A mother has caused a debate online for saying she won’t toilet train her son at all.

Alice Bender, a mom, and an influencer share her life raising a 14-month-old son Fern on her TikTok account @comingupfern, where she has more than 600,000 followers.

She has gone viral several times for her distinctive parenting style, and now, she has caused debate once again for sharing her approach to potty training.

A decision she is being slammed for by fellow parents online who say she is “neglecting” her 14-month-old son.

Alice posted a video responding to a follower’s question. In the clip, her little boy can be seen sitting by the pool splashing his feet in the water.

And a follower asks: “When & how do you plan to “potty train” Fern? My son is 22 months and I don’t feel he’s ready. I think we’re just going to follow his lead!”

The mom replied saying: “We aren’t going to potty train him at all. When he asks to use the toilet we’ll show him how.”

Her response has left her followers divided with many questioning the mom’s laid-back approach, a few even claim it “has to be a joke”. The clip racked up 51,000 likes and 889 comments.

The comments section was quickly filled with questions from confused followers, with many criticizing the young mom for her parenting methods.

One follower commented: “Kids need guidance… You are the adult. They look to you for it. So it’s up to you to tell him when it’s ready to start trying.”

The second baffling commenter wrote: “Wait. So what if he’s 5 and still hasn’t asked to use the toilet? Will he go to school in diapers?”

While a third viewer added: “I can’t tell if this is satire anymore.”

Someone even went so far as to accuse the mom of “neglect” due to her parenting style.

However, most parents defended Alice’s decision saying that the mom had the right idea.

One viewer said: “This is what my older sister did. Her son potty trained himself by 2.5yr because there was no pressure to do.”

A second suggested: “I think she means she’ll teach him when he starts to show interest, which is what you’re meant to do.”

Third TikTok user commented: “Y’all mad she won’t force him to use a toilet before he’s ready. The only reason is convenience. Most kids are ready by 4 without potty training.”

Another enthusiastic viewer wrote: “I agree. Let them lead and choose. So much easier!”

Alice’s stance on toilet training is actually similar to a well-used method known as “child-oriented toilet training”.

Using this method involves parents talking about using the toilet and offering it as an option to children aged between two and three, Healthline reports.

It was developed by pediatrician T Berry Brazelton in 1962, with research suggesting it can be one of the most successful types of toilet training.

Potty training success hinges on physical, developmental, and behavioral milestones, not age.

Many children show signs of being ready for potty training between ages 18 and 24 months. However, others might not be ready until they’re 3 years old.

Alice has previously claimed she knows she is “smarter than doctors” when it comes to her baby’s health and thinks baby formula should be illegal.

She also regularly speaks about her unassisted “free pregnancy and birth” that didn’t involve ultrasounds and had her expressing breastmilk at 20 weeks pregnant.