Oh Crap! Potty Training

on. But remember, these people are in charge of your child for many
hours. You don’t want to be too contentious.
Let’s say it’s gone pretty well at home. Your child is getting it but
isn’t done by any means. The day you return to day care, fill the
teacher in. When you first get there, take your child to the bathroom
and show her the ropes and anything particular to school. If the
bathroom is not accessible to your child, ask to have a potty chair in
the room. If they don’t allow that, I’d seriously considering moving
day cares. It’s imperative that your child have access to the bathroom.
Not just for ease but because, ideally, we want your child doing this
independently.
Tell your child clearly who is available to help him. Name names,
point, have a discussion with the adult and your child. Day care can
get confusing, and you want your child to be sure he knows who to
ask for help, even if it seems totally obvious. In pointing out a source
of help, scope out his favorite teacher. There’s always a preferred staff
at day care. Look for the good cop, the sweet one, the patient one—
find her (or him) and give directives to that one. Don’t go to the
meanie, if there is one.
It’s perfectly fine if they take the children at set intervals. It’s not
how I potty train at home, but with groups of children, it works
wonders. The herd mentality works in our favor here. They need to
be taking the children at least once an hour, preferably every thirty
minutes or so. I had a day care tell me they didn’t have the time
except for once every two hours!!! That’s too long (and kinda bullshit
if you ask me).
If you know your child’s pee-pee dance, let the care provider(s)
know. Again, there are obvious classic dances, like hopping from foot