with bathroom messes, this method is not for you.

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When my kids are first learning to use the toilet, I have found a lot of success in allowing them to spend at least part of their day bare from the waist down.

That's right, one learning toddler, one bare bum, please.

My reasoning for this:

• Not having any clothing to remove if they do manage to make it to the bathroom 
• To help them understand the process, from the sensation of needing to pee to what happens when they do go

No Big Deal, No Shame

As my kids both get their big business out of the way first thing in the morning, the messes are generally just a bit of wet which we wipe up with a disinfectant wipe or spray and scrub, depending on where it happened.

At first, we bring the child to where the accident happened and explain where they should have done that business. We do not shame the child, and we do not have them help clean up.

Potty Learning Cannot Be Forced

Similiar to when children learn to sit or to walk, learning to use the potty is a process that is personal to the child. As much as I may want to see them master this skill, I cannot force them to understand nor pressure them into learning it.

Their bodies need to be in control.

This is why I find it helpful to incorporate the elimination communication aspect to potty learning, allowing the child to have a little freedom to discover what happens when they have the sensation and release it.

Having the child in a diaper or pull-up decreases this awareness because when a child uses one of these it does not feel wet in the same way. A child is used to doing their business in a diaper and moving on without thinking much of it.

Now, just as a side note, I am not letting my child wander around naked and just waiting for them to have an accident. If they are going bare, I try to ask them or remind them about the potty every hour or so, in a relaxed and positive way.

I have found that the child learns pretty quickly that they need to find me either as they have the sensation, or after they have made the mess.

And truthfully, this stage lasts only a few weeks.

Once they seem to have a grasp of what happens when they need to go pee, I transition them into wearing underwear.

How do you help your child to transition from diaper to potty?


Are you just getting started? Find links here:

Underwear here
Learning toilet options here | here
Books to read to normalize toiletting here | here
Mat to give everything a place here
Basket for new underwear here
Bucket for dirty underwear here



Thank you for reading! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. I would also love to hear any suggestions for posts you would like me to write about. And if you are interested in following along in our daily adventures, follow us on Instagram where I post daily.

God bless,
Olivia Fischer