Find resources / Group parenting programme / Child development / Out of nappies

• Learn from others' experiences of toilet training children.
• Understand how brain development effects behaviours.
• Understand children’s development and have realistic expectations of toilet training.

Find out from the group where their children are up to with toilet learning.

• Ask them what they think is an appropriate age for children to begin learning to use the toilet.
• Invite them to talk with each other about their ideas on their child’s learning to use the toilet.
• Ask for any stories they may have about toilet learning from within their whānau.

Look at pages 15-18 in the Tākai The Tricky Bits booklet.

Ask parents to find the main messages, and discuss with each other.

• Is it possible to start too early? What happens?
• Is it possible to start too late? What happens?

Until a baby’s brain has developed and strengthened the necessary connections, they’ll continue to need help with toileting. For them to use the toilet independently, sufficient neural pathways are needed to send and receive efficient messages between their bladder and bowel.

Ask the group, what are important things to remember when helping children learn to use the toilet?