I am working on a series of articles dealing with toilet training in the daycare or preschool setting. The articles will discuss signs of developmental readiness with respect to potty training. They will also discuss the role of the child care provider or preschool teacher in potty training and how they can work effectively with parents to ensure success. I will also be tackling the pros and cons of potty training chairs.
As I was completing research for this article, I came across many guidebooks that claim that you can potty train a child in a very short period of time--say one to three days. The experts I interviewed weighed in on the issue of whether or inot it is possible to toilet train a child in a very short period of time and if it is a proper practice. It was very interesting to see the wide range of responses.
My opinion? I think I am less concerned with whether or not potty training in one day is possible, and more concerned with whether or not adults should rush child development in any area. While I understand a parent or child care provider's frustration when potty training does not go as smoothly or quickly as anticipated, I feel the consequences of rushing this type of development can have long term negative effects on the child. Hopefully the experts' guidelines will help those that are struggling and provide some well needed tips and strategies. Stay tuned!
In the meantime I'm interested in hearing about your daycare potty training experiences in discussions.