Do you agree that in some cases parents are stunting potty training by NOT allowing the child.......?

Question

the see their parents going to the bathroom from a very young age? I let all my children be in the bathroom with me, while bathing going to the bathroom, brushing my teeth. Two out of three were incredibly easy to potty train. Alice was the hardest one, she was potty trained by 3 1/2. She has been the exception to the rule more times then I can count.

It is common knowledge that children learn by watching and imitating their parents. In all things that are fundamentally human thow to go to the bathroom is one of the most important. The tactics of this of course gets reevaluated as they get older and different circumstances come into play, I mean you wouldn't let your child watch you have s*x to teach them about it.

But when your child is young and all of these things are innocent and natural to him, shouldn't we try to keep them that way for as long as we can before it turns into something that society and "good manners" turns it into just another thing we can't do or have to be worried about on many different levels.

I have yet to see very many ten year old girls who are still unashamed of their bodies. Mine still is and that makes me very proud.

So, do you think it makes a difference in potty training, to watch your parents using the bathroom from about 6 months old to potty trained?

Answer 1

I don't think it makes a difference.  I've left the bathroom door open when we're at home for years and I had trouble potty-training both of my boys.  My oldest was easier to train than the youngest, but neither were easy.  It wasn't until he was 4 and 1/2 that i had success and that only came from allowing him to run around half-naked all day when we were home.  

Answer 2

It certainly wouldn't hurt, in my opinion.  My younger kids potty trained themselves earlier because they wanted to be just like their older siblings.  Why wouldn't the same logic apply to watching parents?  Of course, if you don't want to answer questions about why your body looks different from theirs, close the door.  But I don't know how much difference observation makes in the timing of the training.  Kids often know what to do long before they actually decide to do it.  It's more about motivation.  And really, it doesn't matter in the long run whether they did it at 18 months or 24 months or 30 months.  Everyone learns it sooner or later.  

Answer 3

I think this might make sense if it's the same s*x parent they are going in with but even then it's just a maybe. I mean I highly doubt a little girl is going to potty train early after watching her dad stand up and pee. Or visa versa. I have 4 boys. I never had a problem with them coming in when I went to the bathroom and the door was open most of the time so I could still hear them and all. They would sometimes come in while I was going. I don't think it made any difference what so ever honestly. My oldest are twins and trained on the late side, they weren't fully trained until age 3 1/2. Then my middle son practically trained himself just before he turned 2, my younges was 2 1/2 (average). So 4 boys, I never did anything different with any of them and all trained at different times, two late, one early and one on average time.  

Answer 4

I really can't answer that cause my son has always been able to come into the bathroom if I am going or if my husband is going and he has always taken an interest in pottys and what they are for but he is 3 1/2 and still not completely potty trained.  It really hasn't made it easier on his potty training!