Brazelton reminds us that a child's autonomous achievement in one developmental area frees him to progress in other more advanced areas, but faulty mastery may result in regression under stress. For example, chronic constipation, functional megacolon, enuresis, encopresis and urinary incontinence, occasionally can be traced to coercive or punitive toilet training.

There are as many methods of toilet training as there are parents and pediatricians. Dr. Brazelton's method stresses a relaxed environment in which the child's desires and interests, not the parents are considered most important.

A potty chair on the floor is given to the child as his own sometime after he becomes 18 months old. The similarity of function between his potty and his parents' toilet is pointed out repeatedly. Soon, each day at the same time, the mother takes the child to sit on his potty with his clothes on. Thus the cold seat does not prevent further cooperation. The mother sits with him, talking to him or reading him a story. If the child "tries" and wants to get up, permission is always given. After a period of full cooperation in this first step the daily trips to the potty are continued, but without a diaper. Dr. Brazelton stresses that no attempts as yet should be made to "catch" urine or stool. This may frighten the child and result in a longer period of "holding back."

As interest grows, the child is taken to his potty a second time each day. The ideal time is after the child soils his diaper. The child is changed on the potty and the soiled diaper dropped under him into the pot. He is told slowly and carefully that this is the function of his chair. When understanding and cooperation finally coincide, the child will comply verbally and actively during one of the routine trips to the potty. It is only now, that he should be taken to his chair several times a day to "catch" urine or stool.

If interest wanes, the process must be slowed down or an earlier step resumed. Whenever there is a total breakdown in achievement, the method should be stopped, and the child should be reassured that he is not "bad" but merely not ready to achieve.

With growing cooperation, diapers are removed briefly each day and the potty is placed conveniently in his playroom. He is encouraged to use the potty by himself, whenever he wishes, but he us reminded gently from time to time that he may want or need to use it.

Performing alone is very exciting to the child; most children, Brazelton finds, become completely trained at this point. Training pants are now introduced and the child is taught how to remove them.

Standing for urination is learned through imitation of his father or other older males. It should be postponed, however, until bowel training is complete, lest the excitement of standing for all functions supersede. Nap and night training are postponed until well after total daytime training occurs, occasionally one or two years later; or it may coincide with daytime training. (Early evening awakening, a bedside potty, and occasionally, early morning awakening may help.)