Toilet training tireless toddlers

Published on November 1, 2009

by Paul F. P. Pogue

Angie's List day care assistant Melissa Whitney has been involved with potty-training all the toddlers — five so far, including three at one time.

Toilet-training your youngster is a tough task in the best of times. But try training more than one at a time, with several other toddlers needing your attention as well. That's exactly what the staff of the Angie's List day care deals with on a regular basis.

Day care assistant Melissa Whitney, who's been a caregiver since the center opened in January 2008, has been involved with potty-training all the toddlers — five so far, including three at one time.

"The biggest challenge is for the kids to learn to wait and hold it in until it's their turn," she says.

Training begins when both the parents and caregivers believe the child is ready. Whitney and the other day care staffers watch for cues that children are ready to start, such as asking about the potty or appearing uncomfortable being wet. Then they follow a regular routine of four breaks a day, plus whenever the child asks for potty time.

"We talk to the parents, and they inform us of everything they're doing at home, so we're all on the same page and there's no confusion," Whitney says.

They also use a reward system of adding a sticker to a chart every time kids go to the potty, which gives them something to look forward to — and comes in handy when kids get nervous.

"We had one girl who would just stand in the corner, do her business, and then try to say one of the other kids is stinky," Whitney says. "But we got her excited about getting a sticker every time. Now whenever we ask, 'Where does poopy go?' she loves to yell out, 'Poopy goes in the potty!'"

Whitney's own son isn't yet a year old, but she expects the experience will help when it's time to train him. "I've seen a lot of different techniques, and I've learned what works," she says.