The Complete Guide to Potty Training Children: New Sure-Fire Strategies that Make it Easy for Them (and You)

By Melanie Williamson

The Complete Guide to Potty Training Children: New Sure-fire Strategies will show you how to get your toddler using the potty in no time at all. Because of uncooperative toddlers and unavoidable accidents, potty training is not generally considered one of the joys of parenthood. However, with this book and a little patience, you will learn how to keep your cool so your child does not get discouraged. In this book, you will learn the telltale signs that indicate your child really is ready to start toilet training, learn how you can begin the process while they are still in diapers, and how to handle late bloomers. You will learn how to identify your child’s personality type and create a custom-crafted method that suits not only your child’s personality, but also yours.

This book details the sure-fire ways to potty train both girls and boys, and these are separated into distinct sections detailing what makes them different in order to bring you the greatest amount of success. You will learn what to do if your child wets the bed at night and why, so he or she does not backtrack in the training process. This will ensure that your son or daughter is part of the 90 percent of children who are free of wet spots by age 6.

Multiple parents have been interviewed for this book, and their expertise has been peppered throughout to show you what really works. This book is your complete solution to toilet training woes.

Atlantic Publishing is a small, independent publishing company based in Ocala, Florida. Founded over twenty years ago in the company president’s garage, Atlantic Publishing has grown to become a renowned resource for non-fiction books. Today, over 450 titles are in print covering subjects such as small business, healthy living, management, finance, careers, and real estate. Atlantic Publishing prides itself on producing award winning, high-quality manuals that give readers up-to-date, pertinent information, real-world examples, and case studies with expert advice. Every book has resources, contact information, and web sites of the products or companies discussed.

This Atlantic Publishing eBook was professionally written, edited, fact checked, proofed and designed. You receive the same content as the print version of this book. Over the years our books have won dozens of book awards for content, cover design and interior design including the prestigious Benjamin Franklin award for excellence in publishing. We are proud of the high quality of our books and hope you will enjoy this eBook version.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Group Inc.
• Release date: Jan 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781601388247

Book preview

The Complete Guide to

Potty Training Children

New Sure-Fire Strategies that Make it Easy for Them (and You)

By Melanie Williamson

The Complete Guide to Potty Training Children: New Sure-Fire Strategies that Make it Easy for Them (and You)

Copyright © 2013 by Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.

1210 SW 23rd Place • Ocala, Florida 34471 • 800-814-1132 • 352-622-1875 Fax

Website: www.atlantic-pub.com • Email: [e-mail]

SAN Number: 268-1250

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be sent to Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc., 1210 SW 23rd Place, Ocala, Florida 34471.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Williamson, Melanie, 1981-

The complete guide to potty training children : new sure-fire strategies that make it easy for them (and you) / Melanie Williamson.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60138-565-9 (alk. paper)

ISBN-10: 1-60138-565-X (alk. paper)

1. Toilet training. I. Title.

HQ770.5.W55 2012

649'.62--dc23

2011042492

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.

TRADEMARK: All trademarks, trade names, or logos mentioned or used are the property of their respective owners and are used only to directly describe the products being provided. Every effort has been made to properly capitalize, punctuate, identify and attribute trademarks and trade names to their respective owners, including the use of ® and ™ wherever possible and practical. Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc. is not a partner, affiliate, or licensee with the holders of said trademarks.

DISCLAIMER: The material in this book is provided for informational purposes and as a general guide to potty training children. The methods discussed are based on the best current research and advice. This book should not be a substitute for visiting your child’s doctor or seeking additional counsel from child specialists.

A few years back we lost our beloved pet dog Bear, who was not only our best and dearest friend but also the Vice President of Sunshine here at Atlantic Publishing. He did not receive a salary but worked tirelessly 24 hours a day to please his parents.

Bear was a rescue dog who turned around and showered myself, my wife, Sherri, his grandparents Jean, Bob, and Nancy, and every person and animal he met (well, maybe not rabbits) with friendship and love. He made a lot of people smile every day.

We wanted you to know a portion of the profits of this book will be donated in Bear’s memory to local animal shelters, parks, conservation organizations, and other individuals and nonprofit organizations in need of assistance.

– Douglas and Sherri Brown

PS: We have since adopted two more rescue dogs: first Scout, and the following year, Ginger. They were both mixed golden retrievers who needed a home.

Want to help animals and the world? Here are a dozen easy suggestions you and your family can implement today:

Adopt and rescue a pet from a local shelter.

Support local and no-kill animal shelters.

Plant a tree to honor someone you love.

Be a developer — put up some birdhouses.

Buy live, potted Christmas trees and replant them.

Make sure you spend time with your animals each day.

Save natural resources by recycling and buying recycled products.

Drink tap water, or filter your own water at home.

Whenever possible, limit your use of or do not use pesticides.

If you eat seafood, make sustainable choices.

Support your local farmers market.

Get outside. Visit a park, volunteer, walk your dog, or ride your bike.

Five years ago, Atlantic Publishing signed the Green Press Initiative. These guidelines promote environmentally friendly practices, such as using recycled stock and vegetable-based inks, avoiding waste, choosing energy-efficient resources, and promoting a no-pulping policy. We now use 100-percent recycled stock on all our books. The results: in one year, switching to post-consumer recycled stock saved 24 mature trees, 5,000 gallons of water, the equivalent of the total energy used for one home in a year, and the equivalent of the greenhouse gases from one car driven for a year.

Dedication and Acknowledgments

Dedication

This book is dedicated to Natalie, Allison, and Katelyn. They are my constant inspiration.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank all the parents who helped me through potty training and contributed to this book either directly or indirectly.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: General Potty Training Facts

Chapter 2: Ready or Not

Chapter 3: The Preparation

Chapter 4: Teaching Toilet Etiquette

Chapter 5: The One-Day Potty Party Method

Chapter 6: American Association of Pediatrics Method of Potty Training

Chapter 7: The Child-Temperament Method

Chapter 8: Stress-Free Methods of Potty Training

Chapter 9: Early Potty Training Methods

Chapter 10: Dealing With a Reluctant Child

Chapter 11: The Nighttime Bed-Wetting Issue

Chapter 12: Common Medical Concerns

Chapter 13: Potty Training Under Special Circumstances

Chapter 14: Continuing the Potty Training

Chapter 15: Life Lessons Learned Through Potty Training Your Child

Conclusion

Appendix A: Potty Training Supply Lists

Bibliography

Author’s Biography

Introduction

My oldest daughter, Natalie, was about 18 months old when she started acting as if she was ready to use the potty, but I kept thinking she was too young to be potty trained. In addition, she was about to become a big sister to twins, and I was not sure I had the energy to attempt potty training at the time. When she was 22 months old, I put her in the thick training underwear, and I showed her how to sit on the potty chair. I would set a timer for ten minutes and make her sit on the potty chair every ten minutes until she went potty on it. Once she went potty for the first time, we celebrated by jumping around and cheering, we called her daddy at work so she could tell him, and we had a treat. From that point on, I asked her every 15 to 20 minutes if she had to go, and she was using the potty. I was thrilled, and I could not believe how easy that was. What I was not prepared for was the regression and subsequent rebellion.

Natalie was in training pants with few accidents around the house for almost a month when her twin sisters began rolling around, sitting up, and doing other things that demanded more of my attention. Up until this point, the twins had pretty much stayed in their playpens in our living room either sleeping or examining their baby toys. Natalie did not appreciate my decreased attention, to say the least.

She started having accidents around the house more often, or she would say she needed to go potty but only if I went with her. Once we were in the bathroom, she would insist I read her books or play with her. If I refused to stay in the bathroom and play with her, she would refuse to use the potty. Then, we got to the point where I would take her into the bathroom, she would refuse to use the potty, and then, she would run into the hallway and pee on the floor in the hallway. After three days of her not actually using the potty once, I could not handle it anymore, and I put her back in a diaper.

During the next 18 months, I tried every suggestion people gave me. I offered her rewards and treats, I let her go to the store and pick out her own underwear, I read her stories in the bathroom, and I even tried nothing for days in an effort to let her initiate using the potty again. Out of frustration, I would get overly upset when she had accidents, and I would plead with her to use the bathroom. She was well older than 3 years old and still had regular accidents. I had to put her in a diaper every time we left the house because I could not trust her to tell me if she had to go. I also had to put her in a diaper whenever a babysitter came over because she absolutely refused to use the potty for a babysitter.

I was really starting to get worried she would not be potty trained in time to start preschool. All of my friends who had children the same general age as Natalie had potty trained their kids months earlier. Then, one day, she was potty trained. Natalie and I had been in a battle of wills for longer than a year, and she became potty trained only after she wanted to be potty trained. With all the mistakes and struggles I encountered with her, I was sincerely scared to potty train our twins.

Having done a lot more research and having talked to a lot more parents since then, I have been able to identify the many areas where I made mistakes with Natalie. First, I never really had a plan going into potty training; I just hoped she would figure it out if I kept taking her to the bathroom. I never worked with her on communicating to me when she needed to go. I was not at all prepared for her to regress, and last, but certainly not least, after she regressed, I started doing things out of desperation. My actions caused a great deal of confusion and inconsistency, which only encouraged Natalie to not be potty trained.

Reviewing my first potty training experience, I probably just as easily could write a book on how not to potty train a toddler. I would provide a breakdown of everything I did and encourage others not to do the same thing. In the hope that readers can learn to do it correctly the first time, however, this book will provide a detailed plan on how to quickly and effectively potty train a toddler.

Book Overview

This book covers a wide variety of issues related to potty training, as well as a step-by-step guide to get you through the potty training experience. To start, you will be provided with a history of potty training in the United States and how the process has changed over time. The age of potty training and the methods used have changed dramatically due to a number of factors, including the introduction of disposable diapers and the migration of mothers from the home to the workplace.

This book also will debunk common myths surrounding potty training and will consider the different factors of readiness for children. Once you understand how to tell if your child is ready for potty training, you will learn how to prepare for potty training. Chapter 5 through Chapter 9 will provide detailed information covering five of the most common potty training methods. This will provide you with the information you need to choose the method that is best for you and your child. Chapter 4 will go over some basic issues of bathroom etiquette, which a child must learn to be successfully potty trained.

The rest of the book will explain common problems, both medical and non-medical, that you might be confronted with while potty training. These issues include child reluctance, regression, constipation, and the fear of pooping. There is also a chapter dedicated to the topic of bed-wetting because it affects a great number of children and their parents. There will be information for parents of children with attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, and Down syndrome. Potty training multiples also will be addressed. The last chapter will offer advice in dealing with post-potty training issues, such as transitioning from the potty chair to the adult toilet, dealing with accidents or regression with older children, and knowing when it is OK to let your child go in a public restroom alone.

A note for parents and guardians of small children

Getting your child potty trained is an incredible step in parenting for both you and your child. As a parent, eliminating the need for diapers is tantamount to getting a raise in income, as there will be a dramatic decrease in expenses. A toddler should be changed six to eight times each day. That is equal to 2,190 to 2,920 diapers in a year. The average cost of Pampers® is 42 cents per diaper, which comes out to between $920 and $1,226 per year. You can reduce your diaper expense by using store-brand diapers, such as the up & up™ diapers sold at Target. Target brand diapers cost approximately 18 cents each. This means you will be spending $394 to $526 a year for diapers. Either way, potty training your child will save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. In addition, these figures only represent the cost of diapers. Potty training means you also can stop spending money on diaper wipes and diaper rash cream. The cost of diaper wipes also varies greatly depending on the brand, but it is an expense you can eliminate with potty training. Although there are costs involved with the potty training process, they are minimal compared to the cost of diapers, and they are short term. After your child is potty trained, the only long-term expense you will have is the cost of underwear.

Getting your child potty trained also means independence from having to find a suitable place to change a child in public. Most parents have experienced the frustration of going to a public restroom only to find there is no changing table, or there is a changing table, but it is broken. Then, you are faced with the dilemma of finding a somewhat clean place to change your child. I am sure most parents have been in a situation where they have had to change their children in their vehicles, which typically is awkward.

Getting your child potty trained means no more last-minute runs to the store because you did not realize you only had one diaper left or being out in public when you realize you forgot the new package of wipes at home. Getting your child out of diapers also means no more diaper rash and no more need for diaper rash creams that are messy and do not wash off your hands easily. There are numerous benefits to potty training, which can be used as motivation to do it right from the beginning.

Potty training your children is more than teaching your child to use the potty. It is teaching your children how to identify the need to go to the bathroom, which will provide an increased awareness of their bodies. Potty training involves teaching your child how to flush the toilet and properly clean him or herself. Proper wiping is an important lesson that children do not always grasp right away, but it is essential to the prevention of infections. It is also about teaching your child the importance of privacy and modesty. Finally, potty training is about teaching your child the proper way to wash his or her hands and why hand washing is so important.

Advice from potty training veterans

One of the many things this book will provide is a selection of real parents sharing their experiences with potty training, dilemmas they faced, and how they got through it. Parents who were able to potty train their children at a younger than average age will share their experiences and advice. You also will read about parents who have had the opportunity to potty train both boys and girls and who will be able to discuss the differences between the two experiences. You will read stories from parents of multiples, the parents of a child with Asperger’s syndrome, parents to children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD), as well as parents who faced some of the common potty training problems addressed throughout the book.

Reading about other parents’ experiences will provide you with insight into the experience and the methods used. It also will offer you assurance during difficult times that your child is responding normally to the situation, and the problems you are facing are usual during the transition out of diapers. At times, potty training can be a frustrating experience, but it is important to stay focused on the end goal and to keep