Determination of parents' approaching to the toilet training having chi̇ldren in 13-60 months in center of izmir province

The toilet training is a complicated process that may be affected by anatomical, physiological and behavioural conditions. In this process healthy children in 18-24 months may usually get ready for toilet training. The purpose of this study is to determine parents' approaching to the toilet training who have child in 13-60 months and registered to The Family Health Centre located in city centre of İzmir. Cross-sectional, descriptive study; in İzmir city centre districts in 11 Family Health Center, between 1 April 2018 - 31 May 2018 and 1-30 November 2018, this study was completed with 1345 parents having children aged 13-60 months for various reasons. The survey, which was prepared by utilizing from available literatures, was applied by the researcher. Parents stated that the most common reason for starting the toilet training was the age of %57.4 of the children, the desire of %37.2 of the children and the signals given by %35.5 of the children. It was determined that parents used the methods of discipline by taking their children to the toilet regularly at a ratio of %78.8; by diapers-free wandering around at a ratio of %73.7; by asking regularly ''Do you have toilet-need?'' at a ratio of %63.9; by showing the child how to sit at the toilet at a ratio of %42.2; by encouraging with award at a ratio of %38.2; finally by punishing at a ratio of %10.9. The average starting month of the toilet training of the children was determined about 25.9±6.33 months and the average completion month was 29.0±6.99 months. The factors affecting the parents' starting month of the toilet training were determined as gender, family structure, and educational level of the father and the person giving the toilet training; on the other hand, the factors affecting the completion month were determined as gender of the child, the person giving the toilet training and the presence of elder sister and elder brother. In general, parents behave accordingly to the guides in the toilet training; however, they use unsuggested methods, too and start earlier than the suggested time. Family doctors should inform the parents about the right time and the right methods related to the toilet training while observing the child from 12th months on.