New campaign by the Growing Up Agency supports parents in the toddler toilet training process | inland

Research by the Welfare, Public Health and Family Support Center from 2021 has shown that more than 80 percent of all parents start the toilet training process as soon as their child shows signs of maturity. Children then, for example, squat down to relieve themselves with the diaper, or are curious about what happens on the toilet.

“Those are good numbers,” says Nele Wouters, spokesperson for Growing Up. “But it is our ambition to inform parents in advance about those signs of maturity and how to recognize them. This helps all parents to be alert to this ‘sensitive’ period, which is the ideal time to start toilet training.”

The Growing Up Agency is therefore launching a new campaign to help parents with their child’s toilet training process. The campaign includes paintings by old masters such as Peter Paul Rubens, Jan Van Eyck and Pieter Bruegel. The paintings, which are made with artificial intelligence, show young children getting acquainted with the potty.

“We want to show that the great masters also have respect for the potty and the parents as a support team”, Wouters clarifies. “Making a work of art, just like being toilet trained, requires commitment and practice, patience, perseverance and building confidence. And just like a work of art, the potty often gets a prominent place in families with young children.”

In addition to the images, the Agency has also developed a new information brochure. It explains the signs of maturity, provides basic tips on potty training, and provides a step-by-step plan to help parents on their way. 70,000 copies of this brochure will be distributed in kindergartens, one for each of the children who will soon be entering nursery education. Directors can give the brochure to all young parents who are looking for a school or enroll their child, while Kind & Gezin will also send the same brochure to all parents from now on as soon as their child is 15 months old.

“We also want to improve the quality of education in pre-primary education,” said Flemish Minister of Education Ben Weyts (N-VA). “One of the ways to do that is to target more potty-trained preschoolers. Kindergarten teachers and kindergarten teachers today literally have their hands full with the non-potty trained children. I do not think it is wrong to remind parents of their responsibility here.”

Minister of Welfare Hilde Crevits (CD&V) points out the importance of parental support. “Because every child who is well surrounded and who starts toilet training in a positive way wins. If parents can start toilet training in an informed and timely manner, there is also time to follow the natural development of each child.”