Getting Started on the Potty

Introduction

Most parents are thrilled at the prospect of never having to change another dirty diaper, but some dread toilet training. But rather than view toilet training as a critical issue, suggests Mark Wolraich, MD, FAAP, professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University, parents should treat it like any other aspect of a child's development -- as a fascinating process that children go through. A parent's job, Wolraich notes, is to simply guide the natural process along by providing the child with opportunities to use the toilet and by encouraging her when she does.