Potty Training Girls the Easy Way: A Stress-Free Guide to Helping Your Daughter Learn Quickly

by Caroline Fertleman, Simone Cave

Why are girls ready for toilet training earlier than boys are? Why are girls more prone to accidents? How do I know if my daughter is ready? From the authors of Potty Training Boys the Easy Way , this guide provides a clear, step-by-step plan for training girls, including strategies for making potty-time fun, parenting differently for different personalities, and handling specific situations, such as what to do when there is no toilet nearby and ways to stay dry throughout the night. Practical and reassuring, Potty Training Girls the Easy Way will give your family the confidence to successfully achieve this important milestone.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is this an effective potty training method? I can't vouch for it yet since someone hasn't quite started. Pros: explanation of potty readiness and emphasis on not pushing the unready short folk. Cons: the tone of this book is sometimes weird, at least once hilarious. Samples: "just because your child is female, it doesn't guarantee she will be mature and sensible." Especially if she's two! In discussing clothing for easy removal: "Elasticized pants also work, and jogging style bottoms are a very practical, albeit unfeminine, option." Eh? The point at which I convulsed with laughter, in the chapter titled "When your daughter doesn't fit the mold": "Although it's shocking and disgusting to see your little princess deliberately pooping in her pants like an angry convict...." Well, that one's hard to top.

[Brendan Diamond · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent overview of toilet training, but there are some latent issues - particularly the assumption that moms are the only ones involved, as well as a strangely passive-agressive reference to girls growing up "butch."

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am in the process of potty training my stubborn 3.5 year old daughter so I am only commenting on what I've used. I like the concept of the book and the go with the flow attitude, but so far it hasn't helped me at all.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read popsugar 2020 book i know nothing about. I can comment on the main topic but the book is nicely laid out however it does read as if only women are involved with potty training and that the mothers are at home while daddy is out to work um...

[Nanuska_153 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what I was looking for: a gentle approach; with checklists about if your kid is ready for each stage; it's easy to try even if you are working full time, since they are little nappy free sessions that increase as your child succeeds, and tells you how to stop and try again if it doesn't work. Also the quote "although it's shocking to see your little princess deliberately pooing in her kickers like an angry convict" will stay with me forever.

I understand the parents that want to go for an all or nothing approach if you are potty training a 3 year old, but if you have a younger baby that is showing signs of being ready, I think those approaches can be quite confusing for them and even though other books confirm that potty training is not linked to age and it's possible to be ready from 18 months, they don't really assist with those cases.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has some good advice about judging potty training readiness and encouraging potty training without pushing it or stressing about it. It’s a very child-led, gentle approach, similar to what I’ve been doing but with some more structure. I’ll have to see if it’s more effective. That said, I could have sworn it was written at least 20 years ago, with some of the offhand comments (references to “ugly, unfeminine clothes,” a focus of mothers doing all the potty training, a super weird comment about not worrying about your daughter growing up “butch,” etc.), so the overall tone was a little weird at times.

[Marita LaRosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really easy guidance that makes it seem stress free and with no serious pressure so I really appreciated guidance. It puts my anxiety at ease as I slowly begin the potty training journey with my daughter. So far, the relaxed appropriate is resonating with me daughter and the tips and things to look out for if she’s ready and mature enough for it really help this first time Mama understand the process a little better. I recommend reading this quick read!

[Realms of Magic Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure how to feel about this book. It suggests a gentle approach to the matter that I like and matches my way of parenting. On the other hand, is not written for working parents and children being in the nursery much earlier than they are ready for potty training. So kind of useless in our situation but I suppose is a good guide for staying at home parents and kids.

[Melissa Cripps · Rating 2 out of 5]

I checked this out because it was available at the library (the book I wanted to reread has a long hold list). This approach is pretty different - “stress-free” means gradual and slow, as opposed to the all in one weekend training. No approach fits all kids, so it was interesting to learn about a different method.

[Leandra Shelton]

This book had so many gender stereotypes I couldn't take it seriously.
My 2 year old isn't interested in "pretty" underwear and I'm not afraid she'll grow up "butch"
This method also seems like they use "she wasn't ready" as an excuse for it not to work.

[OxoNewbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy-to-read, accessible guide.

3 stars.

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some practical tips, but oooh boy, the gender stereotypes!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

concepts and process seemed easy and useful but language was a bit outdated

[Heather Grove]

The book was useful in the beginning stages of potty training. I like the more laid back approach of this method than the 3 day commando stressful method I have heard

[Jodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative

[Margaret Chind · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off let me start with the biggest flaw this book has. The one and only mention in the entire book of cloth diapers is when it mentions that Grandmothers who will try to enforce their opinion and advice of early training and methods used those cloth diapers and were probably ready to get out of doing all that laundry. Woah there. You two authors are way off base in the current climate of cloth diapers and need to do a bit more research. With that said, obviously this book comes from a disposable diaper standpoint and that changes a few things such as comfort and getting into the pretty underpants, or perhaps panties which is a term I prefer.

Overall, this is a pretty decent introduction to the idea of potty training. There is not a single mention of EC (elimination communication) and by the bits and pieces that I know of EC from my own random article researched here and there this book does not believe in it or support it. Well so far we're not opposed to the idea of EC, but it has not been for us and we are cloth diaper bum 24/7. I definitely think that the suggestions and overall method in this book will be stress-free and will work for us quite well from our circumstances and with that I think it could be worth a purchase. Although it does make me a bit tense to hear people discount cloth diapers so quickly, but that's my cup of tea.

*Thanks to Da Capo for providing a copy for review.*

Originally posted: http://wp.me/pYHD5-1P3

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, I guess this was useful/pragmatic/helpful to come extent, i.e. it made me think clearly about the fact that urine is (in the grand scheme of things) pretty easy to clean up and not freak-out worthy. But I found some of the advice super irritating. Maybe I'll have a better sense of its success in a few weeks when I can see if the ideas have helped me potty train my daughter...

[Wendy]

Will give a rating when I have actually tried out the ideas in this book although it all sounds pretty sensible to me. It does feel as though you spoken to in overly simple terms at times, as others have commented, but I can deal with that if it works. To be continued...

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title should read "Potty Training Girls the Easy Way If You're A Stay At Home Mom Married To A Man Who Doesn't Really Parent."

Also, this is just a small thing, but the book assumes you know how to teach a kid how to wipe. I want to know how to teach a kid how to wipe.

[Karita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written for the lowest common denominator but had some helpful ideas if you got past the 3rd grade reading level. The non-American terms made up a little for the reading level.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this more gradual, stress-free approached. And it totally worked for my daughter.

[Elisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, short, straight forward and useful. Worked well for us.