Toilet Training in Less Than a Day

By Nathan Azrin and Richard M. Foxx

In this newly modernized edition of the classic, bestselling book on toilet training, you’ll discover the scientifically proven Azrin-Foxx method that’s been used by millions of parents worldwide.

This clear and accessible guide remains the go-to book on toilet training for a reason. With a newly modernized take on the same proven, easy-to-follow steps, you’ll learn how to let go of stress and have your child confidently using the toilet—without assistance or a reminder—in only a couple of hours.

Inside you will find a wealth of helpful information, including:

- Step-by-step instructions taking you and your child from pre-training all the way through to the Potty Training Diploma
- A method that unlocks your child’s sense of pride, independence, and accomplishment
- Supply lists, reminder sheets, and frequently asked questions

With more than two million copies sold, Toilet Training in Less Than a Day is the only guide you'll ever need to make potty training a rewarding and successful experience for both you and your toddler.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gallery Books
• Release date: Jun 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781476792330

Nathan Azrin

Nathan H. Azrin, PhD (1930-2013) was the father of four children and a leading authority on the psychology of learning. He received his PhD from Harvard University, was a research associate at the Boston University School of Medicine, and  was a lecturer at Harvard’s Psychology Department. The former editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, he published more than 100 studies in the field of learning and psychological treatment.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Current Concerns About Toilet Training: Letters From Mothers

Help!—36 months

I have a 3-year-old son who is partially urine-trained but who will never make a bowel movement on the potty—only in his pants. He has attended a Montessori nursery school for six months, thereby observing other children using the toilet, but to no avail. Help! I have been a working mother, and neither I nor strangers have had any luck. I am no longer working and still have no luck.

At Our Wits’ End—47 months

My husband and I have two sons, aged 4 years next month and 2 ¹/2 years. Both are bright children, but neither one is toilet-trained. Our main problem is with the 4-year-old son. We have tried everything we can think of to train him, but to no avail. He cries, screams, and fights whenever we try to put him on a potty chair or toilet. This occurs with both urination and defecation. He has never urinated in a toilet, and the only time he has had a bowel movement on one was when he had diarrhea and was not able to hold back having the B.M. We are at our wits’ end. We have also tried putting him in training pants, but he won’t even keep them on. He is not the least bit uncomfortable with soiled diapers and would wear the same one all day long if I didn’t change him; in fact, many times he even resists my trying to put a clean diaper on him.

Frustrating Him and Me—38 months

I have a little boy, age 38 months. At the age of 2 he trained himself on the bowel-movement cycle. My problem is, he will not train as far as the urinating problem is concerned. I have had him in training pants on three different occasions. I leave him in the training pants for about two weeks and then I find myself frustrating him and me. He seems to be able to hold his urine for only about one-half hour in duration. At this time I have him back in Pampers. I spoke to my pediatrician and he said to leave him alone, but at this point and at his age I feel it is about time he was trained.

He Positively Will Not—32 months

I have two children—a 32-month-old boy and an 11-month-old daughter. I started training my son, Johnny, when he became 24 months old. To date he will be cooperative and urinate in the potty most of the time when I sit him on it. But he hardly ever tells me beforehand when he has to urinate, so I haven’t placed him in training pants. My son positively will not release his bowels while sitting on the potty. He waits until he is up walking around. I never punish him about this, but try to convince him it is big to do his messes in the potty, and ask him to tell me beforehand the next time he must go. But no luck. I try to be optimistic about it and hope maybe tomorrow!!

Tried Everything—42 months

We have a 3¹/2-year-old boy and we are getting nowhere with him and have tried everything.

Always in His Pants—54 months

We are having a problem with our 4 ¹/2-year-old son. He will not have a bowel movement on a toilet He has always done it in his pants. He is the youngest child, with a brother and sister. I started toilet-training him at 2 years and it was a complete failure. He refused to go, and after staying dry all night he would hold it all morning and not go until I put him down for an afternoon nap. We moved to another state shortly before he was 3 years old, and we were here two weeks when he discovered he could wet standing up, and that was that; no more problems there. He will start school next fall, and we’re really concerned regarding this. We have tried everything and nothing has worked.

Wants No Part of Potty Training—40 months

We are really having a problem with our boy. He is now 3 years and 4 months. He wants no part of potty training. I do not believe in forcing a child, and we have tried all different ways—reading to him, bragging, coaxing, rewards—but he wants no part of it. He just has a fit if we put training pants on him. At times he will go, but not a B.M. He has a temper, and we really believe he is just being stubborn. He also doesn’t care if he has dirty pants or wet ones. He is average intelligence, if not a little bit above, we have been told. He has done many things very early in life. In fact, he is one that has to do everything himself except for the potty training.

Unsuccessful Trying of Rewards and Punishment—36 months

My son, the eighth of nine children, is 3 years old and still is not toilet-trained, day or night I have been unsuccessful trying rewards and punishment. Since there are older children in the house, he is very verbal and above average in intelligence, having been able to read since he was 2 years old. My youngest daughter is 14 months old, but I cannot say he has regressed since she was born because he was never truly toilet-trained.

Not Looking Forward to It—16 months

My son is only 16 months old, so I still have some time before I have to start the training process. I’m not looking forward to training. Will my attitude influence my son? My husband is so anxious for our son to be trained, but I’m the one who has to do so.

For Nearly Eight Months I Have Been Trying—32 months

I have a very gentle, sweet, and most of the time cooperative 2-year-8-month-old little girl. She appears to be bright. She walked and talked at an early age. She knows her alphabet. She can recognize numbers and letters, and she can identify simple three-or four-letter words. She sounds like the original wonder baby, almost. She would be wonderful if I could only toilet-train her. For nearly eight months I have been trying to toilet-train her. Why is she so uncooperative and/or hostile? I thought I knew all the theories on toilet training—either taught to me in nursing school or acquired through baby-training manuals or advised by fellow mothers who have better luck than I have had.

Tried Everything I Could Think of—30 months

I have a little girl 2 ¹/2 years of age. I have been trying for months. I believe she was about 18 or 20 months old when I first started to try and potty-train her, and she is not trained yet. She does very well with the wetting on the potty, but she absolutely will not have a bowel movement on the potty. Either she will sit and cry or she will say she is done, and that is usually when I find her starting to potty. Then I have her sit, and when I get her up in five or ten minutes, I find she has a bowel movement in her panties. She tries to and does hold back. When she was much younger, she used to break out on her bottom very bad, and she was to the point that her bottom was raw, and we used to tell her if she would only potty, her bottom wouldn’t be this way. I have training pants for her and that hasn’t worked. I have gotten little silk panties and that hasn’t worked. My husband and I went on vacation for a week and left her with my sister-in-law and she tried. She has two girls, 11 and 9, and I thought she would have success, and she said she never has seen anything like her. She says she tried everything she could think of. I have also tried spanking and that didn’t work. We have told her that she smells bad and no one wants to be around her when she does this. We have tried the big toilet instead of her potty chair. I have ignored her and that didn’t work. I have tried everything I can think of; my pediatrician told me she would do it when she was ready and to ignore her, but I am at wit’s end trying to find the method. We also have an 8-month-old little boy, but we tried before he came along.

He Won’t Even Try—30 months

My son is 2 ¹/2 years old and won’t even try.

I Will Never Be Able to Train Her—25 months

I have a 25-month-old daughter whom I have been trying to potty-train for three months. She is bright but acts lazy and will not always cooperate. I don’t know what to do. I’m afraid I will never be able to train her.

To Go by Himself on His Own Is Impossible—30 months

I have a 2 ¹/2 -year-old boy who refuses to go potty for me. He would just as soon go into another room and wet or dirty his pants. He will go potty when I remind him he has to go, but to go by himself on his own is impossible. I also have a 2-month-old baby girl, but this was occurring before she was born.

Don’t Know What Else I Should Do—30 months

My child is 2 ¹/2 and couldn’t care less about the potty. I don’t believe in forcing him to use it, but don’t know what else I should do.

Still Wets and Dirties Her Panties—5 years

I have a grandchild 5 years old who still wets and dirties her panties.

Not Toilet-Broke—6 years

I have a son almost 6 years old. He is not retarded. He has been checked for this. He has been checked closely by a pediatrician and a urologist. They can find no physical reason for his not being toilet-broke. I have tried everything I could think of.’ I am at my wit’s end. I need help badly on breaking him of this. I need this help desperately.

Boys Are Harder to Train—24 months

My son is just 2, and I am ready to train him. As the mother of three girls, and with everyone telling me how much harder it is to train boys, I am quite anxious to learn your method.

Couldn’t Care Less—36 months

I have a son 3 years old who couldn’t care less about being toilet-trained.

I Am Desperate—24 and 36 months

I’ve got three children ages 3, 2, and 1, with another due any day. I’ve been trying to train the two oldest ones for months on end now. First, I tried everything I know of, such as praise and presents. Nothing seems to work. I am desperate—otherwise I wouldn’t have sent you this letter.

Smart but Stubborn—30 months

My daughter is 2 ¹/² and I am having a problem training her. She will sit on the potty, but she will not go in it She is quite smart for her age, but I think stubbornness is her problem.

She Knows How, but . . . —24 months

My little girl is 2 years old, and I have a 3-month-old baby. I am at my wit’s end with my little girl: she knows how and sometimes does use the potty (especially anywhere but at home), but she so often just wets in her pants, time after time. What am I to do to help her use the potty every time? I also need to know your method for when my little boy is ready to be trained.

Sits for Over Three Hours—18 months

I have an 18-month-old son

Reviews for Toilet Training in Less Than a Day

[funkydung-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

If you want to insult the intelligence and diminish the dignity of your child, by all means use this method.

[zapwhampow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I used this method on my own daughter 38 years ago. She was completely trained in 2 hours! Plus we ha a great time. AS a professional trainer I have recommended this book for years. The important aspect to remember is that, to the child, this must be a game. You must be having fun WITH the child not imposing the method ON the child. Therefore, if the child doesn't want to play the game that day, you must wait until they are ready. And there should be no distractions; no TV, pets, phone calls or interesting toys around that will distract from the one-on-one quality time together. It's amazing how quickly they learn with this method.