Table of Contents
Foreword xix
Chapter 1 Toilet Training: A Natural Part of Growing Up 3
Common Questions and Concerns 4
When to Toilet-Train: Is There a "Right" Age? 7
When to Toilet-Train: The Right Reasons 10
How to Toilet-Train: What's Best for Your Child 12
Training with Confidence: Creating Your Plan 15
Chapter 2 How to Tell When Your Child Is Ready 22
"Gotta Go!": Physiological Readiness and Motor Skills 24
"What Does This Do?": Cognitive and Verbal Readiness 30
"I Can Do It!": Emotional Growth and Social Awareness 36
"I Think She's Ready. Now What?" 42
Chapter 3 Encouraging Your Child's Progress 48
What's a Potty For? The Power of Association 49
Choosing and Installing a Potty 53
Getting to Know the Potty 56
Identifying Times to Go 59
"What a Big Girl!": Following Up on Success 61
Moving On: Increasing Confidence and Self-Esteem 67
Chapter 4 Accidents, Resistance, and Other Toilet-Training Challenges 71
"Again?": Why Accidents Happen 73
Two Steps Back: Regression 84
Different Skills, Different Schedules 90
An Early Exercise in Teamwork 92
Chapter 5 Toilet Training and the Older Child 97
"It's Your Body": Fostering Self-Management 99
There's Power in Numbers: The Benefits of Peer Pressure 105
"Let's Talk About It": Overcoming Obstacles 109
Chapter 6 Beyond Toilet Training: Common Problems and Their Causes 118
"I Just Can't!": Physical Challenges 120
Fecal Soiling 125
Medical Examinations 131
"I Don't Understand!": Social and Environmental Obstacles 132
"It Was an Accident!" Emotional Issues 137
"I Forgot": Cognitive Challenges 142
"She Did What?": Seeing Beyond Your Own Agenda 145
Chapter 7 Toilet-Training Children with Special Needs 149
Signs of Readiness 149
Physical Challenges 151
Behavioral and Mental Disorders 161
Intellectual Disabilities and Developmental Disorders 163
Better Each Day 167
Chapter 8 Bedwetting 174
Bedwetting at Any Age: What to Look For 179
Bedwetting after Age Five: Physical and Emotional Causes 180
Staying Dry at Night: Parenting Technique?, Tools, and Medications 183
Chapter 9 The Self-Sufficient Child 192
What Will You Learn About Yourself? 194
What Will You Learn About Your Child? 195
What Will You Learn About Your Family? 197
Enjoying Your Self-Sufficient Child 201
Index 203