Toilet Training a Toddler

Beyond the First Successes

Beyond the initial success of using the potty are new challenges, including a child’s fear of flushing a bowel movement (because he’s worried that he’s losing a part of himself); poor timing when away from the potty; and graduating to a stage where he stays dry all night. As with toilet training itself, all of these require patience, support, understanding and encouragement from parents.

What the experts – and parents who’ve been through this – will also tell you is that once a child is successful, you shouldn’t make a big deal out of it – no matter how thrilled you are. Simply treat that success calmly. Point out that the child went to the bathroom just like “mommy” or “daddy,” and acknowledge that the child sure is growing up.

Then maybe whoop and cheer the demise of the diaper when the child is out of earshot!

Resources

Among the plethora of books on toilet training are the following, representing the different views outlined in this article:

The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby From Birth to Age Two, by William Sears, M.D., and Martha Sears, R.N.

New Parent Power!, By John Rosemond, Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2001.

Toilet Training: A Practical Guide to Daytime and Nighttime Training, by Vicki Lansky, Book Peddlers, 2002. This book includes a children’s picture book, KoKo Bear’s New Potty.

Toilet Training: The Brazelton Way, By T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., and Joshua Sparrow, M.D., Da Capo Press, 2004.

Deirdre Wilson is a national editor for Dominion Parenting Media.