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Link for this page: http://www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/tf/newparentsupport/hpi
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Questions and Answers About Toilet Learning
Learning to use the potty is a big event in the lives of preschool children. It's just as important as learning to climb, jump, run, and talk. Children learn this new skill in their own time. Patience and timing are needed for success. Try to stay calm as you train your child. If you force toilet training, you may create a battle for control. Click on the question and the answer will appear. Click again and it will disappear. Or, click here to download a PDF version suitable for printing and distribution.
When are most children toilet trained?
Most children learn to use the toilet between the ages of 2 and 3, although individual children mature at different rates. Girls generally learn toileting a few months earlier than boys. |
What are the steps to teaching toilet training?
Watch for signs that your child is ready.
Read books about potty training to help children understand the process.
Borrow or buy a potty chair, steps, and/or attachment for the toilet. Place the new potty in the bathroom and tell children what it is for.
Dress children in easy-to-remove pants to make the job easier for them.
Encourage children to sit on the potty for a few minutes. When they succeed, praise them. If they do not succeed, reassure them: "We'll try again later. If you have the feeling that you need to go, let me know."
Remind children to use the potty on a regular basis such as before and after naps, after dinner, and before bedtime. As children become used to the potty, they will use it on their own and need fewer reminders. This may take only a few days but more likely will take several months. |
Suppose my child is afraid of flushing?
Children often respond to flushing in one of two ways — either they are fascinated by the process or scared. Children who enjoy flushing may enjoy watching everything flush away and may want to repeat the process again and again. Children who fear flushing may prefer their parents do the flushing. Make sure children are off the potty before flushing. Children may need reassurance that they are safe and that only the waste from their bodies will be flushed away. |
How should I react to mistakes during training?
Remember that mistakes are a part of the process of learning to use the potty. Give your child your support during the time it takes him or her to learn this important new skill. Nighttime control generally comes after daytime control, so diapers may still be needed for a while for naps and bedtime. Your child may slip back to his or her old ways during times of stress, such as a moving to a new home or the birth of a new brother or sister. |
Children's Books
The New Potty by Gina Mayer
No More Diapers by J. G. Brooks
Once Upon a Potty by Alona Frankel
Going to the Potty by Fred Rogers
Sam's Potty by Barbro Lindgren
My Potty and I: A Friend in Need by Jan Berenstain
The Potty Time Book by Melissa Tyrrell
Uh Oh! Gotta Go!: Potty Tales from Toddlers by Bob McGrath
Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi
The Princess and the Potty by Wendy Lewison
What Do You Do With A Potty?: An Important Pop-up Book by Marianne Borgardt |
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