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Toilet Training - Children Step Up to Independence

by Karen Stephens
January/February 1999
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Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/toilet-training-children-step-up-to-independence/5012576/

Are words like pee, tinkle, poopy, and "BM" staples of your vocabulary? Have you found yourself - stone serious - holding a child's hand as you both look down and wave "bye-bye" to a swirling toilet bowl and its new fallen stool? If so, you're a caregiver of toddlers (which, in this article, means kids 18 months to age 3).


Other professions may find it embarrassing and silly to talk openly about such things, but you and I know potty talk is serious business. Mastering the toilet is a significant step for young children. In fact, it's one of childhood's earliest rites of passage, chasing the heels of learning to walk and talk. By learning to control body functions, toddlers step toward independence, self-reliance, and personal responsibility. Pride in newfound autonomy is children's rightful reward.

Diaper freedom has perks for parents and caregivers, too. It frees up a chunk of the family budget. The time crunch in your classroom daily routine eases up, too.

Developmental Road Markers

It can be a challenge to decide if a child is ready for toilet training. After all, it is hard to access the internal physical growth that affects muscular control. However, there are developmental milestones that parallel the ...

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