What are the best words to use for toilet training?
November 2, 2015Think carefully about the words you teach your child for body parts, urine and bowel movements. Not only will you hear these words daily throughout the preschool years, but he is sure to repeat them often to relatives, neighbors, teachers and friends. To encourage a healthy body image, use anatomically correct names for all body parts. When an elbow is an elbow, but a penis is a “weenie,” children often wonder why one part of their body is so special that it can’t be called by its real name. On the other hand, most people don’t use terms like “urine” or “feces” to explain their bathroom needs. “Pee pee,” “wee wee,” “wet,” and “tinkle” are more commonly understood childhood descriptions of urination, while “poo poo,” “doo doo,” “BM,” “poop,” and “doody” are the usual choices for a bowel movement. In addition, simply saying “going potty” can be confusing to a child because it doesn’t differentiate urination from defecation.