For most parents, toilet mastery is the most mind-bending of sieges in the early-stage development of their children. This is for good reason. Toilet training presents some of the largest obstacles to growth, greatest potential for regression, and unlike nearly every other early childhood challenge, can actively pit the will of the child against the will of his/her parents. Where sleep will eventually find the most restless of sleepers, and hunger the most particular eaters, nature provides parents with no such solution for using the toilet. It ultimately rests on the child to make this developmental step on his/her own, and on parents to find the right path to support and encourage this process.
This week’s episode is the first in a three-part series on toilet training. In it, Arthur and Susan discuss common pressures and misconceptions surrounding toilet training, and lay a foundation for a problem-solving process that can accelerate toilet mastery, and build skills and values that extend well beyond the bathroom.
“This is about mastery. It’s about laying a foundation for future endeavors. It adds to a child’s self-esteem, sense of competence, and confidence, that they have been able to figure out how to care for their own bodies.”
– Susan Glaser
Episode Highlights:
– Potty training, toilet mastery, and cultural influences.
– Balancing your child’s needs with societal pressures to potty train.
– Understanding the limitations of common toilet training strategies.
– Seeing toilet training as a skill that can be mastered.
– Empowering children to solve their own challenges.
– The relationship between successful toilet mastery and developmental leaps in other areas of your child’s life.
– Disengaging from the tug of war with your child.
– Embracing the challenge of toilet mastery.
– The toilet mastery process.