Supporting Toddler Development Through Books: Promoting Potty Training and Brushing Teeth from 18 Months
The toddler stage, particularly from 18 months onwards, is a significant period of rapid growth in autonomy, motor skills, language, and self-care behaviours. During this developmental window, introducing consistent daily routines such as toilet training and tooth brushing is both appropriate and beneficial. One effective approach for guiding toddlers through these new experiences is the use of storybooks specifically designed to model and encourage these behaviours.
Books such as Tiny Potty by Andrea Olson, Toddler Triumphs: Potty Superstar, and Poo Poo Bum Bum Wee Wee are examples of age-appropriate potty training literature. Likewise, Let’s Brush Our Teeth is designed to support emerging dental hygiene routines. These books engage toddlers through visual cues, repetition, and relatable characters, which align with their developmental capacities and help make abstract tasks more concrete.
From a developmental psychology perspective, toddlers begin to show signs of readiness for toilet training around 18 to 24 months, including awareness of bodily sensations, interest in imitating adults, and the desire for independence (Schum et al., 2002). Introducing books at this stage helps normalise toileting, reduce anxiety, and create familiarity with the process, which can significantly enhance readiness and cooperation.
Similarly, brushing teeth can be introduced as a daily habit at this age through routines and visual modelling. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), children should begin brushing with assistance as soon as their first teeth emerge, and by 18 months they can begin participating more actively. Books like Let’s Brush Our Teeth support this process by using storytelling to embed healthy habits and vocabulary, while giving toddlers a sense of control over their hygiene.
Studies show that books used as part of early childhood interventions can improve health-related behaviours by increasing parental engagement and providing children with visual guides for daily tasks (Horst & Houston-Price, 2015). Furthermore, reading together supports language development, which plays a key role in a toddler’s ability to understand and follow instructions during routines (Whitehurst et al., 1988).
By incorporating books into daily potty and brushing routines, caregivers provide a multisensory and emotionally safe environment where toddlers can explore new responsibilities with confidence. Using consistent language, positive reinforcement, and interactive reading further supports learning and retention.
References:
- Schum, T. R., Kolb, T. M., McAuliffe, T. L., Simms, M. D., Underhill, R. L., & Lewis, M. (2002). Sequential acquisition of toilet-training skills: A descriptive study of gender and age differences in normal children. Pediatrics, 109(3), e48.
- Horst, J. S., & Houston-Price, C. (2015). Talking books: The influence of children’s language abilities and storytelling experiences on parent–child book talk. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 131, 1-14.
- Whitehurst, G. J., Falco, F. L., Lonigan, C. J., Fischel, J. E., DeBaryshe, B. D., Valdez-Menchaca, M. C., & Caulfield, M. (1988). Accelerating language development through picture book reading. Developmental Psychology, 24(4), 552–559.
- American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. (2022). Guideline on Infant Oral Health Care. Retrieved from https://www.aapd.org
