Toilet Training
QUESTION:
Dear Dr Dunlop,
Was hoping you would have some advice for me on toilet training. My 2 year old daughter has started, self-initiated, doesn’t want to wear her nappy anymore. She will happily sit on the toilet and potty and knows when she needs to wee and poo but she is holding it in and won’t let go. She has been insisting on putting her nappy back on to go.
This morning however she decided that she would put her wee wee in the potty but stopped mid way and got very upset. It took me ages to calm her down. I reassured her that I was proud of her and she did really well. A short time later she told me she finished her wee wee in her nappy and wanted me to change her. After I changed her wet nappy she told me she needed to do a poo. I had to leave her alone and then she came to me to change her nappy again.
Is there anything I can do to reassure her it’s normal? I let her watch me too. Not sure how to proceed? Thank You
ANSWER:
Dear L,
Thanks for your question and for visiting Kids Consult.
It's great that your daughter wants to toilet train and is making progress, but don't force it. It may be that the idea of it appeals to her, but the actual process is still foreign and feels strange.
Keep everything positive, but don't draw a lot of attention to the process. If she is successful, simply say "Good girl" and move on to something else - she's not "special" for toileting so don't treat her as special.
If she refuses, or wants the nappy, just go with that for now..."it's ok darling, no problems"- again, minimal attention, no negativity.
The biggest mistake parents make is to do a song and a dance around toileting, overdoing the praise, and turning it into an attention seeking exercise for the kids.
Regards,
Dr Scott Dunlop
Consultant Paediatrician
RESPONSE: Thank You Dr Scott I tried this today and just eased off the topic and she seems more relaxed
Really appreciate your advice and love your page