In June of 1997 – John Rosemond revealed the secrets of quick-and-easy toilet training.
He starts off by saying that successful potty training needs to start with touch of dry humor.
Rosemond suggests that a typical child is ready to be potty trained between the ages of 24 and 30 months and it is definitely in a child’s best interest that he or she be toilet-trained as soon as he is ready. (See Signs of Potty Training Readiness).
He suggest that missing your child’s potty readiness signals or starting too early can cause problems.
He also talks about the current trend is to wait until the child potty trains him / herself (see the Child Oriented Potty Training Method) and suggest that all this does is benefits manufacturers of disposable diapers and professionals who charge to help parents toilet-train reluctant 3- and 4-year-olds. It does not benefit children.
Rosemond says that a child does not know when he is ready to be potty trained; however he will exhibit signs of potty training readiness, and it is upto the parents to recognize these signs!
John Rosemond makes it simple and suggest that there are only TWO signs of readiness:
1. The child begins to show an interest in the toilet – wants to watch other people using it, wants to flush, asks questions about it.
2. The child’s diapers are dry for upward of 3 to 4 hours at a stretch during the day, after naps, and sometimes even in the morning.
When these signs emerge, the parents should tell their child that they are no longer going to wear a diaper during the day, only at night. The parent should also tell the child the pee and poo should go in the potty. Period.
The parents should follow this with a training session i.e. show your child which potty he is going to use. Show him/her how to position him/herself appropriately. Then, demonstrate.
The parents should not pressure the child to use the potty. If your child chooses to use the potty, great. Acknowledge it by saying something like "Think you’ve got it? Good! Remember, put your squeegee and boopah here from now on. Tell me if you need help."
According to John Rosemond, the next part is the hardest part for most parents. He suggests that if you want to potty train your child in the shortest time frame, then do not have your child wear any clothing below the waist until the training is complete.
It will mean cleaning up accidents, but it cuts the training time in half. According to Rosemond, young children will tolerate wet, messy diapers, but they don’t like "stuff" running down their legs.
He also tells parents to be firm when they sense their child has to go potty. Do not hover over your child asking, "Do you have to go? Huh? Huh? Come on, let’s just give it a try, OK?". He suggests that this is a sure prescriptions for a lot of resistance, as a two year toddler has great potential for stubborness. He suggest that you give a firm unambiguous prompt, as in, "You need to use the potty. Let’s go."
When you child has potty accidents, just say that it is OK to have accidents when learning and remind your child that the next time he should pee and poo in the potty. Rosemond also suggests having your child help you clean up the accident.
Having a set schedule for using the toilet is "required" of everyone in the family. For example after meal time annouce that it’s time for everyone to use the potty and ask you child is he would like to go first or would he like to go after Dad? Regardless of your child’s answer, he is now commited to using the potty!
Everyone loves a treasure chest and most kids will do
