Why do white people potty train their kids so late, while black people train them earlier?
User Detail :
Name : Lynn22504, Gender : F, City : Memphis, State : TN Country : United States, Black people feel you should not be at the age where you are able to walk, talk and play, yet cannot take the time to determine when you need to use the lavatory. Another reason is that boys, by age 3-4, and girls, by age 2-3, are too old to be peeing on themselves. Besides, what's the use of buying diapers when your child shouldn't be still in them, anyway? It's a waste of money and time.
User Detail :
Name : Nyla, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 17, City : Willingboro, State : NJ Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, I never recognized any correlation between race/culture and potty-training. I do think, however, that stingy people or those with lower incomes are more likely to potty train early because daycare for potty-trained infants is easier to find and significantly cheaper. Otherwise, I think it's pretty much an individual thing.
User Detail :
Name : Kristina26246, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 23, City : Washington, State : DC Country : United States, Occupation : Word Processor, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, First of all, daycare, unless subsidized, is NOT cheaper. In 1995 I paid $150 per week for my son to attend daycare (it was more than a daycare center, it was a learning center for children ages 2 to 5). Today, the school charges nearly $200 per week. Second, I started potty training my son at 18 months old. By the time he was two, he was wearing underwear, and except for an accident here and there, he was fully trained. Cheap day care had nothing to do with it. I just didn't think it would be cute for a boy who could speak intelligently, to still be walking around in urine soaked diapers. I should also mention that at age 1, I took away his bottle and trained him to use a cup. The stroller was put away at age two (he could walk). His crib was taken down and replaced with a child's bed. Baby toys were taken away and replaced with toys designed to teach (See & Say, etc). So you see, the cost of daycare is a non issue. It's about raising intelligent, independent children. You simply do not treat a two year old like a baby, for he is no longer a baby...he is a toddler. If he can walk and talk, he needs to come out of diapers, sleep in a regular bed, no more bottles and pacifiers. That simple.
User Detail :
Name : Rhonda-P-Outlaw29980, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Lutheran, Age : 42, City : Laurelton, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Account Representative, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Though i am childless, I believe that we want our children to become less dependent on us in certain aspects. Also, diapers are expensive, and the quicker we can get our children out of them the less money we have to spend on it.
User Detail :
Name : Shani G., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 19, City : Stone Mountain, State : GA Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 4 Years of College, I concur with Nyla from Willingboro, for the most. I would only add that the tendency to allow one's children to 'proceed at their own pace' is not exclusive to any one race, ethnicity or social stratum. I see it too frequently. I think that rather than help the child, it hurts them in the long run. They grow up not knowing how to deal with even minimal pressure; they feel wronged when they're asked to extend themselves in any way. Know what I mean?
User Detail :
Name : Bill, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 52, City : SAN JOSE, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : engineer, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I agree. If a child can walk and hold a conversation then there is no reason for that child to not be potty trained. Plus by 2 and 3 that child is pretty much eating the same food you are so changing diapers becomes more unpleasent.
User Detail :
Name : Asia D., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Seventh-Day Adventist, Age : 21, City : Phoenix, State : AZ Country : United States, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Upper middle class, In my experience, black people have greater expectations from their children as relates to basic skills at an early age. Black children usually spend less time in strollers, eat regular food earlier and are potty trained earlier than white children. Of my 3 children, only one of them wasn't fully potty trained by the age of 2 and then only because he is a very hard-headed boy. At the age of three I expect them to keep their own rooms cleaned up and expect them to keep up with their own shoes, coats & etc. Possibly historically, black people have had to mature at an earlier age and we still carry across that need for early development to our children.
User Detail :
Name : Marvin-F, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Mormon, Age : 35, City : Kansas City, State : MO Country : United States, Occupation : IT, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Probably because more white women have the time to wipe their babies' bottoms than many black women have the privilege to, between 3 jobs and rising out of poverty and generations of slavery. They probably tell their kids,- 'Hey - I have enough sh-t on my hands already - better use your own!!'
User Detail :
Name : Daryl28656, Gender : M, Race : Asian, Age : 30, City : Fort Worth, State : TX Country : United States, Show me a study that clearly indicates that black people potty train their children earlier. I have never noticed any difference between 'who' gets potty trained 'when'. And by the way, white people don't like urinating on themselves, either.
User Detail :
Name : Michael28931, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 33, City : Atlanta, State : GA Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, That's a really good question that I only recently realized was an issue. My son is 21 months old and just recently starting saying 'Poo-poo' when his diaper was dirty. So I got the potty chair out of storage and started teaching him to use it. When I mentioned it at work (proud that he was finally telling me his diaper was dirty) people were surprised that I was doing it at this age. They rattled off their 3, 4, and even 5-year old training experiences. I had no idea this could be a cultural thing, but one woman had to potty train her son to enroll him in Kindergarten. That baffles me. If they can say 'Poo-Poo' they can learn to head to the potty when they feel it coming on.
User Detail :
Name : Demetrice, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 43, City : Sacramento, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Marketing, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Black women( like me have not traditionally had the luxury of staying home with our babies. We have had to work. It was just plain easier to find daycare for a child who does not need his diapers changed.
User Detail :
Name : Karen, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 47, City : rochester, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : utilities service, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Actually, It is not only black people who train their children early. Probably 75% of western Europeans and 90% of eastern Europeans potty train early. 'Us' Caucasians unfortunatly do not 'have' the time to potty train because we are so busy. I personally think it's wrong (earlier is better). Potty training is happening later and later; diaper sizes are getting larger and larger.
User Detail :
Name : Marque, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 33, City : Bellevue, State : WA Country : United States, Occupation : Self Employed, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class, I am not a parent but have heard many discussions on the subject of potty-training. Enough to know that white parents used to potty-train their kids at an earlier age but for reasons unknown to me now train them later. Most older parents I hear don't understand why today's younger parents wait so long, either. I believe it may come from Doctor Spock who said forcing young kids to do things they don't want to do will traumatize them. Of course thanks to this expert advice I have heard of a couple cases where a mother is still breastfeeding a kid who is old enough to ask her to take her tit out so he can breastfeed, and she does it. - No Lie.
User Detail :
Name : Duane, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Pentecostal, Age : 33, City : Lancaster, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Substitute Teacher, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, Interestingly enough, I have noticed the opposite. I also think that it can be a matter of socioeconomics rather than race. Many poorer, less-educated people don't seem to want to bother (and I've seen this in my own family) while people who are higher up on the economic ladder (perhaps mom can afford to stay home) are more inclined to take the time. I have a cousin who is much less financially stable than I am and her kids were potty trained much later than mine. She works, too, and I do not, so maybe she just doesn't have as much time to dedicate.
User Detail :
Name : Nikki, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Wiccan, Age : 31, City : Pittsburgh, State : PA Country : United States, Occupation : SAHM, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 
Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences .
