Toddlers Made Easy with Dr Cathryn

Potty training doesn't have to involve battles, pressure, or regret. In this episode, Today, I'm sharing the Big-Hearted Approach to Potty Training, a method that helps children build body awareness, confidence, and independence without sacrificing their dignity.
Learn why pressure often backfires and what to do instead.
In this episode, you'll learn:
• Why pushing harder often creates more resistance
• How to build body awareness instead of relying on reminders
• Why ownership helps children become independent potty users
• The hidden link between potty-training pressure and constipation
• How encouragement builds confidence and cooperation

Ready for a calmer and kinder approach? Join my free workshop, Potty Without Pushback:
You'll walk away with a plan on how to ditch diapers without chipping away at your child's self-esteem.
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If your toddler is creeping into your room at 1am, 3am — or both — this episode is for you. Dr. Cathryn shares a simple, no-cry strategy that helped Katie sleep through the night in just one week, and gave Cecil's family a way into bedtime that finally felt collaborative instead of combative.
Middle-of-the-night wake-ups are biologically normal — the goal isn't to stop your child from waking, it's to help them comfortably drift back to sleep without coming to find you.
The Big-Hearted Ask works by turning your child from the scared one into the rescuer — giving them a stuffed animal that "needs their help" at night taps into their natural empathy and gives them a job to do at 2am.
Four steps to set it up: introduce the animal during the day (not at bedtime), make tucking it in part of the wind-down routine, practice comforting it before lights out, and leave a simple reminder as you walk out the door.
Whether your child is sneaking into your bed or battling bedtime from the very start, this strategy meets them where they are — and it's simpler than anything you've probably tried.

RESOURCES
How To Help Your Child Fall Asleep Without You (the smarter, kinder way)
My Big-Hearted approach is a calm, step-by-step way to help your child fall asleep independently—without cry-it-out.

Potty Without Pushback FREE workshop
Learn a proven approach to ditch diapers that doesn’t chip away at a child’s dignity.

The Potty Training Made Easy Program
Finally ditch diapers without battles, pressure, or moments you wish you could take back.
A pediatrician-designed approach trusted by 1M+ families to potty train with confidence instead of conflict.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why do little kids melt down over things that seem so small? In this episode, Dr. Cathryn shares one mindset shift that can completely change the way you respond to tantrums, resistance, aggression, and emotional outbursts. When you stop seeing your child as “the problem” and start seeing the skills they’re still developing, parenting becomes calmer, clearer, and far more connected. This episode will help you hold boundaries without chipping away at your child’s confidence or dignity.
• Why toddlers can understand a rule and still completely fall apart trying to follow it
• How interpreting behavior differently helps you stay calmer during hard moments
• Why support, co-regulation, and connection often work better than punishment

RESOURCES
The Potty Without Pushback workshop
Finally, A Kinder, Calmer Way To Ditch Diapers For Good
YOU'LL WALK AWAY KNOWING HOW TO:
Potty train without tears, tantrums or tension
Avoid potty resistance altogether
Handle accidents or setbacks calmly
Teach your child, "I'm the boss of my body!"

Save Your FREE Seat Here
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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Dr. Cathryn shares the biggest mistake parents make during tantrums and why trying to reason, explain, or “fix” the meltdown too quickly often makes things worse. Through a personal story from her years as a pediatrician and mom, she explains what’s really happening inside a child’s brain during a tantrum and how a calmer, big-hearted response helps children build emotional regulation over time, without chipping away at their dignity or self-esteem.
• Why tantrums often get bigger when parents talk too much during the peak of the meltdown
• What children actually need when the emotional part of the brain takes over
• How to stay calm, hold boundaries, and help your child through overwhelming feelings without becoming permissive
Planning on potty training soon? Dr. Cathryn also shares details about her free Potty Without Pushback workshop, where you’ll learn a calmer, big-hearted approach to potty training that encourages cooperation and better behavior without chipping away at your child’s self-esteem or dignity.

RESOUCES
The Potty Without Pushback workshop
Finally, A Kinder, Calmer Way To Ditch Diapers For Good
YOU'LL WALK AWAY KNOWING HOW TO:
Potty train without tears, tantrums or tension
Avoid potty resistance altogether
Handle accidents or setbacks calmly
Teach your child, "I'm the boss of my body!"

SAVE YOUR FREE SEAT HERE
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Your little one is missing you. Maybe it's daycare drop-off. Maybe it's 2 am. Maybe it's a sleepover at Nana's with a lot of very loud feelings.
This episode is about the simple things that make separation easier — not just in the hard moments, but all the time.
Dr. Cathryn shares the 10-second ritual she uses with her own granddaughter, plus four practical tools to help little kids carry the feeling of connection with them wherever they go.
You'll learn:
A simple breath-and-kiss ritual that calms the nervous system fast
Why family photos at eye level in the bedroom do more than you'd think
The recordable button that lets your child hear your voice whenever they need it
Why these tools only work if you're not saving them for emergencies

The goal isn't just getting through the hard moment. It's building a belief your child carries with them: I am loved. I am connected. The bond never breaks.
📖 Mentioned in this episode: The Invisible String by Patrice Karst
🚀 Potty training is one of the moments connection matters most. My Potty Training Made Easy program gets you from diapers to dry in 30 days — with no pressure, no shame, and no power struggles. Because how your little one feels during potty training matters just as much as whether they get there. Tap Here
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.