Potty Training Boys the Easy Way: Helping Your Son Learn Quickly--Even If He's a Late Starter [Paperback]

Caroline Fertleman (Author), Simone Cave (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 2009

Potty Training Boys the Easy Way is a pediatrician’s guide for navigating the challenges unique to toilet training boys. Boys tend to take longer to be trained, learn this skill at later ages, and have different challenges from girls. Parents will find an accessible plan for getting their son trained quickly, clever games to make learning to use the toilet fun, as well as important tips for handling accidents and setbacks.

The book includes advice on boy-specific problems, such as whether to teach him to sit or stand and how to aim, dealing with distractions, handling refusals, and staying dry through the night. Practical and reassuring, Potty Training Boys the Easy Way is packed with all the information a family needs to achieve this important milestone calmly and confidently.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Library Journal, starred review
“To use two bad puns, just when you think the market for potty-training books is saturated, along comes a new one that is worth the price tag, even though it’s a little dry. Writing specifically about boys, pediatrician Fertleman (Whittington Hosp., UK) and health editor Cave present a concise plan in fewer than 120 pages, which ambitious moms can read during baby’s nap. It is simple and factual and does an excellent job of addressing common counter-arguments. Guides for determining if your son is ready and tips for preparation until he is (e.g., let him see himself peeing in the bath) are excellent. Overeager parents would do well to read about the role of the hormone vasopressin in bedwetting.”

About the Author

Caroline Fertleman, MD, is Consultant Pediatrician at Whittington Hospital and Honorary Senior Lecturer at University College London Medical School.

Simone Cave is a longtime health editor at the Daily Mirror.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books; Original edition (June 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738213306
• ISBN-13: 978-0738213309
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,454 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #88 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Women's Health > Pregnancy & Childbirth

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

67 of 69 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Let's hear it for the boy!! August 19, 2009

By Blue-Eyed Baby Boy

Format:Paperback

YAY!! Finally, a book devoted entirely to helping moms of boys that are potty training!! This book is fabulous! It's a quick, easy read pointing out practical solutions and common sense approaches to potty training boys. I would recommend it to everyone!! I read 15 books in preparation and this was stellar! It's a must-read and a must-have. It suggests teaching boys in "Sessions" rather than the Potty-Training-In-One-Day idea that RARELY works for boys. The 'Sessions' idea was definitely the key to teaching my son in a happy, relaxed environment. I am SO SO SO SO happy I read this book and am telling everyone about it!! (I would also recommend The Stress-Free Potty Training by Sara Au. It's also FABULOUS!!!)

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book really helped us April 27, 2010

By E. Ambrogi

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

We had gotten very frustrated with our 3 1/2 year old who seemed completely uninterested in potty training. He was obviously ready in all respects except motivation. It just wasn't as hard with his two older sisters who were potty trained easily at about 2 1/2. But after following the guidance in this book, he was completely independently going on the toilet in week. With the exception of a night-time pull-up, we are diaper free!

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great practical book! November 7, 2009

By HappyMom

Format:Paperback

I read several books on potty training (incl. potty training in a day) and this one was by far the best one: easy to read, practical tips throughout. I just love the approach of training in sessions, it totally worked for my little guy! And it was easy to accomplish, no power struggle at all -- I did wait until he was not only ready but also interested and motivated!

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is AMAZING! November 16, 2010

By Eliza Cardenas

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I started the potty training process shortly after my son turned two. Two weeks before his third birthday, he was STILL in diapers. I had read several potty training books, including "The No Cry Potty Training Solution." I took advice from several family members and even tried the "cold turkey" method, which involved just putting my son in big boy underwear and hoping he would eventually come to realize when he had to go. No such luck. Not only was my son uninterested in using the potty, it didn't even bother him when his diapers or underwear were wet. I tried giving him stickers and chocolates to use the potty, but he would just yell "I don't want to use the potty!" I came across "Potty Training Boys the Easy Way" while searching on Amazon. The great reviews quickly prompted me to order the book and give it a try. I read the book from cover to cover, then decided to implement the process. The day I put my son in regular underwear, he used the potty on his own. There he was, sitting in the living room, watching his favorite movie, when he stood up and announced "I need to pee." He walked over to the potty, pulled down his underwear, and did his business. It was like the clouds parted and angels began to sing. I was floored. From then on, the underwear "sessions" got longer and longer. He had a couple of accidents, but that was to be expected. Soon, he was wearing nothing but underwear at home. No more diapers or pull-ups, except at night. Finally, I decided it was time for him to go to preschool in underwear. The first day, I packed six extra outfits and underwear for him, certain he would have an accident while at school. I was shocked when I picked him up and saw him in the same outfit I had dressed him in that morning. Success! That was a month ago.... Since then, my son has built more confidence and is a potty pro. He still wears a diaper at night, but that doesn't bother me. I'm just amazed at how quickly the training process went along. I wish I had found this book months ago. It certainly would have saved me many headaches! Read more ›

64 of 79 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible book, would never recommend to anyone February 21, 2011

By joc

Format:Paperback

A few things really rubbed me the wrong way about this book.
1. First of all, I agree with other reviewers' comments about the inaccurate and unhelpful sexist comments in the book. Every child has their own personality and not all boys lack common sense, just as not all girls have common sense. The sexist slant is pervasive throughout the book and shapes the advicee given based on the authors' assumptions.
2. The other problem that I have with this book is that it is (in my opinion) biased against anyone who does start potty training before 3 years old. It is fine that the book is accepting of late potty trainers and I'm sure that it is reassuring to a lot of parents out there that they are not alone and not too late. However, the book goes too far and looks down at those who start earlier as well as those who have employed elimination communication. The book states that "until recently it was fashionable to get babies out of diapers as young as possible." The fact that they call it "fashionable" for those parents who have worked hard to potty train their children earlier, and to no detriment of the child is offensive. In fact, I think that the term "fashionable" applies better to the current trend of later and later potty training. The authors state that "if you don't rush it, potty training will actually take less time in the long run" and "even if you do manage to potty train your son early in his second year, he's then more likely to have a setback... than if you'd waited..." but they do not have any evidence or cite any studies to support these statements. They are simply thrown out there as if they were fact.... Furthermore, the authors contradict themselves in the next chapter which contains a section called "don't rush" followed immediately by a section called "don't wait too long."
3. Every step of the actual training involves the parent asking the child a yes or no question (e.g. do you want to wear underwear today? do you want to sit on the potty? etc) and if the child says no, the parent just says "maybe another day" or "maybe next week". Most toddlers will say no by default because they love to say no to anything you ask. It would be much more effective and still very positive to say "hey, let's wear these big boy underpants today!" or "let's go sit on the potty!" This still gives the child the chance to say no if they really don't want to but doesn't invite them to say no just because it's their favorite word. I can just picture parents hearing the same no over and over again and delaying their progress unnecessarily. The book then offers no advice as to what to do if your child keeps saying no (with no end in sight) to the potty training steps and only says to wait and that your child must not be ready, etc.

Aside from the few normal tips that frankly is found in every other book or online article about potty training (e.g. have your toddler see you go to the bathroom), I don't think the book is helpful. It certainly doesn't offer enough useful information to warrant the offensive comments about boys and other methods of potty training. Skip this book as anything worth reading in here can be found for free elsewhere. I also think that some of the ideas in the book actually prolong potty training unnecessarily, which does not make it any easier! Read more ›

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book! August 15, 2010

By twinmama

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

My almost 3 and a half year old son has been impossible to train. We had tried everything. Leaving him naked for a week and a half, sticker charts, candy, timers, The Potty Boot Camp (which worked for a couple of my friends), you name it we tried it, and our son just simply would not potty train, and ended up holding #2 in the process, which is so miserable on everyone. Finally, I found this book and in less than 2 weeks, our son is potty trained. I read the book and thought "really this is all we have to do" and sure enough. It worked on the child I was certain would be in diapers or pull ups for the rest of his life!