{"id":575,"date":"2020-05-09T20:00:12","date_gmt":"2020-05-10T00:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/familysupport.net\/?page_id=575"},"modified":"2020-05-26T04:34:13","modified_gmt":"2020-05-26T08:34:13","slug":"potty-training-pointers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/familysupport.net\/potty-training-pointers\/","title":{"rendered":"Potty Training Pointers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Potty Training Pointers<\/h1>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

The Great Training Debate<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the wake of the recent polarized debate between child development specialists, parents are more confused than ever about when and how to potty train their child.\u00a0Most parents who look to authorities for advice on how to best approach toilet learning have heard the prevailing \u201cdon\u2019t pressure your child\u201d message of T. Berry Brazleton, M.D., a prominent pediatrician and an internationally known authority on child development.\u00a0Brazleton and the majority of his peers urge parents to hold off on potty training until the child shows clues to his readiness, and to allow the child to set the pace for training.<\/p>\n

Recently, however, many parents have also heard the highly publicized message of John Rosemond, PH.D., a family psychologist who has made waves with his syndicated column \u201cNaked and $75\u201d strategy for toilet learning. In direct contradiction to Brazleton, Rosemond recommends that parents choose a three-day period in which to accomplish potty training.\u00a0During this time, the child is kept naked so that she will figure out that using the potty is preferable to having urine and feces run down her leg; the $75 is to get the carpets cleaned afterwards.<\/p>\n

To many parents, the Brazleton approach is appealing for its compassionate view of the child\u2019s experience, while Rosemond\u2019s method is appealing for its no-nonsense efficiency. The principles of the disparate training approaches, however, suggest that parents must make a strategic choice. If parents opt for Brazleton\u2019s approach and wait for their child to train at his own pace, then they will likely miss the relatively early training age recommended by Rosemond.\u00a0With Brazleton\u2019s approach, the family may be in for a prolonged training period and their child may still be in diapers as his fourth birthday approaches.\u00a0But what if parents take Rosemond\u2019s advice, abruptly taking the diapers away, and their child still refuses to use the potty so the three-day bare-bottom training period stretches on for three months?\u00a0 According to Brazleton\u2019s philosophy, the child will have developed a negative attitude towards using the toilet, which will create conflict and will likely prolong the training process even further.<\/p>\n

When to Begin<\/strong><\/p>\n

No matter what approach they take, parents will need to give careful consideration to the timing of potty training.\u00a0According to Rosemond, the timing of training is determined primarily by your child\u2019s age: he considers it a \u201cslap to the human intelligence\u201d for a two year old to wear diapers.\u00a0Many of our own mothers would probably agree with him on this point.\u00a0In 1957, 92% of children were potty trained by 18 months; today, less than 25% of 18 month-olds are trained, and by age three, 30% are still in diapers.\u00a0Recent studies indicate that many children today who begin training at 18 months are not fully trained until age four.\u00a0Many parents argue that the advent of comfortable, highly absorbent disposable diapers lessen their child\u2019s motivation to be diaper free.\u00a0Others feel that parents today are far too casual in their approach to potty training, and that the longer parents wait, the more resistant the child will be to using the potty.<\/p>\n

The majority of child development specialists, including Brazleton, advocate beginning the potty training process only after the child has mastered some basic skills and has demonstrated an interest in learning to use the potty.\u00a0\u201cOnly a child can decide when the time for toilet training has come\u201d, Brazleton says in his book Touchpoints, \u201cAny pressure parents may feel from grandparents, nursery schools, or helpful friends had better be disregarded.\u00a0It\u2019s got to be his achievement, not theirs.\u201d<\/p>\n

For many parents, however, waiting may not be realistic: preschools often do not accept children in diapers. This can pose a huge dilemma for parents who have had their child wait-listed for their desired preschool, and who may have already paid a hefty deposit for their child to enroll when he is two.\u00a0This is also the period when many mothers make commitments to return to work.<\/p>\n

Indicators of Readiness<\/strong><\/p>\n

According to the development-oriented approach to training, basic skills must be achieved before training process should begin, regardless of your child\u2019s age.\u00a0Some indicators of readiness are:<\/p>\n<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div>
<\/div>