Toilet Training from a Toddler’s perspective
by Jan Faull M.Ed., Washington
Before your frustration starts to show during the toilet training process, stop to think about what it’s like for your little toilet trainer, and how the process may look and feel to them. As your child moves from being a baby to a Big Kid, they are up against many emotional and physical frustrations. Between the accidents and simply refusing to use the potty or toilet, it’s enough to make any parent frazzled. The following are useful insights for viewing toilet training from a toddler’s perspective:
Kids just want to have fun
Stage: Your toddler is no doubt as active as you’ve ever seen them. They are exploring the great outdoors – digging through dirt and stomping through your flower beds. It’s no wonder they don’t want to go inside to go to the toilet – they’re having too much fun!
Tip: Make toilet training as entertaining for them as you can. Bring the outdoor fun and games indoors. Take the bug collection into the bathroom or imagine that there favourite teddy bear needs to go potty and wants your child to go too. You’ll need to give them a good reason to go inside and go potty…and we guarantee it’ll have to be a fun one!
There’s no turning back
Stage: You’re probably starting to live the old adage “I can’t turn my back on them for a second.” That’s because they’re at the age where curiosity is motivating them and they can’t help but explore everything.
Tip: Explain and show them how everything related to toilet training works – how the toilet works, where the water goes, what soap does when you wash your hands. It may require a little research on your part, but it may just satisfy their curiosity…and keep them interested in toilet training.
Honey, I shrunk the bathroom
Stage: Toddlers are motivated by sights, sounds and touch. In fact, you may find they can’t keep their hands off anything. But imagine walking into a bathroom and not being able to reach anything!
Tip: Put everything toilet training related within their reach. Bring in a step stool for the sink, set up a shelf closer to the ground where you can keep their soap and hand towel and hang the progress chart at eye level. You’ll find your child may be more motivated to train when things are on a smaller scale.
Home sweet home
Stage: The unexplored world beyond your home is new and exciting. But no matter how excited a toddler is to learn and see more of the world, they can still feel anxious in unfamiliar surroundings.
Tip: Make them feel as secure as possible in the toilet training environment away from home, whether it’s a trip to grandma’s and grandpa’s or just an outing to the zoo. Bring along a favourite toy or toilet training book for familiarity. If possible, pack his potty seat so there is consistency away from home.
We know you’ve heard it before, but toilet training doesn’t happen overnight. So when you are almost ready to throw in the towel, take a deep breath and try to imagine the world of toilet training from your toddler’s point-of-view.
Although parents often think of their own challenges when they toilet train their children, what a child goes through during the learning process is even more daunting. Understanding their perspective on toilet training will help you clarify your role as teacher and help your child reach success.