Potty Training update

Well, I kind of felt I should give a brief update on "potty training" for any who are interested. After my last post on the subject, I got a few emails and phone calls on the subject saying "let me know what you find".

Aside: Why are people so reluctant to leave comments? Any opinions? Leave a comment! :)

Back to the adventure at hand... Here's some books I've read that were worthwhile:

• Toilet Training by Vicki Lanski - By far the easiest to read, with interesting tips from REAL MOMS and suggestions on books and websites to check out. Some of this stuff I would NEVER have thought of in a million years. Well, okay, maybe when it was too late! The tips are what stand out in my mind. The actual advice from the author was okay, but very basic.


• Toilet Training in Less Than a Day by Natha Azrin - Interesting book, goes step by step thru their method, and their method is VERY specific. They focus on the importance of independence for the child and the parent. In other words, if my child has to tell ME he has to go to the bathroom, and I have to HELP him, then he's not fully trained. They talk about training the child each step of the way... practicing how to take pants down, practicing walking rapidly to the potty, practicing dumping the "product" in the toilet, flushing, washing, etc. Needless to say, to pull this off in less than a day, you can do nothing else. I won't be using their method, but it really made me think about a lot of things differently, so I have already been incorporating their ideas, and I'm going to mention them below.
  
• Toilet Learning: The picture book technique for Children and Parents by Allison Mack - Interesting concept. The first half of the book is written for parents, the last half is a picture book for kids. I have to confess to not getting very far into the parents' part of the book myself, because Ian discovered the picture book part and LOVES it! The part of it he likes best shows different people on the potty... A fireman, a mailman, a doctor, a babysitter, mommy, daddy, Grandpa and Grandma. Plus it emphasizes that there are bathrooms pretty much anywhere you go, which I imagine is a comforting thought to a child. I know it is to ME!!

Books and Videos Ian has really liked:

• Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi - Going to a baby shower anytime soon? Get this book!! It's hysterical and kind of gross, but kids love it
• Toilet Learning by Alison Mack
• The Potty Book for Boys by Alyssa Satin Capucilli - Just got this from the libray, but Ian seems to like it already. It shows a boy (and his teddy) learning about going potty.
• Winston's Potty - By far the most requested video he had for the week we had it. It was in rough shape though, so I need to get it from a different library. Again, I thought it was lacking, but he LOVED it and it was definitely registering.
• Once Upon a Potty For Him by Alona Frankel - Theres a video and a book. He likes the video, doesn't care for the book too much. Go figure!

I also found an activity book about going potty that we just started using. It's called My Potty Activity Book +45 Potty Training Tips by Tracy Foote. I bought it because the reviews were overwhelmingly positive, but I'm a bit unimpressed by it. It's basically a coloring book for the kids that explains the whole potty training process. I guess the true test is whether it helps Ian get from point A to point B.