You will find early potty training ideas by leading parenting
author
Dr.
Linda Sonna in her book Early-Start Potty Training.
Below
you will find a review of this book which discusses the ideas behind
early potty training. When to start potty training is a question that
all parents will ask themselves at one point, here are some ideas that
will support the ideas behind early potty training.
Dr
Linda
Sonna is the author of 12 parenting books. Click on
one of
her books below to learn more:
While U.S. parents wonder if their 3-year old is ready to start
learning to use the potty, most children around the globe are fully
trained by age two, according to the author of Early-Start
Potty Training, a recently
released parenting book by McGraw Hill.
In Eastern Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa, most children
finish training soon after they learn to walk. The gentle methods still
used to teach babies in other parts of the world were popular in the
U.S. until the 1940s. When washing machines simplified laundry chores,
the age for starting training was pushed forward. Still, 90 percent of
U.S. children finished potty training by age 2.
That changed after disposable diapers hit the market in the early
1960s. The ensuing advertising blitz featured paid pediatric spokesmen,
such as T. Berry Brazelton. The Harvard professor turned infomercial
star claimed that disposable diapering products keep children "clean
and dry" and said, "Don't rush your toddler into toilet training or let
anyone else tell you it's time - it's got to be his choice.'' In
actuality, the products keep children filthy. Depriving children of the
sensation of wetness slows learning.
Brazelton’s recommendations were incorporated into the American Academy
of Pediatrics Toilet Training Guidelines. They state, “Children younger
than 12 months have no control over bladder or bowel movements and
little control for 6 months or so after that. Between 18 and 24 months,
children often start to show signs of being ready, but some children
may not be ready until 30 months or older.” Yet toilet
training research indicates that children meet the physical criteria
for readiness during the first year of life.
Today, 1/3 of U.S. three-year olds are still in diapers, along with
increasing numbers of 4- and 5-year olds. The multibillion dollar
disposable diaper industry now makes products in sizes large, jumbo,
and mega sizes to accommodate children up to 125 pounds.
In just two generations, knowledge about how to teach babies and young
toddlers to use the potty has been all but lost in the U.S. Popular
wisdom says that early training is impossible or cruel, but in
Early-Start Potty Training, author Dr. Linda Sonna, a
professor of multicultural psychology at Yorkville University, states
that babies are much easier to work with than older children. Toddlers
have a hard time sitting still long enough to learn, are attached to
their diapers, and many resist putting aside their toys for potty
trips.
"The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting and letting
children lead the way," Sonna says. "But the research reported in the
Academy's own journals suggests otherwise.” Sonna cites numerous
scientific studies recommending early learning and a structured
teaching approach. There are compelling reasons to begin sooner rather
than later:
Delaying training until after age 2 ½ has been
associated with unstable
bladder, a condition which involves chronic accidents and bedwetting.
Hundreds of thousands of trees are used to
manufacture the sixteen
billion disposable diapers children use each year.
Discarded disposable diapers are the third
largest component of
landfills by volume (behind newspapers and fast-food containers).
Dumping raw sewage into landfills threatens
ground waters.
Greenpeace has demanded a worldwide ban of a
chemical used in
super-absorbent gel, which harms the immune system and causes toxic
shock syndrome.
A carcinogenic by-product of the manufacturing
process, dioxin, causes
cancer and nerve damage.
The cost to keep children in disposable diapers
for 2 ½ years ranges
from $2,000 for economy brands to $6,000 for premium brands. Premium
cloth diapers sell for under $36 a dozen.
Holding urine close to the body for prolonged
periods in a material
that doesn’t breathe increases scrotal temperatures, which has been
associated with undescended testicles and infertility.
In her book, Sonna presents natural methods for babies and young
toddlers, as well as solutions for older children who are having
difficulties. "Pediatricians are correct when they warn that harsh
methods slow learning," Sonna adds. "Simply putting your child on the
potty and issuing multiple suggestions to 'try' increases anxiety. To
succeed, the timing must be right, and youngsters must be relaxed. And
too much pushing can damage the muscles."
So how many prompts should parents give? "Just one," Sonna
says.
References:
Bakker, Wilhelmina. Research into the Influence of Potty-Training on
Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction. Antwerp, Belgium: University of
Antwerp, 2002.
Boucke, Laurie. Infant Potty Basics: With or Without Diapers, the
Natural Way. Lafayette, CO: White-Boucke Publishing, Inc., 2003.
Maizels, Max, Kevin Gandhy, Barbara Keating, and Diane Rosenbaum.
"Diagnosis and Treatment for Children Who Cannot Control Urination."
Current Problems in Pediatrics 10 (1993): 402{-}50.
Mash, Eric J., and Russell A. Barkley. Child Psychopathology. New York
City: Guilford Press, 1996.
Schum, Timothy R., T. L. McAuliffe, M. D. Simms, J. A. Walter, M.
Lewis, and R. Pupp. "Factors Associated with Toilet Training in the
1990s." Ambulatory Pediatrics 1 (2001): 79{-}86.
Sonna, Linda. Early-Start Potty Training. New York: McGraw Hill, July,
2006.
Sonna, Linda. The Everything Potty Training Book. Avon, MA: Adams
Media, 2003.
, a recently
released parenting book by McGraw Hill. 