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Every Child Is Different
Individual Tales from the Potty Training Trenches
By Kelly Burgess
In spite of the different approaches, both of her daughters were trained by just over 3 years of age, which is very typical. That is something else Dr. Gwen wishes she had known. What she wants to tell all parents is that it's very, very rare for both boys and girls to be completely potty "guided" by age 2, so let go of those unrealistic expectations.
For those children who seem a bit stricken by letting go of their most intimate emissions, here's a tip from a mom who "was there, did that" 20 years ago.
"My daughter learned two things the first time that she did 'No. 2' on the big toilet: The water splashed up on her butt, which made her cry and, when she looked to see what came out, it was gone, slipping down the 'hole' in the toilet," says Lori Quaranta of Shelton, Conn. "She wouldn't try again until I did this trick to solve the problem: I covered the water in the toilet with a layer of toilet paper so that when she went it didn't splash on her and she had full view of her hard work, which by the way we had to leave in the toilet until her father came home from work to enjoy as well!"
And isn't enjoying your children – even when they're toilet training – what it's all about? Keeping that in mind, along with the excellent advice in this article, should help you ease the stress and up the enjoyment.