We tried to potty train our son using the traditional methods for quite some time without success. We were completely out of ideas and he was completely uninterested in getting himself to the potty. I even tried having him sit on the potty every 10-15 mins, yet he would be wet every time. He was already a little over 3 and very bright so we knew he was capable of doing it. It was a complete battle of wills and he was winning. I came across this book and decided to give it a try since our potty training experience was rapidly spiraling down into something extremely unpleasant. The book is clear and easy to read. My son is the most strong-willed person I have ever known and this method even worked for him. It made completely clear what is expected of him and made it a little exciting too. I did need to make some very slight impromptu changes to the plan as the day unfolded, but it worked like a dream. Within 2 days he was staying dry all by himself. The only problem we ran into after training day was that sometimes he would not stop playing with his toys to go potty without being forced to do so. Any time that resulted in an him wetting or messing his pants we took that toy away. It broke his heart and mine to do so, but he was given the chance to earn one toy back after every whole day of not messing his pants. Within 3 days of that, all “accidents” stopped completely. I love this book. I went from feeling completely hopeless, frustrated, and out of ideas to being 100% amazed at how he just runs to the potty now all by himself. I just don’t know what we would have done without it. I plan to use this method with my second child when she is old enough.
Potentially helpful hints:
1. I went nuts trying to find a good potty training doll for this method for a reasonable price. We eventually got the “Potty Scotty Doll.” It was way over our budget, but it sure was cheaper than having to keep buying diapers.
2. Also couldn’t find cloth training pants in any of our local stores. Best deal I found was “babies r’ us” online. 3 pair for $10. We did fine with 6 pair. They fit loose enough for him to pull them down easily, but not falling down. The Joe Boxer ones I previously bought were very tight even though they were his size.