Aims: To investigate how toilet training (TT) is dealt with and what the associated feelings are in Flemish families using day-care at least once a week.
Methods: A questionnaire was provided to 256 parents of healthy children between 15 and 35 months old, using day-care every week. Data were analyzed using SPSS18.0.
Results: Two hundred twenty-two questionnaires were completed (response rate: 87%), of which 221 were valid. The overall results show that the start of TT and method used are mainly in line with current recommendations, and that the cooperation between parents and day-care is seen as positive, providing support for the parents in guiding their child in the TT-process. Most parents (74%) stated that day-care and parents should play an equal role in the TT-process. However, 17% of the parents experienced uncertainty, stress, and/or frustration related to TT. This percentage increased to 30% when asked about the right moment to start TT. Moreover, 18% of the parents reported a lack of time to guide their child in the TT-process. Eighteen percent of the parents agreed that responsibility for TT is increasingly passed on to day-care, while 46% remained undecided. In addition, 40% of the parents had no idea whether they used the same TT method as the day-care center.
Conclusions: The results, in general, reflect a positive image of how TT is dealt with. However, several concerns were raised about the shared TT between parents and day-care, implying that further research on this topic is needed.
Keywords: child day-care center; child development; child rearing; child, preschool; health; toilet training age; toilet training, start.
© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.