Yes, Your Child Can Start Using the Potty at Nursery!

By Rebecca Mottram, Children’s Nurse & Potty Learning Expert

We’re delighted to feature this guest blog from Rebecca Mottram, Children’s Nurse and Potty Training Expert, sharing her advice on how families and nurseries can work together to support early potty learning.

Start the conversation

Many nurseries, like Tops Day Nurseries, are already considering how to support earlier potty and toilet learning. But not every setting may be familiar with the idea, so if you’d like your nursery setting to support your enthusiasm, start by having a conversation with your child’s key person. You might say something like:

“We’ve started gently offering the potty at home and I wondered if you could offer a potty sit during the day, maybe after naps or before lunch?”

Or:

“We’re working on building my child’s awareness of their wee and poo. Could we chat about how we might support that together at nursery?”

You can also share this blog with your child’s setting to open the door to further discussion. Even small changes, like talking about toileting during nappy changes or offering one regular potty opportunity, can make a big difference over time.

Remember: early potty learning isn’t about rushing children. It’s about recognising that toileting skills develop gradually as they go along. Nurseries can play a key role in supporting that journey, just like they help your child develop other skills such as learning to walk, talk and feed themselves.

Why earlier is best

Many families wait until their child is 2.5 or 3 before starting potty training, often because of common myths like “they’ll do it when they’re ready” or “potty training only works if they can talk.”

But did you know?

• Children are natural born learners and there is no lower age at which they can start learning potty skills.
• Starting learning skills before your child stops using nappies helps them build the skills they will need to succeed when the time comes.
• Earlier potty use supports healthy bladder and bowel development.
• By starting potty learning between 0-18 months, your child is likely to stop using nappies before the age of 3, potentially halving the amount of nappies going into landfill (and saving you money!).

Children don’t need to “show signs of readiness” before they can start learning to use the potty, because potty learning isn’t something that happen all at once. It’s best done as a gradual process that begins by helping your child build small, everyday skills across four key areas:

From around 18 months, most children can begin to do some parts of the process independently, especially in a calm, routine-based environment like nursery.

Even simple opportunities like sitting on the potty after nap time, hearing toileting words during a nappy change, or flushing the toilet after a poo help build confidence and skills.

Rather than waiting for a “perfect time,” we encourage parents and nurseries to work together to create small, consistent opportunities for learning. Starting earlier supports your child’s development and can make the eventual transition out of nappies much smoother for everyone involved.

How we are doing it at Tops Day Nurseries

At Tops, we believe potty learning is part of everyday development, just like learning to feed themselves or put on their shoes. Here’s how we help:

• We follow your child’s lead – No pressure, no rush. Just regular opportunities and support.
• We work in partnership with you – Let us know what you’re doing at home, and we’ll mirror it where possible.
• We make it part of the routine – Like sitting on the potty after naps or before lunch.
• We use child-friendly language – Words like “wee,” “poo,” and “potty” help children make connections.
• We encourage, not reward – We focus on effort and body awareness, not sticker charts or chocolate buttons.

We know that consistency between home and nursery makes a big difference—so even if you’re just starting at home, we can gently reinforce the same messages at nursery.

What You Can Do at Home

Ready to Get Started? Let’s Make a Plan

You don’t need to wait for a “right time” to begin potty learning and you definitely don’t need to wait for your child to ask. Potty learning is a process of building small, important skills over time. If you’re thinking about it, that means it’s a good time to start.

Whether your child is at nursery full time, part time, or just starting out, there are simple ways you can begin helping your child learn and build potty skills.

If you’d like to take the first step, you can:

• Speak to your child’s nursery or key person about offering regular potty opportunities or using consistent routines
• If you’re a Tops parent and want to talk about potty learning, just speak to your child’s Key Person, or contact your nursery manager for more help.
• Download my go potty guide to support early skill-building at home or in partnership with nursery staff

Visit this page to get started with free resources for potty learning, including baby pottying, early toilet awareness, and support for nurseries.