Early Childhood Toilet Training Methods
Angela Oswalt, MSW, Natalie Staats Reiss, Ph.D and Mark Dombeck, Ph.D.After having educated children about elimination, and receiving the proper signals from them that they are ready to transition from diapers, parents can swing into full toilet training action. Throughout this process, parents need to communicate a positive attitude to their trainees. Parents should remain calm, warm, encouraging, upbeat, and consistent with regard to the messages they communicate to their children. Parents need to rejoice with children in their successes and to provide support and encouragement in their challenges, time and time again.
Parents also need to pay attention to their children's reactions throughout the toilet training process. Children may seem exuberant about learning to use the potty on one day, and avoidant or oppositional on the next. Parents should watch for both obvious and subtle signs that children are becoming overwhelmed and back off from toilet training for a day or two when this occurs. Parents who continually push potty training on children who do not want to participate may find that children ultimately shut down and refuse to use the toilet for some time.
In the scheme of things, it is perfectly okay to lose a few days' progress towards toilet training when a child is overwhelmed, when the alternative is to lose a month or more due to regression. Toilet training tends to be a long-term project spanning months and even years, and not something that can be accomplished in a weekend. Parents who go into toilet training with the idea of providing a weekend intensive boot camp will probably do more harm than good.
One major technique used for toilet training is the practice session. In a practice session, parents take children to the bathroom and direct them through the various toileting steps during times when it is likely they will need to use the bathroom (e.g., before bedtime, after a nap, first thing in the morning, or an hour after a big meal). This strategy is also useful when young children show signs that they need to use the restroom, such as crossing their legs, doing the "potty dance," or passing gas.
During the first few practice sessions, parents may have to physically and verbally guide their children through each potty step in checklist fashion in order to ensure their success. For instance, Mom could say, "Ok, Meagan, when your bladder feels full and you feel like you have to go potty, you're going to come into the bathroom, pull down your pants and panties, and sit down on the toilet," while leading Meagan by the hand into the bathroom and physically helping Megan complete these steps. Mom can also help keep Meagan entertained and patient while she goes to the bathroom.
"Letting go" of waste products does not come naturally to all young children. Some children are nervous about the process and are too tense to perform. Parents may need to encourage such children to relax and to let their bodies respond naturally. For instance, Mom could say, "Meagan, just relax. You'll feel something trying to squeeze out of your bottom. That's OK. That's your body letting go of the poop. Don't try to stop it. Just let it slide out. Take a deep breath with me. You might feel a little pee come out, too. That's OK."
Often, children find it easier to start to defecate than to urinate while sitting on the potty, so parents can instruct their children to focus on defecation first. Many children automatically urinate while they are defecating. Sometimes it may be helpful to encourage children to push a little bit in order to help themselves poop. However, parents need to watch that their children don't take this advice too the extreme. Pushing too hard or straining can make the elimination experience quite uncomfortable or painful and end up making the situation more frustrating then it has to be.
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Articles
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Development During Early Childhood, Toddler, and Preschool Stages
- Introduction- Development During Early Childhood
- Early Childhood Physical Development: Average Growth
- Early Childhood Physical Development: Gross and Fine Motor Development
- Early Childhood Physical Development: Toilet Training
- Early Childhood Cognitive Development: Introduction
- Early Childhood Cognitive Development: Symbolic Function
- Early Childhood Cognitive Development: Intuitive Thought
- Early Childhood Cognitive Development: Information Processing
- Early Childhood Cognitive Development: Language Development
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Emotional Expressiveness and Understanding
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Reflective Empathy
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Aggression
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Identity and Self-Esteem
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Social Connections
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Social Connections Continued
- Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development: Conclusion
- Early Childhood Moral Development
- Early Childhood Moral Development Continued
- Early Childhood Gender Identity and Sexuality
- Early Childhood Gender Identity and Sexuality Continued
- Early Childhood Conclusion
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Parenting Your Todder, Preschooler, and Young Child
- Introduction to Parenting Your Toddler, Preschooler, and Young Child
- Early Childhood Feeding and Nutrition
- Early Childhood Food and Nutrition Continued
- Early Childhood Food and Nutrition Conclusion
- Early Childhood Sleep
- Early Childhood Toilet Training
- Early Childhood Hygiene
- Early Childhood Hygiene Continued
- Early Childhood Exercise
- Early Childhood Love and Nurturing
- Early Childhood: It's Important to Encourage Reading
- Early Childhood Medical Care
- Early Childhood Mental Health Care
- Early Childhood Safety
- Coping with Transitions in Early Childhood: Getting a New Sibling or Remaining an Only Child
- Coping with Transition: in Early Childhood: Going to Daycare
- Coping with Transition: Starting Preschool or Kindergarten and Final Conclusions
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Toilet Training
- Early Childhood Toilet Training Introduction
- The Right Time to Start Toilet Training: Children's Readiness
- The Right Time to Start Toilet Training: Family Readiness and Red Flags
- Pre-Toilet Training in Early Childhood
- Preparing the Space for Toilet Training in Early Childhood
- Toilet Training-Friendly Clothing
- Early Childhood Toilet Training Methods
- Early Childhood Toilet Training Methods Continued
- Early Childhood Toilet Training Methods Conclusion
- How to Deal with Toilet Training Challenges: Travel
- How to Deal with Toilet Training Challenges: Constipation and Fear of Flushing
- Bedwetting, Encopresis and Enuresis, and Conclusions
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Disciplining Your Toddler, Preschooler, and Young Child
- Disciplining Your Toddler, Preschooler, and Young Child Introduction
- Parents as Disciplinarians in Early Childhood
- Preventing Early Childhood Misbehavior Before it Happens
- The Use of Choice in Early Childhood
- A Step-by-Step Guide for How to Discipline Children in Early Childhood
- Natural and Logical Consequences in Early Childhood
- Combining Choice and Consequences in Early Childhood
- Early Childhood Time Outs
- Spanking in Early Childhood
- Coordinating to Provide Continuity of Early Childhood Discipline Across Caregivers
- Lying in Early Childhood
- Supportive Communication in Early Childhood and Discipline Conclusion
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Nurturing Your Toddler, Preschooler, and Young Child
- Nurturing Your Toddler, Preschooler, and Young Child Introduction
- Creating Nurturing Space in Early Childhood
- Physical Nurturing: Gross Motor Activities in Early Childhood
- Physical Nurturing: Fine Motor Activities in Early Childhood
- Cognitive Nurturing in Early Childhood
- Cognitive Nurturing in Early Childhood Continued
- Cognitive Nurturing in Early Childhood Conclusion
- Social Nurturing in Early Childhood
- Emotional Nurturing in Early Childhood
- Cultural and Spiritual Nurturing in Early Childhood
- Nurturing at Home and Outside the Home and Nurturing Conclusions
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Child and Adolescent Development Theories
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Infants: Parenting and Child Development
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Development During Early Childhood, Toddler, and Preschool Stages
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Questions and Answers
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Book & Media Reviews
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