One of the

main topics on the mind of any parent with a toddler is

toilet training. The long, arduous process that they went

through so long ago they can barely remember anything

about it. Add to that the pressure from psychologists and

psychiatrists who stress that this period can shape your

child for life. The Medical College of Wisconsin wants to

remove the hardships from the process. They have

generated a new approach to toilet training and it only

involves three steps.

Their plan

is called the Parent-Coached Approach. The approach was

reached after an exhaustive study that analyzed the

results of over two years of surveys submitted by the

parents of 267 children. The three steps to the

Parent-Coached approach are: Ready, Out, Coach (ROC).

Ready is

when the child begins to demonstrate the signs of

readiness, and the parent, who is actively looking for

them, determines that the child is ready to begin toilet

training.

Out is

where the parent begins the toilet training process by

moving the child out of diapers into disposable training

pants, cloth training pants or underwear.

Coach is

where the parent coaches the child using techniques found

to be effective including praise for progress, reminders

to use the potty, being consistent and rewards.

"As

parents of toddlers start to think about toilet training

their children, it's important to note that our research

showed that all effective toilet training techniques

require parental involvement and commitment," said

Timothy Schum, M.D., Associate Proessor of Pediatrics at

Medical College of Wisconsin.

Some signs

that a child is ready to begin toilet training include

staying dry for two hours or during a nap, regular and

predictable bowel movements, wanting wet or soiled

diapers changed, understanding or following simple

directions, showing interest i the bathroom, wanting to

wear training pants or underwear and indicating the need

to go potty by words, posture or facial expression.

"We

found that once a child shows signs of readiness and the

parent determines the child is ready, moving a child out

of diapers and into disposable training pants, cloth

training points or underwear is one of the most effective

techniques for rapid toilet training process. It sends a

message to the child that toilet training has

begun," Dr. Schum said.

According

to the study, the three biggest challenges that parents

face are getting the child to recognize the urge and

notify them before going potty, nighttime training and

staying positive in their approach despte frustrations

and setbacks, which Dr. Schum says are to be expected.

The average

time to train is eight months, but the results vary

widely from one week to a year and a half. The study also

showed that there were no tewmpermental or developmental

characteristics that identified slow from fast trainers.

Most girls in the study completed toilet training a few

months before they turned 3 (34 months), and most boys in

the study finished a few months after their third

birthday (37.5) months.

Researchers

created a weighted progress scale for the study, to help

pediatricians and parents better understand the toilet

training process. It identified three stages of toilet

training, all part of the Parent-Coached Approach.

Readiness

(Pre-Progress)involves the parent teaching the basics of

toilet training, checking for interestor readiness in the

child and creating interest with toilet training books or

videos. Children are usually in this stage when they are

24 to 27 months of age.

Routine

Building (Progress) Once the child shows signs of

readiness and the parent determines the child is ready,

the parent begins training the child with routines such

as reminding the child and rewarding them for successes.

Parents must sustain interest by keeping training fun.

Children are usually in this stage when they are 27-30

months of age.

Completion

(Post Progress) The parent encourages the child to be

more independent by teaching the child skills such as

wiping themselves and washing their hands. It is also

during this stage that children begin to remember to go

potty on their own during playtime. Children are usually

in this stage after they are 30 months of age.

"The

how-to's of toilet training are of great interest to moms

and a frequent topic of conversation in th doctor's

office,: Dr. Schum said. "This study gives parents

and pediatricians a point of comparison and parents can

be assured that their children are progressing normally

through the process."

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