Many of you have read a partial review I gave this book already. I really think this book had a lot of great ideas about potty training in it. Before I read it, I had no idea where to start or what to do. This book at least made me think about my own strategy for teaching Scooter this vital life skill. The book was written in the 70's and is in serious need of an updated version. The forward to the book includes many phrases for handicapped children that are politically incorrect in this day and age. It was a bit offensive.
The organization of the book was scattered and hard to follow. The other thing that really bothered me was the author's assumption that all women are just trying to compete with each other. He described the fictional lady in the potty-training scenario as feeling superior to her neighbor because her son was potty trained quicker and more thoroughly than her neighbor's children. Honestly, we aren't all like that! Also, the scenario paints a picture of a perfect potty-training session. I felt frustrated when our experience didn't even come close to that illustrated in the book.
Other than these things, I did come away with some great ideas. I thought it was a wonderful (and quite forward thinking for the 70's) idea to have your child "potty-train" a doll. I also liked their method for rewarding the child and then gradually reducing the rewards as the child becomes more adept with various skills. These are things that I have incorporated into my, now revised, method for teaching Scooter.
I know that this method can work because many of my friends and family have used it and had success. The key is to make sure your child is truly ready to be trained. I think the reason that it did not work for me is because my child has a real emotional fear right now of using the toilet. I think that is something that we need to deal with first, and it was not discussed in the book.
I recommend this book as a good way to obtain information about potty training, but I advise readers to remember that they ultimately know what is best for their own child and to do what works for them.
Does anyone have any great potty training book to recommend?
Have you had success with this particular method?
1 comment:
I don't remember reading a book to help potty-train my sons, which is surprising because I think I read books to explain how to do EVERYTHING else. lol
WE did reward method with my first son and that worked great! A big basket full of wrapped gifts in the bathroom (little trickets and such) and each time he went in the potty, he opened a gift. The grandparents chipped in and we had enough stuff for almost a whole week! It worked though.
Good luck!
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