Great start to Potty Training, supportive author!

books:


	• Potty Train Your Child in Just One Day: Proven Secrets of the Potty Pro [toilet training] Teri Crane Fireside, 2006 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 69 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Worthwhile read, but may not work wonders

I give this book 3 stars because it's one of the most interesting books on potty training I've read, yet its approach wasn't a "miracle cure" for my child.

I tried Teri's approach with my daughter a week before her 4th birthday. I spent about 6 weeks reading and re-reading Teri's book, taking notes on it, buying items for the party and otherwise preparing for it. I don't think I could have been readier for it than I was.

The morning of the party went fairly well. However, I was slightly disappointed in the Emma Corolle doll (the one most recommended by Teri). The bottle leaked, and getting the bottle in the doll's mouth "just right" was tricky. So when I would try to feed the bottle to the doll, the doll (and its underwear) would get wet. Also, if the doll's belly was pressed even slightly, the doll would pee. So, we had a number of accidents with the doll that I didn't intend to stage! If I had to do it all over again, I would have bought a cheaper doll with no wetting function, and I would have just pretended it was peeing into the potty by holding a bottle behind it (as Teri did at the party for her own son).

The afternoon party was a lot of fun, but it didn't work miracles with my daughter. I never did get her to pee on the potty. She did have two accidents, one of which occurred almost immediately after she'd spent a long time sitting on the potty. Even though my daughter is almost 4, I think she just doesn't "get it." She doesn't understand yet how to control her bladder and pee "on demand".

So I am a bit disappointed, but I do think we made some progress today. For one thing, my daughter wore underwear for an 8-hour stretch. She's never worn underwear that long before. For another thing, by dedicating the whole day to potty training, I was able to observe how often my daughter absolutely has to pee. These observations should help me in coming days as I try to time my daughter's sessions on the potty "just right" to try to catch her when she most has to pee.

If I had this experience to do all over again, here is what I would have done differently:

- I would have bought a cheap doll with no drink and wet function so I could have controlled its output better;

- I would have offered only salty treats to my daughter. I offered both sweet and salty and she chose only sweet. If she'd had only salty things to eat, I think she would have been thirstier and been willing to drink more. Maybe this would have resulted in my daughter making a pee on the potty.

- I would have tried to stay within a budget. I think part of my disappointment with the day was spending so much time and money putting together the "perfect" party as outlined in Teri's book. Teri makes it clear you don't have to go "all out" that way, but having a Type A personality, it was my instinct to do that. In retrospect, though, I wish I wouldn't have gotten so carried away.

- I would have been more honest with myself about my daughter's readiness. Conventional wisdom is that, at nearly 4 years old, she should have been trained long ago. But there are a lot of signs of readiness that she is lacking. Above all, she lacks the desire to be thought of as a "big kid." That desire is central to Teri's approach. So, I guess it shouldn't be a surprise to me that the approach didn't work wonders on my daughter who lacks that desire.

-- I would have accepted the fact that potty training isn't going to happen with a flick of the wrist and snap of the fingers. Not that Teri says it will, even with her approach. But I have to admit I was hoping that we could rush the process and "get it over with" in one day and not have to worry about it much after that. Evidently, that's not how things are going to work, at least for my daughter.

So, I do recommend giving Teri's approach a try (with the aforementioned pointers in mind), but I also advocate reading Elizabeth Pantley's "No-Cry Potty Training Solution." It's almost the opposite approach to Teri's, but if you have a child who is a late, reluctant trainer the way mine is, it may be more realistic for your situation. Pantley gives lots of tips for working on potty training gradually over a long period of time.

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Great start to Potty Training, supportive author!

this is a great book that helped motivate me to get my 2 1/2 year old son off to a fun and positive start using the potty. he loved the potty party (we chose a farm theme), and not only did he learn about and use the potty the very same day, but he continued each day averaging only one accident and is doing great! he is empowered by teri crane's strategy and i am confident and excited as well. the potty party is alot of work, and does truly require an entire day dedicated just to the child you are potty training, but it is so worth every effort!! and, as an added bonus, you get a great day of fun with just the one child you are training that you both will cherish. one more note...the potty party does not have to cost you alot of money!! choose a theme you have items for already and get creative! i used a cardboard box and paint to make a pond, tractor, farm yard fence, and plain yellow balloons to make sunflowers. my son was widemouthed in awe, we had an awesome time, and he got a great start to potty training. also, when i had trouble with the "poop on the potty" issue, i emailed teri and she called me back right away. she is truly supportive and stands behind her book, and she really cares! what more could you ask for?!

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Love it

What a great book of ideas!!!!!!!! I wish I had, had this for my oldest son who didn't get potty trained until he was 4 years old. This book really helps you decide: first if you and your child are really ready to begin and second gives you a fantastic plan with the proper tools.

Thank you Teri, Wendy Lynch, Mom of 2 boys

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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