I have to admit I am afraid to go to the dentist and for legitimate reasons. It hurts! It even hurts to keep my mouth open- aches all over my jaw, neck, and head. I am learning that to hesitate out of fear is more pain.

How about kids? I was sent to a mean dentist when I was a child- what’s worse is I was left alone. When my friend takes her kids, she supervises and makes sure she knows what’s happening and how her kids are. Her family dentist is kind.

The pediatric dentist has a few tasks. Her first task is to assure the children who may be afraid- what child wants to let you into their mouth. Who would. Once rapport is established the Dentist must do whatever necessary dental work. A simple teeth cleaning or x-rays is not too complicated, but what about a filling or tooth pulling- scary!

The best way to help children with their fears, parents and dentists, is to give them a toy that they can familiarize themselves with the process they fear and that they can manipulate.

There is a new, fun and creative way for dentist to help children (and adults) overcome their fear of dental visits while teaching dental hygiene. They also get to manipulate the toy by molding the teeth and playing dentist with toy dental instruments. Finally there is a doctor’s kit where children can play dentist! The toy is called “Monkey Mouth”

Every dentist and family should have one. What a great gift for your family dentist! High quality educational toys for your family and friends.

About the Author
Candice Silsby has an extensive background in Early Childhood Education and Human Dev elopement. She have six years experience working with young children as a pre-school teacher and caregiver for children under 3. She worked with special ed children for two years. She has eight years experience as a child entertainer and currently has her own business doing puppet shows for children. She is a Discovery Toys Educational Consultant because the toys are educational and developmentally appropriate. These toys meet the high scrutiny of her Developmental Education background. Discovery Toys improve the quality of life for children and families therefore the world.

It can be difficult to think straight when your crying child shakes you awake in the middle of the night frightened and tearful by a nightmare or the monster she knows for sure has taken up residence in her closet or under her bed. Or a terrible dream that leaves her feeling shaken. Groggily, I would find myself talking half-asleep to my 4-year-old daughter, “Honey, I know that the monster moved out last week. He doesn’t even like it here. He’s completely afraid of you.” But, to no avail.

Up we went to scope out the situation and reassuringly find her room clean of all mysterious creatures. As I went to tuck Kyle in, she looked up with me with sudden realization and declared, “Mommy. I just realized that the monster only comes out in the dark.” Apparently her night-light and door opened a crack to the hallway light simply didn’t count when it came to monster chasing.

Up went the dream-catcher (doing double duty now as a monster catcher as well) that my friend Judy had given me, and out came the “monster spray.”

Change-up Bedtime Rituals

Potty training fears, often called toilet terrors, are common among toddlers and small children. Look at things from your child’s perspective. He is giving up the security of a diaper for a big, cold thing with a giant hole that might swallow him. Up until this point, your child has been able to go in his diaper. He didn’t have to control himself until a potty was available. He could go anytime and anywhere, knowing that someone would always be there to change his diaper. The idea of having to go to a specific location means he will have to stop what he’s doing to use the potty. To top it all off, he looses the warmth of his diaper and must now go potty naked where other people might be watching!

Common potty training concerns and solutions:

Fear of Making a Mistake
Your child is just beginning to control his bodily functions. He won’t be perfect at it, and might worry that he will be punished for accidents. Throughout the potty training process, assure your child that you are there for him and he can come to you if he’s afraid or worried about something. When accidents happen, don’t make a big deal out of them. Simply clean up and tell him that you know he is trying. Potty training is often a good time to build a trust between you and your child that will last throughout your lives.

Fear of Automatically Flushing Public Toilets
More and more public restrooms switch to automatically flushing toilets. Children who are at the later stages of potty training (transitioned from the potty chair to the toilet) are often fearful of the public toilet flushing while they are seated. These fears can be alleviated with a simple, inexpensive device called the Flush Stopper.

Fear of Falling In
The fear of falling in the toilet is common when your child has mastered the small potty-chair and transitions to the toilet. You can help alleviate this fear by purchasing a potty seat that either fits on the toilet or attaches to the toilet such as the Flip-N-Flush or PRIMO’s Ducka. The potty seats will decrease the size of the toilet hole and help your child feel more secure. The Flip-N-Flush is especially useful because it flips down for your child’s use and flips up so that other family members can easily access the regular toilet seat.

Your child’s fears need to be addressed as real and serious fears. If your child knows that you understand and are trying to help, he will feel more relaxed and comfortable while potty training.

Copyright © 2004 ZIP Baby. All Rights Reserved.

Danna Henderson
ZIP Baby
101 Convention Center Drive, Ste 700
Las Vegas, NV 89109
www.zipbaby.com

About The Author
Danna Henderson started ZIP Baby in order to provide parents with comprehensive potty training information as well as a large variety of potty training products. For more information about potty training, visit the ZIP Baby Potty Training Store.