E-cigarettes

Information and Resources for Parents

Most e-cigarettes, also known as e-cigs, e-hookahs, mods, vape pens, vapes or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive. Recently, e-cigarette use among youth was declared an epidemic by the U.S. Surgeon General.

Some e-cigarettes look like regular cigarettes, cigars or pipes. Some e-cigarettes look like pens, USB sticks and other everyday items.

Kindergarten Prepared

Toilet Training: Guidance and Resources

Is your child struggling with toilet training?  

Here are general toilet training tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics to help parents and children better understand and begin the process. If your child has special health care needs, some tips may need to be modified. Contact your child’s] doctor if you need specific guidance. 

Toilet Training Tips:

Parents can help empower their children to be in control of their own toilet training.

• Keep the process positive.  Choose the words your family uses to describe body parts, urine, and bowel movements.  Avoid words that are negative, like dirty, naughty, or stinky.

• When toilet training starts, switch to big-kid underwear. Talk with your child about taking control and peeing and pooping into the toilet and not their underwear/diaper/pull-up. (Diapers and pull-ups send a message to children that they do not need to learn to use the toilet.) 

• Pick a seat to place on top of the toilet that fits your child and a stool for their feet to rest on.  

• Be a role model.  Let your child see you or siblings use the toilet and wash your hands afterward. 

• Think of toilet training as toilet mastery.  Invite your child to take over their toileting. Talk to them about how they will now be in charge of their pee and poop. When you start the process, try to turn as much of the care of toileting as possible over to your child. Remember, if parents are in charge, there is less room for children to step in and take charge.

• Make trips to the toilet a routine.  Routings are important, and practicing the steps is helpful.  Make a habit of using the bathroom first thing in the morning.  In the beginning of toilet training, put the child on the toilet every 20 minutes without fail.  As the child begins to keep pants dry, transitioning to every hour, gradually increases the time increment to achieve the goal. 

• Teach your children proper hygiene habits.  Show your child how to wipe carefully.  Girls should spread their legs apart when wiping.  They should wipe thoroughly from front to back to prevent bringing germs from their rectum to their vagina or bladder.  Make sure both boys and girls learn to wash their hands well after using the toilet.  

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