How to Overcome Your Toddler’s Fear of Potty Training

Sean April 27, 2009 - 1 Comment
Potty Training

Sure, Potty training seems like an obvious adventure for all of us who left it behind decades back. Our own elimination barely deserves discussion.

For a child, however, toilet training can be a terrifying experience.

For some toddlers, potty training can be scary, but it doesn’t need to be. If the fear of potty training is omnipresent and seems like a monster hiding in the closet and ready to pounce to your wee one, follow a few of these potty training techniques so that you can slay the monsters inside their minds.

Make the toilet teaching experience comfortable for your toddler. Rather than getting them their own potty chair (which can be both messy and scary), get them an add on to the family toilet. This is easy, efficient, and can get you started immediately. Make sure you have a small stool they can use to access the potty without assistance.

Allow your toddler to choose about a dozen pair of training pants with a style or character they love.

Make learning to use the toilet an adventure. Eliminate the fear of potty training by pretending that the potty is a garbage gobbler. Take a few soft substances (such as wadded toilet paper) and let your toddler flush them down the toilet. The purpose isn’t to be wasteful, but simply to show your child that there is nothing to be afraid of.

Teach them that the potty’s job is to get rid of their waste and let them say good-bye to whatever is being flushed. (It may seem silly, but a simple, “Bye-bye toilet paper,” can do wonders for a timid toddler.

Whenever you child has an accident, rush them (without unneeded urgency) to the potty. Change them while placing the waste into the potty. By doing this you are reinforcing the purpose of the potty in your toddler’s mind. Repetition will eventually lead to full comprehension.

Your purpose is to eliminate their fear of potty training. The more casual your behavior, the more likely your child will be to emulate you. Having said that, you never want to force toilet training on your toddler. If the resistance is strong, pull back and try again in a few days.

One last thought: You must be sure your child’s resistance has merit and they are just not playing their will against yours. If you back off too early, the second round will be far harder than the first. If it comes down to a battle of the wills, yours must always be stronger.

Don’t let the fear of potty training get to your toddler. Get to the fear of potty training instead!