Toilet Terrors and Other Potty Training Fears

 by: Danna Henderson

Potty training fears, often called toilet terrors, are common among toddlers and small children. Look at things from your child’s perspective. He is giving up the security of a diaper for a big, cold thing with a giant hole that might swallow him. Up until this point, your child has been able to go in his diaper. He didn’t have to control himself until a potty was available. He could go anytime and anywhere, knowing that someone would always be there to change his diaper. The idea of having to go to a specific location means he will have to stop what he’s doing to use the potty. To top it all off, he looses the warmth of his diaper and must now go potty naked where other people might be watching!

Common potty training concerns and solutions:

Fear of Making a Mistake – Your child is just beginning to control his bodily functions. He won’t be perfect at it, and might worry that he will be punished for accidents. Throughout the potty training process, assure your child that you are there for him and he can come to you if he’s afraid or worried about something. When accidents happen, don’t make a big deal out of them. Simply clean up and tell him that you know he is trying. Potty training is often a good time to build a trust between you and your child that will last throughout your lives.

Fear of Automatically Flushing Public Toilets – More and more public restrooms switch to automatically flushing toilets. Children who are at the later stages of potty training (transitioned from the potty chair to the toilet) are often fearful of the public toilet flushing while they are seated. These fears can be alleviated with a simple, inexpensive device called the Flush Stopper.

Fear of Falling In – The fear of falling in the toilet is common when your child has mastered the small potty-chair and transitions to the toilet. You can help alleviate this fear by purchasing a potty seat that either fits on the toilet or attaches to the toilet such as the Flip-N-Flush or PRIMO's Ducka. The potty seats will decrease the size of the toilet hole and help your child feel more secure. The Flip-N-Flush is especially useful because it flips down for your child’s use and flips up so that other family members can easily access the regular toilet seat.

Your child’s fears need to be addressed as real and serious fears. If your child knows that you understand and are trying to help, he will feel more relaxed and comfortable while potty training.

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Danna Henderson

ZIP Baby

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Las Vegas, NV 89109

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