How Did Two Sets of Siblings Achieve Complete Toilet Training In Under 3 days?

David turned two a couple of months ago. Periodically since his birthday, we would inquire whether he wished to line up with the older children to use the toilet. He always declined very calmly.

However, one day, I am changing his diaper after naptime and I felt some hesitation on his part to lie down to complete the process.

Something in his behavior caused me to ask him if he wanted to use the toilet and he unexpectedly said yes!

I was more than surprised when he instantly peed and did a bowel movement.

I immediately inquired whether he wanted to wear underwear the next day and to go on the “Big Slide”, a major benefit reflecting his skills and maturity.

He responded positively and arrived the next day with a backpack holding extra easy to pull up pants and two new packages of underwear he had selected.

We were amazed that he had no accidents for the next two days, one on the third day, and was even taking responsibility to leave a play activity by the next week!

In discussing his amazing success, I remembered that his sister had accomplished essentially the same feat when she was his age. Also, several years prior, another family with a girl and boy achieved almost an identical success.

Was it possible they had a similar profile? Well I decided they did!

Both sets of parents had high, well defined behavior standards and boundaries for their children that they expected on a consistent basis. We had also always noticed that there was a great deal of respect toward the parents as well as from the parents.

Maybe, most importantly, being toilet trained, as far as the parents were concerned, was simply treated as taking responsibility for a normal bodily function. No rewards were promised, no bribes were offered, and correct language was always used.

These parents reacted the same when their children learned to successfully when their children learned to successfully pedal a tricycle – with pride and congratulations!
So what can we learn from this?

Do
1. Welcome your child into the bathroom with you whenever it is appropriate and expose them to a normal activity you think they are curious about.

2. Use all the correct terminology and, depending on their verbal skills, answer their questions.

3. Be comfortable!

Do Not
1. Show anxiety or set timelines.

2.Refer to any aspect of the process in made up language that has a ring of illiteracy to it, “Potty, poopies, weeine ect”. This will probably give your child the message that what you are communicating to them is somehow different than what you do.
Being toilet trained is an important step in their skills building and maturity.

Relax and let everyone enjoy it!

Good Luck!