Rating: 
Summary: Potty Training Nightmare!
Review: On my doctor's recommendation, I bought this book and tried it with my then 30 month old son. My husband and I read the book carefully, went through the "readiness" checklist, bought all the gear, and set aside an entire day to follow the plan. What a nightmare! My son, who only two days before was *asking* to use his little potty chair, wound up hiding in the closet, sobbing because he had wet himself. This book borders on child abuse -- it tells you to march the child who's had an accident back and forth to the potty 10 times (in wet pants) then repeatedly tell him things like "Grandpa will be sad because you peed your pants". What sounded a bit odd in theory became a horror in practice, especially the 4th or 5th time. I'm still kicking myself for even trying it! I think people are drawn to this book by the title -- who wouldn't want to be done with training in less than one day? But for most children, I believe this is an unrealistic, sometimes cruel, expectation. My son is a very sweet, senstitive child; he tries hard to please us and very much wanted to learn how to use his potty. But after a day of being lectured and marched around, he wouldn't even go into the bathroom, let alone consider pulling down his pants and going in the potty. Fortunately, we've since tried a much gentler approach that's had fantastic results. Other parents may claim that this book didn't work only because our son wasn't ready, and perhaps he was not. However, he did fit the all the criteria in this book's "readiness" test and it's a darn shame we had to traumatize *him* to find out that it was wrong! Given that it was written in the 70's, I guess I should have known better. Don't make my mistake, DON'T BUY THIS BOOK!
Rating: 
Summary: A most excellent book for this very delicate time
Review: I was just wondering if they still sell this book, as I'm still recommending it 16 years after I toilet trained my last child. It is a great guideline, based on sound conditioning principles. Most any child should be able to benefit from the training, as the method is based on research done with mentally retarded children. For them, it took less than a day - for my kids, a week :-J! But I just wanted to put in a good word for a book that can get you through what can be a most trying time for parents in the quickest way possible. God bless! Faith
Rating: 
Summary: It works if you follow the directions
Review: After reading other reviews about how bad this book is and how people were failing ot get positive results I felt I should put in my 2 cents. This book has specific "readiness" questions that must be answered "yes" for you and your child to succeed. From what I've read, the reviewers who failed had children that could not have passed the readiness test and were not ready for potty training. You also have to be consistent. My daughter never wore another diaper after we started the training. At night and away from home she wore waterproof training pants (from Baby Dipes). During the day she wore underpants. We were done with the practice and exercises training in a little over 1 hour. Then I let my daughter play while I continued to remind her about using the potty and doing the "dryness tests". We used a cloth doll and a water bottle for the "peeing doll". I did not have my daughter empty the pot because we trained in the kitchen (less distractions) and our bathroom is upstairs.
Rating:
Summary: Your attitude is the key
Review: Nearly 17 years ago when my now nearly 19 year old was a few days from 2, I found this book, read it and spent Friday morning teaching him how to use the toilet. Success; and he was dry through his afternoon nap and nights from then on. The only wet accidents I remember were just not giving himself enough time to get to the toilet. No soiling accidents. I was pregnant with our second and his daddy was to be brought home from a back surgery on Sunday. We didn't have the doll and I don't remember doing 10 repetitions. He didn't eat any breakfast that morning so he would be hungry for his success treats. We used a child's toilet chair, but he quickly learned to place his 'toilet seat' with the pee guard on the larger one and climb up. When he was tall enough he learned to stand to pee by watching Daddy. I wasn't too excited about him standing on something to make him tall enough and risking falling in headfirst. I had loaned out my copy by the time our second was ready so he didn't learn in a day and later had problems with constipation from the delay and inconsistent training. I believe they have to learn as soon as ready as delay may make some children fear losing the feces...what they may consider 'a part of themselves'. I am glad to see this book available and will be getting a copy and one of those new toilet seats that attach to the regular seat for the little boy I watch for when he is ready as well as future grandchildren.
Rating:
Summary: It Wipes You Out - But it Works
Review: This book worked for Ben and me! Though when my wife returned that day to see how our son had done you wouldn't have known it from my demeanor. I was frazzeled, and proclaimed that we had FAILED. As I sat grumpily through dinner, our 2-1/2 year old trainee suddenly jumped up, yelled "emergency!" ran to the pot, peed and then emptied it, washing his hands to boot. We clapped and made a super big deal - which is my assessment of the real bottom line to this approach. Ben was proud - so it stuck. Good luck! PS a syringe deftly palmed under the crotch of a soft bear was my choice of props - it is impossible to find an anatomically correct peeing boy doll in our town. I tried.
Rating:
Summary: Sooooooooooo impratical!
Review: Confine your child to one space for several hours, with no "distractions" such as toys, television or conversation not relating to toilet training? That's about as practical as a cast iron balloon.
Rating: 
Summary: Snookered by Rhetoric and High Hopes
Review: This book yielded nothing but tears for three days with my sweet 2yo son. The book was so convincing that I was sure it would work given enough time. Basically, you pump them up with fluids, reward with candy for dry pants, and shame with "fun" practice excercises for accidents. After three days of sugar-coated torture (for both us us) he went on to wear diapers for another year. Since then, two other children have learned to use the toilet with much less involvement from me (another son at 2.5yrs. and a daughter at 2yrs.) The only good idea I got from this book was to focus on dryness, not accidents. And, it was pretty cheap, so I didn't loose much money (just my son's self respect), hence the second star.
Rating:
Summary: Had me and my daugher both in tears
Review: I tried this method with my daughter when she was 25 months old. One hour into it, both of us were in tears. Frustrated and disappointed, I bought three other toilet training books and read each front to back. It certainly helped me to get other perspectives on the issue versus the "hard core" approach taken in this book. In our second attempt, I took bits and pieces from each book and, pretty much "winging it", had my daughter trained in less than one day. Being a busy girl, it was EXTREMELY difficult for her to focus on just the activity of toilet training for the time period called for in this book. I certainly used some of the ideas presented but, in hindsight, it was too harsh a method to have worked for my child. You CAN train your child in a day or less without using this method. My second daughter is now ready for toilet training and we will not be using this method.
Rating:
Summary: Don't be so closed minded - we are second generation users
Review: In 1976 I used the method of the book to teach our daughter. It worked in less than a day! Two years later, I used the same method for our son and although it took alittle longer, it was great. Some may view the technique has harsh or too rigid, but I felt it gives the parents an opportunity to be with the children and be a part of a great victory in their lives. Make the time enjoyable, and something wonderful. I was so excited today as I found the book once more, I have been searching for it for the past few years. Now that my grandson is getting near the age, it will be his turn. I am happy to know that the tradition lives on.....
Rating:
Summary: It Works!
Review: This book first came out in 1974. I used the method for three children, 2 girls and a boy. It worked! Then 15 years later I had another girl and could not find or remember the name of the book, but still remembered the method. It still works! Try it! I plan on purchasing more copies for my grandchildren!
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