Toddler Fear of Flushing Toilets

It's not unusual for a child to peer into the toilet, watch the water swirl down the hole to the sound of the loud flush and become confused or fearful about the noise, the hole or the unknown. They all get past this fear of flushing toilets in time, but there are a number of ways to help him overcome his apprehension for now:

• For a while, wait until he leaves the bathroom, and then flush the toilet for him. After a few days or a week, casually flush while in the middle of talking, singing or playing. Don't make a big deal out of it.
  
• Chat about what happens when the toilet flushes. Get a book or two from the library about plumbing or visit a plumbing fixture showroom and do some exploring. (Just watch him carefully so he doesn't use a model toilet!)
  
  
• Play a game: Stand a foot or so from the toilet. Take turns tossing Cheerios into the toilet, and then flushing and watching them swirl away.

With a little practice, pretty soon his fear of flushing toilets will fade and you'll get your potty training efforts back on track!