THE BABBLE TAKE
If Freud taught us anything, it was that early missteps in matters toilet-related can have repercussions later in life. Perhaps that explains the anxiety and multitude of theories on the subject. Dr. Sears is of the "better late than early" school. His take is that as kids' nerves and muscles aren't ready for bladder control and stool retention until nearly two years of age; any attempt to impose earlier toilet-training will likely be futile. Dr. Cohen seconds not fretting over when to toilet-train; he says your child will eventually tire of dirty diapers. Yet there is a growing movement toward "infant potty-training," or "elimination communication." The idea of a six-month-old using the john may sound nuts to you, but practitioners swear by it. The basic premise is that there are windows of possible potty-training; if a baby doesn't get too used to the concept of going in his diapers, it is easier to stop using them. The method requires you to listen to baby's cues and to be cool with the occasional poop-on-floor mishap. One guide cautions that it will be "three steps back for every step forward." Clearly infant potty-training isn't for everyone, especially not for those with wall-to-wall carpeting or white couches, but if you like the sound of a toilet-trained one-year-old you might want to give it a shot.
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BabyCenter ®
"Most children are toilet-trained by the time they're 3, but don't worry if your 3-year-old isn't; some kids aren't ready to start until they're about 4.
If you're starting the toilet-training process now, it will likely be brief because your child is ripe at this age. If your child is already trained, she has probably used a potty rather than a toilet. Now, in preparation for preschool, she needs to feel comfortable using the toilet both at home and elsewhere. If she hasn't mastered the skill already, she should also start to stay dry at night."
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Dr. Sears
"Better late than early. The pressure is off parents to toilet-train early. Gone are the days when toilet-training was equated with good mothering.
Diapering is certainly not the hassle it used to be. Diaper pins are going the way of the clothespin, and even fumbling fathers can manage the new, easy-to-put-on-and-fasten diapers. Disposables have made travel easier, and many a modern mother wants to hug the diaper-service delivery person. Also, we now understand more about how a baby's elimination system works. We now know that the nerves and muscles governing defecation and urination do no mature in most babies until eighteen to twenty-four months. As an added fact supporting later training, babies who begin toilet training later achieve control faster than those hurried to the toilet earlier."
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Dr. Michel Cohen
"No matter what you may have heard or read, toilet-training is unnecessary. Children learn to move on from diapers, not because they are run through drills but because they become sensitive to the increasing discomfort of marinating in their own dirty diapers. Just like any other milestone, this occurs naturally as a normal part of a child's development, and it does not require training."
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FamilyDoctor.org
"Of course, teaching your toddler to use the potty isn't an overnight experience. The process typically takes between 3 and 6 months, although it may take more or less time for some children. And although some little ones can learn to both make it through the night without wetting or soiling themselves (or the bed) and use the potty around the same time, it may take an additional 6 months to 1 year to master staying dry at night.
"There are some more stressful or difficult times when you may want to put off starting the toilet-teaching process — when traveling, around the birth of a sibling, changing from the crib to the bed, moving to a new house, or when your child is sick (especially if he or she is having diarrhea). Take these factors into consideration when you plan to introduce toilet-teaching. It may be better to postpone it until your child's environment is stable and secure.
Also, though some experts may recommend starting the process during summer because children wear less clothing, it is not a good idea to wait to start if your child is ready."
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Natural Family Online
"When possible and convenient, let your baby be diaper-less. Although it is not a requirement of IPT for babies to be bare-bottomed, it heightens their awareness of elimination and speeds up the learning process (sometimes dramatically!). They instantly experience cause and effect. The next-best thing to going diaper-less is wearing training pants or even Chinese open-crotch clothing. The Chinese clothing has a slit in the back, enabling babies to squat and go without wetting or soiling themselves."
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