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Toilet Training in Less Than a Day
From two noted learning specialists, here is the amazing, scientifically proved Azrin-Foxx method that teaches potty training quickly—in less than four hours for the average child.
The classic guide used by millions of parents!
Make potty training a total success—in only a few hours!
After that rewarding learning period, he or she will willingly use the toilet without assistance or a reminder!
Also inside is a wealth of information on related topics, including:
• Unexpected benefits—your child's newfound pride and independence can increase eagerness to feed and dress him- or herself, and improve responsiveness to parental instruction
• Pre-training techniques every parent should know
• Bed-wetting problems—and how this method can help end them
• Happy children, happy parents—how mastering potty training benefits the whole family, increasing parents' personal time and deepening the parent-child connection.
With more than 2 million copies sold, Toilet Training in Less Than a Day is the one guide you'll need to make this significant transition a rewarding and pleasurable experience—for both you and your toddler!
The classic guide used by millions of parents!
Make potty training a total success—in only a few hours!
After that rewarding learning period, he or she will willingly use the toilet without assistance or a reminder!
Also inside is a wealth of information on related topics, including:
• Unexpected benefits—your child's newfound pride and independence can increase eagerness to feed and dress him- or herself, and improve responsiveness to parental instruction
• Pre-training techniques every parent should know
• Bed-wetting problems—and how this method can help end them
• Happy children, happy parents—how mastering potty training benefits the whole family, increasing parents' personal time and deepening the parent-child connection.
With more than 2 million copies sold, Toilet Training in Less Than a Day is the one guide you'll need to make this significant transition a rewarding and pleasurable experience—for both you and your toddler!
176 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
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311 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
September 24, 2007
I loved this potty training method. It involves a lot of steps and follow-through but it has been successful for me twice. It doesn't actually take just one day but several. The key for me were the "potty practices" if my child had an accident. Bravo to the innovative authors!
April 6, 2009
Promises, promises. Okay, abbreviated review: this method worked, Jacob is trained, and all is well.
Extended review: No, it was not as simple as this book claimed. Aside from the outdated presentation, the theory behind this method of toilet training made great sense to me. It sounded do-able. Yes! Toilet training CAN be a fun, enjoyable experience for both me and my toddler! It's all in your attitude, right? Well, that lasted for about the first four hours (the promised "average" time for a child to be completely trained) and we were not making anywhere near the kind of progress "Mickey" and his mom had been. (They're the fictional example of how the whole process goes down). Anyway, Jacob, who is almost 31 months old, was super excited about ditching the diapers, teaching the doll the process, and being a big boy and all that. We were off to a great start. But there were two major problems: 1) in the event of an "accident" you have the child do 10 practice runs of going to the potty, pulling down pants, sitting down, getting back up, pulling up the pants, and then going somewhere else in the house and doing it again. This is not a big deal if, like Mickey, your child has one accident and then learns his lesson. But 60 trial runs during the course of a morning is enough to annihialate the patience of any mom, and especially any toddler. 2) In an effort to create frequent urination, the authors encourage you to offer your kid his or her favorite drinks in unlimited quantities. Mickey got orange soda. So, I gave Jacob Kool-Aid, a rare treat, and indeed he guzzled it down. The only problem is, again, pumping your kid full of liquid sugar for four hours is probably not going to create serious problems, but if the training takes all day, or longer, and all he's eaten for a full day is a half gallon of Kool-Aid, and whatever treats he earned as rewards, he is not going to be in the mindset to focus on a task. So, that didn't work so well. Anyway, by the end of day two Jacob had reached the qualification of "trained." Today is day three, and he is really excited about earning the Cars underwear he picked out, by going the whole day without an accident. We'll see if he makes it. So, my point is, I guess, that this book is much more optomistic than reality would warrant. I read several reviews prior to starting the training, and many said "I followed the book exactly, but it didn't work like they said" and in my head I'm thinking, "Yeah, right. You obviously didn't do it just like you were supposed to." But, I was wrong, and they were right. Stupid Mickey. I seriously wanted to kick that fictional kid.
Extended review: No, it was not as simple as this book claimed. Aside from the outdated presentation, the theory behind this method of toilet training made great sense to me. It sounded do-able. Yes! Toilet training CAN be a fun, enjoyable experience for both me and my toddler! It's all in your attitude, right? Well, that lasted for about the first four hours (the promised "average" time for a child to be completely trained) and we were not making anywhere near the kind of progress "Mickey" and his mom had been. (They're the fictional example of how the whole process goes down). Anyway, Jacob, who is almost 31 months old, was super excited about ditching the diapers, teaching the doll the process, and being a big boy and all that. We were off to a great start. But there were two major problems: 1) in the event of an "accident" you have the child do 10 practice runs of going to the potty, pulling down pants, sitting down, getting back up, pulling up the pants, and then going somewhere else in the house and doing it again. This is not a big deal if, like Mickey, your child has one accident and then learns his lesson. But 60 trial runs during the course of a morning is enough to annihialate the patience of any mom, and especially any toddler. 2) In an effort to create frequent urination, the authors encourage you to offer your kid his or her favorite drinks in unlimited quantities. Mickey got orange soda. So, I gave Jacob Kool-Aid, a rare treat, and indeed he guzzled it down. The only problem is, again, pumping your kid full of liquid sugar for four hours is probably not going to create serious problems, but if the training takes all day, or longer, and all he's eaten for a full day is a half gallon of Kool-Aid, and whatever treats he earned as rewards, he is not going to be in the mindset to focus on a task. So, that didn't work so well. Anyway, by the end of day two Jacob had reached the qualification of "trained." Today is day three, and he is really excited about earning the Cars underwear he picked out, by going the whole day without an accident. We'll see if he makes it. So, my point is, I guess, that this book is much more optomistic than reality would warrant. I read several reviews prior to starting the training, and many said "I followed the book exactly, but it didn't work like they said" and in my head I'm thinking, "Yeah, right. You obviously didn't do it just like you were supposed to." But, I was wrong, and they were right. Stupid Mickey. I seriously wanted to kick that fictional kid.
February 22, 2008
My husband called it "Voodoo" because it really sounds too good to be true--potty training in less than a day?? Really? Nonetheless, I read it and followed the plan exactly and it worked! THis was after numerous attempts with other techniques. Dr. Phil follows a very similar approach. Try it!
Read
August 24, 2023I will reserve judgment, but I will say that Abe was not toilet trained in less than a day.
June 28, 2017
Potty training my third child and have read this book 3 times. It's definitely an all in method. My kids still wore diapers at night and nap after I used this method, but they were in underpants the rest of the time after the initial morning of training. It's exhausting but quick!
February 21, 2025
I am very grateful for this book. I was pretty clueless about how to potty train beforehand, and this definitely worked. That being said, I did have some issues with it. It has outdated language, doesn't properly address poop training (in my opinion), and the timeline it proposes is a little far fetched. From my (first time) experience and the experience of the one who recommended it, it does not take less than a day... But it is quick. So, yes, I would use it again!
August 26, 2011
first off, i'm rating this book solely on rhetoric, not on practice. once i apply the "doll-treat-training pants-positive affirmation" techniques, i will either up or downgrade my score.
this book was written in the 60s; the edition i read was a reprint from 1974. let's just say it hasn't aged well.
first off, the book encourages that one person - usually the mother - stays home all day with the special young child (according to the book, mostly boys, but a few rare, stubborn girls)and train them in less than 6 hours to pee in a pot in the kitchen, take their pisspot to the big toilet, and flush it. to parents, like myself, who have been struggling with obstinate toddlers, this whole charade sounds like a fucking miracle.
it's not the method itself that i found insulting (although i don't know anyone who uses colored toilet paper still. heck, do they even still make that stuff???) - i actually think getting a doll that wets and having the child teach the baby to use the potty is a solid plan. what i object to is the language. first off, apparently, i need to be a housewife. who wears aprons. so that i can put my special treats into the pocket of said-apron.
and what sorts of treats do they suggest i ply my children with? sugared cereal, corn chips, potato chips, and candy.
now, don't think me a snot here. my kid gets treats, too. the wee thing has a special penchant for m&ms. but i don't want to necessarily have her associate success and winning with sugar. you know?
but i can handle that treat. rewards are fine and i'm totally cool with bribery (albeit less cool with aprons). what i'm not on board with is the britney spears selection of drinks the book asks me to encourage my child to drink. milk (good), fruit punch (ok), cola (um), and orange soda (fail).so i will definitely be amending that.
and i get it - different time. different strokes for different folks. i just don't know anyone (personally) who would admit to giving carbonated, sugary soda to their babies, even as a special treat.
my favorite bit, besides the illustrations which include a pic of a toddler with a giant black x over his diaper region that made me feel momentarily as if i'd stepped into an anti-pedophilia manual, was the narrative of mrs. james training her delinquent son mickey. at the very end, after a long, hard day of negotiating potty usage, mr. james comes home, pets his wife on the hand, and says, "honey, you've done a fine job with our boy." or something like that.
i almost wet myself laughing.
this book was written in the 60s; the edition i read was a reprint from 1974. let's just say it hasn't aged well.
first off, the book encourages that one person - usually the mother - stays home all day with the special young child (according to the book, mostly boys, but a few rare, stubborn girls)and train them in less than 6 hours to pee in a pot in the kitchen, take their pisspot to the big toilet, and flush it. to parents, like myself, who have been struggling with obstinate toddlers, this whole charade sounds like a fucking miracle.
it's not the method itself that i found insulting (although i don't know anyone who uses colored toilet paper still. heck, do they even still make that stuff???) - i actually think getting a doll that wets and having the child teach the baby to use the potty is a solid plan. what i object to is the language. first off, apparently, i need to be a housewife. who wears aprons. so that i can put my special treats into the pocket of said-apron.
and what sorts of treats do they suggest i ply my children with? sugared cereal, corn chips, potato chips, and candy.
now, don't think me a snot here. my kid gets treats, too. the wee thing has a special penchant for m&ms. but i don't want to necessarily have her associate success and winning with sugar. you know?
but i can handle that treat. rewards are fine and i'm totally cool with bribery (albeit less cool with aprons). what i'm not on board with is the britney spears selection of drinks the book asks me to encourage my child to drink. milk (good), fruit punch (ok), cola (um), and orange soda (fail).so i will definitely be amending that.
and i get it - different time. different strokes for different folks. i just don't know anyone (personally) who would admit to giving carbonated, sugary soda to their babies, even as a special treat.
my favorite bit, besides the illustrations which include a pic of a toddler with a giant black x over his diaper region that made me feel momentarily as if i'd stepped into an anti-pedophilia manual, was the narrative of mrs. james training her delinquent son mickey. at the very end, after a long, hard day of negotiating potty usage, mr. james comes home, pets his wife on the hand, and says, "honey, you've done a fine job with our boy." or something like that.
i almost wet myself laughing.
May 23, 2017
First off, what everyone wants to know: The method worked--not in less than a day as promised (which I hardly expected anyway), but for about three days my toddler had only one accident a day and then stopped altogether. Niiiice. That progress is pretty good after, on the first day, my toddler told me she didn't want to wear big girl panties or go in the potty.
What's more amazing is that after a stomach bug completely derailed her potty training after that third day (dehydration, back in diapers so there was one more mess we didn't have to worry about--a huge no-no according to the book), she was ready and even eager to jump right back in to going to the potty like a big girl.
The method, as far as I can tell, centers around using 10 practice sessions after every accident as "punishment" for wetting pants. That way the potty training stays really positive (if time-consuming and inconvenient while you're making lunch). This way the consequence for accidents results in more practice--exciting at first, but it takes so long that the kid is truly ready to stop having accidents so she doesn't have to practice anymore. I liked the verbiage for when an accident occurs: serious, but without shaming. I also enjoyed that the tot gets rewarded not for going on the potty, but for having dry pants at periodic "dry pants checks" that you spread out more and more as time goes on. The dry pants checks double as reminders for the toddler to consider whether she needs to try pottying again.
Only one hitch, and that is that my kid did not naturally make the transition from peeing on the potty to pooping as well. She fought that one (or should I say TWO ;)))))) pretty hard, and we did have to resort to treats, cajoling, making her sit there for 30 minutes despite her protests, etc. just to get her to try. So I wish the book would deal with that issue other than with a throwaway paragraph or two.
The prose is dry-as-dust and dated (the sample toddler is named MICKEY, you know?), so it took me FOREVER to slog my way through it. Still, the results can't be denied, and I'm a happy mom who will definitely use this method for my other children, as well.
What's more amazing is that after a stomach bug completely derailed her potty training after that third day (dehydration, back in diapers so there was one more mess we didn't have to worry about--a huge no-no according to the book), she was ready and even eager to jump right back in to going to the potty like a big girl.
The method, as far as I can tell, centers around using 10 practice sessions after every accident as "punishment" for wetting pants. That way the potty training stays really positive (if time-consuming and inconvenient while you're making lunch). This way the consequence for accidents results in more practice--exciting at first, but it takes so long that the kid is truly ready to stop having accidents so she doesn't have to practice anymore. I liked the verbiage for when an accident occurs: serious, but without shaming. I also enjoyed that the tot gets rewarded not for going on the potty, but for having dry pants at periodic "dry pants checks" that you spread out more and more as time goes on. The dry pants checks double as reminders for the toddler to consider whether she needs to try pottying again.
Only one hitch, and that is that my kid did not naturally make the transition from peeing on the potty to pooping as well. She fought that one (or should I say TWO ;)))))) pretty hard, and we did have to resort to treats, cajoling, making her sit there for 30 minutes despite her protests, etc. just to get her to try. So I wish the book would deal with that issue other than with a throwaway paragraph or two.
The prose is dry-as-dust and dated (the sample toddler is named MICKEY, you know?), so it took me FOREVER to slog my way through it. Still, the results can't be denied, and I'm a happy mom who will definitely use this method for my other children, as well.
July 8, 2025
Very practical and repetitive, so we will see how the actual training goes here in a few weeks (will post back here whether or not my opinions on the book have changed based on my actual results).
**I am now about 2 weeks into training my 2.5 yr old using these methods and have more thoughts.
First of all, I should have been tipped off by the fact that my 2.5 yr old can’t put his pants on or pull them down that he wasn’t going to achieve the complete independence that this book promises. He still needs my help going to the potty because of this.
Second of all, this process was very frustrating to both me and my son the first few days, and I think it would have been helpful to have some extra stories in the book of kids who took a few extra days to get going into the rhythm. This book gives one example of a kid who learns the process perfectly in under 4 hrs, which was not achievable for us and created unrealistic expectations for me.
Thirdly, however, I will say there were a LOT of positives to this method. I love the idea of my child teaching a doll to potty before expecting that same thing of him. He clearly understood the expectations and consequences before we even started the training. I also am a fan of the 10 practice run throughs after every accident. We’ve done more like 5-6, but he’s actually come to enjoy practicing and seems to grasp what it’s trying to teach (next time, this is what you do!). I think this is the greatest positive to the method the book lays out: expectations are clear, which was great for both us as parents and my 2.5 year old.
We are a little under 2 weeks in and my 2.5 yr old averages probably one to two accidents a day (especially when he is distracted or excited), makes it through naps dry, and has made it through about 4-5 nights dry (he has woken us up 2 nights asking to pee). We do pull-ups over his underwear through the night and when going away from home so that he can still feel/understand that he is still expected to let us know when he has to use the bathroom, but then it is mess free for us. He is fairly good at prompting us when he needs to go (though we have had accidents, which makes me ask him or make him try more often), and is very proud of himself when he does. Overall, a method I would recommend with a lot of caveats. I would love if he would have potty trained in less than a day, but that was not realistic for us. That being said, I’ve been pretty satisfied with how far he has gotten and will continue the process.
**I am now about 2 weeks into training my 2.5 yr old using these methods and have more thoughts.
First of all, I should have been tipped off by the fact that my 2.5 yr old can’t put his pants on or pull them down that he wasn’t going to achieve the complete independence that this book promises. He still needs my help going to the potty because of this.
Second of all, this process was very frustrating to both me and my son the first few days, and I think it would have been helpful to have some extra stories in the book of kids who took a few extra days to get going into the rhythm. This book gives one example of a kid who learns the process perfectly in under 4 hrs, which was not achievable for us and created unrealistic expectations for me.
Thirdly, however, I will say there were a LOT of positives to this method. I love the idea of my child teaching a doll to potty before expecting that same thing of him. He clearly understood the expectations and consequences before we even started the training. I also am a fan of the 10 practice run throughs after every accident. We’ve done more like 5-6, but he’s actually come to enjoy practicing and seems to grasp what it’s trying to teach (next time, this is what you do!). I think this is the greatest positive to the method the book lays out: expectations are clear, which was great for both us as parents and my 2.5 year old.
We are a little under 2 weeks in and my 2.5 yr old averages probably one to two accidents a day (especially when he is distracted or excited), makes it through naps dry, and has made it through about 4-5 nights dry (he has woken us up 2 nights asking to pee). We do pull-ups over his underwear through the night and when going away from home so that he can still feel/understand that he is still expected to let us know when he has to use the bathroom, but then it is mess free for us. He is fairly good at prompting us when he needs to go (though we have had accidents, which makes me ask him or make him try more often), and is very proud of himself when he does. Overall, a method I would recommend with a lot of caveats. I would love if he would have potty trained in less than a day, but that was not realistic for us. That being said, I’ve been pretty satisfied with how far he has gotten and will continue the process.
May 10, 2017
Great character development in this one, set against the sweeping backdrop of the Great War. I love the way the author pits Cartesian simplicity against Kafkaesque despair in the character of...no, wait, this is the one about potty training innit? Good, simple way to handle this brickbat issue with special instructions for kids and adults with intellectual challenges. It's been in print for several decades, for good reasons.
April 21, 2025
TBD. Pray for me 🙏😂
January 25, 2022
I have potty trained two children but give me a 4 year break between kids then twins - and it’s like I’m starting for the first time! I am giving it 4 stars for easy to understand instruction and steps. Some redundancy but I would rather have extra details than vague in any teaching process. Also, would love an updated version where it focus on the parent or guardian doing the training and not just the mom. It’s 2022 y’all 😜
I will update after training on how implementation goes!
I will update after training on how implementation goes!
January 25, 2013
I learned how NOT to potty train with my first, and I thought all that learning would help with my second. I decided to wait for him to be ready. I would probably still be waiting nearly 2 years later. This book was a life saver, and really, it did take only one day. He still had a handful of accidents, but we went straight from diapers to underwear, literally overnight. You really have to do exactly what they say in the book, but one day (and maybe less) of intense one on one time with your toddler is great and worth it. I recommend this to all parents who want a potty trained child, i.e. everyone.
After reading some reviews, I have to clarify some points. Yes, the book is horribly outdated, so I overlooked the things that many people found horrifying, like mom "needing" an apron to keep treats in and giving cola to a 2 year-old. Whatever. It was written 40+ years ago. I hope most people are smart enough to make appropriate substitutions and/or laugh about the ridiculous stereotypes. (The book was actually quite entertaining in that way.) Also, I think it's really important to make sure your child is ready, and there is a helpful (read: mandatory) section about that in the book. It's going to be traumatic if they're not ready, even if they're 22 months old, or whatever the "minimum" age is. If it's not a positive experience, the kiddo probably isn't ready.
After reading some reviews, I have to clarify some points. Yes, the book is horribly outdated, so I overlooked the things that many people found horrifying, like mom "needing" an apron to keep treats in and giving cola to a 2 year-old. Whatever. It was written 40+ years ago. I hope most people are smart enough to make appropriate substitutions and/or laugh about the ridiculous stereotypes. (The book was actually quite entertaining in that way.) Also, I think it's really important to make sure your child is ready, and there is a helpful (read: mandatory) section about that in the book. It's going to be traumatic if they're not ready, even if they're 22 months old, or whatever the "minimum" age is. If it's not a positive experience, the kiddo probably isn't ready.
July 27, 2008
So this book had a lot of good ideas... in theory. This method worked for a neighbor of mine and so I decided to try it. I did everything it suggested: I bought a potty doll, i used a child's toilet seat, i got a babysitter for my other child, i used treats and drinks, i followed the procedure as laid out. It didn't work. The part that failed was when your child has an accident your child is supposed to practice going to the potty chair, lowering his pants, sitting on the chair, and standing up and replacing his underwear repeating 10 times. As the parent you were not supposed to help so the child would learn to pull his underwear on and off. My child was basically scarred for life by this. It seems so simple, yet he would fight and cry and I was determined to have this method work so i would not relent (but stayed happy and optimistic to my child) and it would take 40 minutes to do the 10 practices. After doing this a few times my child was hating everything about the potty. So I dumped this method and went commando (having my child be naked while potty training) and he'll go to the potty when he needs to. All I can say is I put a lot of effort/time/money into this method and it didn't pay off.
July 17, 2013
I borrowed this book, and was optimistic, if sceptical. Could it really work in less than one day? The answer for us was 'no' - it took 2 and a half. But, once it 'clicked' it really worked. The second day was worse than the first, but we are now on day 6 and my daughter had not had one accident since the morning of day three, even at child care, and no bowel accidents at all.. The longer time taken may have been, as the authors say, because we had been trying other methods, and also because my 2 years and 8 months old daughter was in a bit of a stubborn phase.
She seems to mostly enjoy the days, although she got a bit sick of being nagged at times.
I would highly recommend this book, even though it could benefit from a step by step list as a summary. I would also recommend parents make some key changes such as including hand washing, minimising the junk food and not getting the child to empty the potty themselves. I also think there could be more of a focus on bowel training, but this was not a problem for my daughter.
She seems to mostly enjoy the days, although she got a bit sick of being nagged at times.
I would highly recommend this book, even though it could benefit from a step by step list as a summary. I would also recommend parents make some key changes such as including hand washing, minimising the junk food and not getting the child to empty the potty themselves. I also think there could be more of a focus on bowel training, but this was not a problem for my daughter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2014
I found lots of the ideas good but the book was very dated and some things mildly offensive. I also found that it didn't really address our life situation. We don't stay home all the time or always have access to his potty, because sometimes we're out at the mall or whatever. This book didn't really address what to do in that situation and we had a lot of confusion at first because at home I expected him to be independent but out and about I would have to help him.
September 3, 2016
This was recommended by my son's daycare teacher and was the more helpful of the books I read on this subject. You can tell it was written in the 70s and has some dated references. But it's short, and has some practical advice.
Wish I could upload a picture of the illustration of the Dad and kid interaction in this book. I showed it to my husband and we both got a kick out of it.
Wish I could upload a picture of the illustration of the Dad and kid interaction in this book. I showed it to my husband and we both got a kick out of it.
May 15, 2024
Jury’s out - will report back.
Update: Connor and I spent four hours on Saturday morning (more or less) following this book’s approach. I didn’t use a doll that pees, and we didn’t use kiddy potties. The first day, he had a 5:2.5 success ratio. The next day, he was also batting over .600. We sent him to school on Monday in underwear, and he’s had one accident over two days. I think it worked!
Update: Connor and I spent four hours on Saturday morning (more or less) following this book’s approach. I didn’t use a doll that pees, and we didn’t use kiddy potties. The first day, he had a 5:2.5 success ratio. The next day, he was also batting over .600. We sent him to school on Monday in underwear, and he’s had one accident over two days. I think it worked!
February 9, 2008
I think this is a really good method to use for potty training - but I used it when Haylie was 20 months and I don't think she was quite ready for it. She got trained, but it took longer than I had anticipated.
February 25, 2008
I borrowed this book from my in-laws (It's pretty old). I thought the research backing up it's suggestions was pretty good. I also liked that it provided a case example so you could see how the whole plan worked. Today was T-day and so far it has gone well... but we shall see.
March 19, 2008
While I thought the book was quite outdated in the way it was written, I did think it gave me a lot to think about in the way that I wanted to train my own child. I did try the suggested method and found that my child was not quite ready and I will be taking a different approach.
February 7, 2017
I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure tempted. I also have been challenged and encouraged to practice more with my son on listening, obeying and mama helping right away if he doesn't listen. Encourage and keep it simple.
June 26, 2007
This worked for us. We trained him on a Saturday morning and he hasn't had an accident since then. It sounds a little 1950's-ish but we followed it to a tee and were successful with it.
November 18, 2008
Written a LONG time ago (during the MAN era) but it still works! Buy the pottie doll, stickers, candy and even the apron!
March 9, 2016
I'll have to update my review once I've tried the method outlined.
December 16, 2013
I reviewed this on my blog (where my kids' names are changed) and what follows is a copy and pasted version of that review.
When I was potty training Mario, I didn't really have a system. I didn't really read any books or have a great plan. My mom gave us a potty watch he could wear to remind him to go at regular intervals, and a friend recommended the movie Potty Power which you can get from the library and has some catchy songs. For Mario, this worked okay. He got pretty potty trained within a week, and was pretty much accident-free by six months later. Nothing to brag about, but I would venture to guess that it's fairly average (though, of course, I'm no expert). However, I was pretty sure I would need more of a system with Sprecher. His personality is different and our family situation is different now too.
I had several people recommend Toilet Training in Less Than a Day. So that's what we went with. I'm writing about it here for me for future reference more than anything else since I'm going to be facing this again in about a year in a half. Here are the notes I took:
Notes for Potty Training Sprecher
I. General Notes
-- Prompting to the potty every 15 minutes (sitting at first for 10 minutes, later 5, then determined himself)
-- Making dry pants inspection every few (5?) minutes
-- Process of reminders
1. “Sprecher, go to the potty.”
2. “Sprecher, do you want to go potty?”
3. “Sprecher, show me where you go potty.”
4. “Sprecher, are your pants dry?”
-- Get him to relax and sit still
1. assist him manually if necessary
2. when he’s sitting still, praise him “That’s good. You are sitting quietly.”
3. if he’s resistant at first, don’t require him to sit too long the first time
-- Early detection of potty
1. “Sprecher, go potty in the toilet. Tell me when you go potty. What will you say when you go potty?”
2. Watch between his legs for pee.
3. Make sure pants are lowered below the knees
4. Teach him to keep his knees apart and to keep his hands on his legs rather than his lap.
5. Make sure there is enough light to see where he’s sitting and there’s no shadow there.
6. Place a piece of tissue on the bottom of the pot.
7. Kneel in front of the pot for better visibility, if necessary.
8. Teach him to sit far back on the chair.
9. If the attention distracts him, give him more space, but keep eyes on the pot.
-- Motivation to use the Potty (OVER-REACT!)
1. Verbal praise: “You did it right! You did it!”
2. Snack treats
3. The drinks
4. Friends-Who-Care list
5. nonverbal praise: hugging, stroking, smiling, clapping, high five
-- Always clarify praise (Start out praising for every little step!) ex.
1. “Sprecher, you peed in the potty. I’m so happy!”
2. “Sprecher, you are sitting quietly on the toilet!”
3. “Sprecher, you are like a big boy. You are pulling your pants down.
4. “Sprecher, you can have candy. You have dry pants.”
-- Verbal rehearsal
a. goals
1. that he should toilet in the potty
2. that he should not wet his pants
b. Going potty in the toilet Commentary/Questions
1. I will be so happy when you go potty in the toilet. Will you go potty in the toilet?
2. Will you go potty in your pants?
3. Where will you go potty? Show me.
4. Will you get snacks if you go potty in the toilet?
5. Will you get snacks if you go potty in your pants?
6. Does Daddy go potty in his pants?
7. You will go potty by yourself. Will you go potty by yourself?
8. Daddy goes potty himself. Do I go potty by myself?
-- After Potty training
* pants inspections after training: before meals; before snacks; after Mario gets home from school; before nap; after Patrick gets home from work; before bedtime (6-7 inspections daily)
*continue Accident Corrective Action (except wet pants inspections) until he has gone a whole week without accidents
II. Doll That Wets Procedure (less than first hour)
i. Dolly has to go potty.
a. have Sprecher take her potty (take off pants, sit quietly on the chair)
b. have him look while she goes potty (possibly feel the water)
c. have Sprecher give her praise: “She’s a big girl. She goes potty in the toilet like a big girl.”
d. clap hands, rub her back
e. have Sprecher offer a snack (and eat himself if he expresses willingness to use the potty)
f. help him empty pot & flush toilet
ii. Dolly dry pants Check
a. Feel doll’s pants.
b. praise Dolly for dry pants and offer snack
c. ask Sprecher if his pants are dry. If so, he can have the treat.
d. repeat dry pants check 2-3 more times (with snacks in between for 5 min break)
iii. Doll Wets
a. distract him; spill water on her pants
b. ask if Dolly’s pants are dry.
c. Have him tell Dolly: “No, dolly. Big girls don’t wet their pants.”
d. Help Dolly practice going potty. “She must practice because she wet her pants. If she practices, she will learn to go in the potty. Tell her she needs to practice.”
e. Practice 3 times from the spot where she had her accident.
f. Ask doll if her pants are dry. “Ask Dolly if her pants are dry. Are they dry? No, her pants are wet.”
g. “Sprecher, check your pants. Are your pants dry? Good job! Your pants are dry. You’re a big boy. Superman’s pants are dry, too.” (Give a treat.)
h. assist doll in changing pants.
iv. Doll Uses Potty (II)
a. Where should Dolly go potty?
b. snack break (abt 5 minutes)
c. now Dolly is ready to go potty.
d. Have doll wet in potty and praise her, then empty pot.
e. make three more dry pants inspections of doll (5 minutes apart)
III. Accidents/Pants Wetting Procedure
i. Visible Disapproval
a. “No!”
b. Explain displeasure: “You wet your pants.”
c. Express displeasure: “Wetting is bad.” / “Big boys don’t like wet pants.” / “Mommy doesn’t like wet pants.” / “Only babies like wet pants.”
ii. Positive practice of Self-toileting
a. Explain what you are doing and why. “Sprecher, you wet your pants. You need to practice going to the potty.”
b. Require him to walk (QUICKLY!), lower pants, sit (BRIEFLY!), then rise, pull up pants
c. Repeat 2 times from the same location; 8 times from other locations
d. Emphasize speed: “Now practice going from the bedroom Practice quickly going from the bedroom.”
iii. Wet-Pants Awareness After an Accident
a. Ten pants inspections, beginning right after Positive Practices
b. “Sprecher, do you have dry pants? Feel them and see.”
c. Express disappointment. “Sprecher, I don’t like wet pants. Do you think Daddy likes wet pants?”
iv. Cleanliness Responsibility for Pants Wetting
a. After the last Wet-Pants Inspection, require him to change into dry pants.
b. “Sprecher, you need to take your wet pants off and put them in the laundry hamper.”
c. “Sprecher, now you need to put on dry underpants.”
d. If the floor is wet, have him wipe it up.
After Potty Training Analysis
Pros
The biggest pro? I love that this program gets us started off on such a positive foot! I loved having the one-on-one time with Sprecher while Patrick took the other two boys to his parents' house. He loved the attention and the goodies. He didn't really have a problem with hanging out in the kitchen for hours, like I thought he would. I also loved having him teach the doll to go potty. When I first read about it, I thought it was a little ridiculous, but actually I think it really helped him know what to expect. I also thought The Friends-Who-Care List was a little silly when I first read it, but I think it did help to discuss Superman's bathroom habits, as ridiculous as it sounds. He likes Superman, so sue him.
Cons
I apparently stink at carrying out parenting books. I feel like there's always as much user error as anything. So I'll take credit for that. However, some of the things I had problems with were sort of valid. One of the things, despite all their insistence and encouragement to get the child to drink a ton (8 ounces an hour), he just didn't end up drinking that much (even with free access to apple juice, the enticement of drinking out of a water bottle, and offers of lemonade) and therefore didn't end up going potty that often. (Actually, the most successful thing to get him to drink was using the little bathroom cups to drink while he was snacking. He drank quite a lot using those, but still not enough.) It was really fairly uneventful, in fact.
During the down time, the book says to spend the time on "verbal rehearsal." However, there just wasn't that much to say about it. At 2 1/2, my little buckaroo knew pretty quickly that the potty is the place to go, everybody he likes goes potty in the toilet, and wet underwear is gross. Done. Eventually, he started giving silly answers because he was bored. And I couldn't blame him. I was sort of sick of the conversation myself and was having trouble coming up with a new angle. Eventually, we tired of both the conversations and the snacks and, I'll admit it, we read some books. Not part of the program. What can I say? I'm a rebel.
I was obviously missing something key here, but I never managed to progress from the outright command to use the toilet to the general questions that were supposed to follow. At the end of the day, I was still telling him to use the potty.
Related to this, the little guy didn't like wet underwear, but the trials following his accidents have seemed sort of ineffective. The trials are a great idea, but the "after he's already wet part" is not so helpful. He never managed to get the idea that he has to realize what he's doing before the accident happens and then rush to the toilet.
Conclusions
I think I would try this with Dash (or other children) earlier. They say it can be done as early as 20 months. At that age, I wouldn't have another younger child to care for or farm out. I also think that child wouldn't get silly in the same way when bored. After all, I don't think a child's sense of humor would have developed that far yet. (Although, I do question whether a child this small would be able to remove the pot without spilling and would have the strength to flush most toilets.)
I also would have followed the book more strictly on some things. I would, for instance, have gotten a large collection of overly large underwear. Even once I realized how useful it was and got Patrick to pick up a larger size, I think the size we got still wasn't large enough for the purpose of him becoming independently good at pulling them up and down quickly. Also, we already had a kiddie toilet, but I would have gotten one that he could remove the pot from more easily. He prefers the kiddie toilet and likes to sit on it by himself, and I admit to being swayed by the idea of him taking care of his business rather than me having to do it.
Basically, I think this was a helpful resource with a pretty good system, but I will have to get better at it before toilet training attempt #3. And, in the end, Sprecher will someday be potty trained, but apparently it won't be in one day.
When I was potty training Mario, I didn't really have a system. I didn't really read any books or have a great plan. My mom gave us a potty watch he could wear to remind him to go at regular intervals, and a friend recommended the movie Potty Power which you can get from the library and has some catchy songs. For Mario, this worked okay. He got pretty potty trained within a week, and was pretty much accident-free by six months later. Nothing to brag about, but I would venture to guess that it's fairly average (though, of course, I'm no expert). However, I was pretty sure I would need more of a system with Sprecher. His personality is different and our family situation is different now too.
I had several people recommend Toilet Training in Less Than a Day. So that's what we went with. I'm writing about it here for me for future reference more than anything else since I'm going to be facing this again in about a year in a half. Here are the notes I took:
Notes for Potty Training Sprecher
I. General Notes
-- Prompting to the potty every 15 minutes (sitting at first for 10 minutes, later 5, then determined himself)
-- Making dry pants inspection every few (5?) minutes
-- Process of reminders
1. “Sprecher, go to the potty.”
2. “Sprecher, do you want to go potty?”
3. “Sprecher, show me where you go potty.”
4. “Sprecher, are your pants dry?”
-- Get him to relax and sit still
1. assist him manually if necessary
2. when he’s sitting still, praise him “That’s good. You are sitting quietly.”
3. if he’s resistant at first, don’t require him to sit too long the first time
-- Early detection of potty
1. “Sprecher, go potty in the toilet. Tell me when you go potty. What will you say when you go potty?”
2. Watch between his legs for pee.
3. Make sure pants are lowered below the knees
4. Teach him to keep his knees apart and to keep his hands on his legs rather than his lap.
5. Make sure there is enough light to see where he’s sitting and there’s no shadow there.
6. Place a piece of tissue on the bottom of the pot.
7. Kneel in front of the pot for better visibility, if necessary.
8. Teach him to sit far back on the chair.
9. If the attention distracts him, give him more space, but keep eyes on the pot.
-- Motivation to use the Potty (OVER-REACT!)
1. Verbal praise: “You did it right! You did it!”
2. Snack treats
3. The drinks
4. Friends-Who-Care list
5. nonverbal praise: hugging, stroking, smiling, clapping, high five
-- Always clarify praise (Start out praising for every little step!) ex.
1. “Sprecher, you peed in the potty. I’m so happy!”
2. “Sprecher, you are sitting quietly on the toilet!”
3. “Sprecher, you are like a big boy. You are pulling your pants down.
4. “Sprecher, you can have candy. You have dry pants.”
-- Verbal rehearsal
a. goals
1. that he should toilet in the potty
2. that he should not wet his pants
b. Going potty in the toilet Commentary/Questions
1. I will be so happy when you go potty in the toilet. Will you go potty in the toilet?
2. Will you go potty in your pants?
3. Where will you go potty? Show me.
4. Will you get snacks if you go potty in the toilet?
5. Will you get snacks if you go potty in your pants?
6. Does Daddy go potty in his pants?
7. You will go potty by yourself. Will you go potty by yourself?
8. Daddy goes potty himself. Do I go potty by myself?
-- After Potty training
* pants inspections after training: before meals; before snacks; after Mario gets home from school; before nap; after Patrick gets home from work; before bedtime (6-7 inspections daily)
*continue Accident Corrective Action (except wet pants inspections) until he has gone a whole week without accidents
II. Doll That Wets Procedure (less than first hour)
i. Dolly has to go potty.
a. have Sprecher take her potty (take off pants, sit quietly on the chair)
b. have him look while she goes potty (possibly feel the water)
c. have Sprecher give her praise: “She’s a big girl. She goes potty in the toilet like a big girl.”
d. clap hands, rub her back
e. have Sprecher offer a snack (and eat himself if he expresses willingness to use the potty)
f. help him empty pot & flush toilet
ii. Dolly dry pants Check
a. Feel doll’s pants.
b. praise Dolly for dry pants and offer snack
c. ask Sprecher if his pants are dry. If so, he can have the treat.
d. repeat dry pants check 2-3 more times (with snacks in between for 5 min break)
iii. Doll Wets
a. distract him; spill water on her pants
b. ask if Dolly’s pants are dry.
c. Have him tell Dolly: “No, dolly. Big girls don’t wet their pants.”
d. Help Dolly practice going potty. “She must practice because she wet her pants. If she practices, she will learn to go in the potty. Tell her she needs to practice.”
e. Practice 3 times from the spot where she had her accident.
f. Ask doll if her pants are dry. “Ask Dolly if her pants are dry. Are they dry? No, her pants are wet.”
g. “Sprecher, check your pants. Are your pants dry? Good job! Your pants are dry. You’re a big boy. Superman’s pants are dry, too.” (Give a treat.)
h. assist doll in changing pants.
iv. Doll Uses Potty (II)
a. Where should Dolly go potty?
b. snack break (abt 5 minutes)
c. now Dolly is ready to go potty.
d. Have doll wet in potty and praise her, then empty pot.
e. make three more dry pants inspections of doll (5 minutes apart)
III. Accidents/Pants Wetting Procedure
i. Visible Disapproval
a. “No!”
b. Explain displeasure: “You wet your pants.”
c. Express displeasure: “Wetting is bad.” / “Big boys don’t like wet pants.” / “Mommy doesn’t like wet pants.” / “Only babies like wet pants.”
ii. Positive practice of Self-toileting
a. Explain what you are doing and why. “Sprecher, you wet your pants. You need to practice going to the potty.”
b. Require him to walk (QUICKLY!), lower pants, sit (BRIEFLY!), then rise, pull up pants
c. Repeat 2 times from the same location; 8 times from other locations
d. Emphasize speed: “Now practice going from the bedroom Practice quickly going from the bedroom.”
iii. Wet-Pants Awareness After an Accident
a. Ten pants inspections, beginning right after Positive Practices
b. “Sprecher, do you have dry pants? Feel them and see.”
c. Express disappointment. “Sprecher, I don’t like wet pants. Do you think Daddy likes wet pants?”
iv. Cleanliness Responsibility for Pants Wetting
a. After the last Wet-Pants Inspection, require him to change into dry pants.
b. “Sprecher, you need to take your wet pants off and put them in the laundry hamper.”
c. “Sprecher, now you need to put on dry underpants.”
d. If the floor is wet, have him wipe it up.
After Potty Training Analysis
Pros
The biggest pro? I love that this program gets us started off on such a positive foot! I loved having the one-on-one time with Sprecher while Patrick took the other two boys to his parents' house. He loved the attention and the goodies. He didn't really have a problem with hanging out in the kitchen for hours, like I thought he would. I also loved having him teach the doll to go potty. When I first read about it, I thought it was a little ridiculous, but actually I think it really helped him know what to expect. I also thought The Friends-Who-Care List was a little silly when I first read it, but I think it did help to discuss Superman's bathroom habits, as ridiculous as it sounds. He likes Superman, so sue him.
Cons
I apparently stink at carrying out parenting books. I feel like there's always as much user error as anything. So I'll take credit for that. However, some of the things I had problems with were sort of valid. One of the things, despite all their insistence and encouragement to get the child to drink a ton (8 ounces an hour), he just didn't end up drinking that much (even with free access to apple juice, the enticement of drinking out of a water bottle, and offers of lemonade) and therefore didn't end up going potty that often. (Actually, the most successful thing to get him to drink was using the little bathroom cups to drink while he was snacking. He drank quite a lot using those, but still not enough.) It was really fairly uneventful, in fact.
During the down time, the book says to spend the time on "verbal rehearsal." However, there just wasn't that much to say about it. At 2 1/2, my little buckaroo knew pretty quickly that the potty is the place to go, everybody he likes goes potty in the toilet, and wet underwear is gross. Done. Eventually, he started giving silly answers because he was bored. And I couldn't blame him. I was sort of sick of the conversation myself and was having trouble coming up with a new angle. Eventually, we tired of both the conversations and the snacks and, I'll admit it, we read some books. Not part of the program. What can I say? I'm a rebel.
I was obviously missing something key here, but I never managed to progress from the outright command to use the toilet to the general questions that were supposed to follow. At the end of the day, I was still telling him to use the potty.
Related to this, the little guy didn't like wet underwear, but the trials following his accidents have seemed sort of ineffective. The trials are a great idea, but the "after he's already wet part" is not so helpful. He never managed to get the idea that he has to realize what he's doing before the accident happens and then rush to the toilet.
Conclusions
I think I would try this with Dash (or other children) earlier. They say it can be done as early as 20 months. At that age, I wouldn't have another younger child to care for or farm out. I also think that child wouldn't get silly in the same way when bored. After all, I don't think a child's sense of humor would have developed that far yet. (Although, I do question whether a child this small would be able to remove the pot without spilling and would have the strength to flush most toilets.)
I also would have followed the book more strictly on some things. I would, for instance, have gotten a large collection of overly large underwear. Even once I realized how useful it was and got Patrick to pick up a larger size, I think the size we got still wasn't large enough for the purpose of him becoming independently good at pulling them up and down quickly. Also, we already had a kiddie toilet, but I would have gotten one that he could remove the pot from more easily. He prefers the kiddie toilet and likes to sit on it by himself, and I admit to being swayed by the idea of him taking care of his business rather than me having to do it.
Basically, I think this was a helpful resource with a pretty good system, but I will have to get better at it before toilet training attempt #3. And, in the end, Sprecher will someday be potty trained, but apparently it won't be in one day.
June 9, 2023
This book is genius. The teaching sequence is time-intensive, and you must give the day to potty training. If you have infants or other small children, get help for the day so that you can focus on this intense training method, or let your husband/partner be in charge of everything/everyone else while you focus on toilet training. I enjoyed trading favors with friends when my kids were younger.
I trained all 4 of my children using this method, and they were all trained in a day. As you can see from the reviews, some children need longer than a day, some kids have various issues that make it take longer... willfulness or extreme willfulness could be a deterrent to success, but that is usually more of a teenage attribute. I really hated it when people told me when my children were young that it was only going to get harder... so I won't, even if it's true ; ) ! I would say if you give this your best effort for a day or two and it doesn't seem to be working, maybe shelf the project for a week or a few weeks or months... if you think your child is not ready to be successful.
If you didn't already know, this method was originally used successfully for mentally slow adults that needed toilet training, and it worked so well that the authors wrote this book for training toddlers... and now it's nearly a 50 year classic with revisions through the years, but same great method.
Looking back almost 2 decades later, I think I would not use sugary drinks and I would try for yummy, but more healthful treats.
I trained all 4 of my children using this method, and they were all trained in a day. As you can see from the reviews, some children need longer than a day, some kids have various issues that make it take longer... willfulness or extreme willfulness could be a deterrent to success, but that is usually more of a teenage attribute. I really hated it when people told me when my children were young that it was only going to get harder... so I won't, even if it's true ; ) ! I would say if you give this your best effort for a day or two and it doesn't seem to be working, maybe shelf the project for a week or a few weeks or months... if you think your child is not ready to be successful.
If you didn't already know, this method was originally used successfully for mentally slow adults that needed toilet training, and it worked so well that the authors wrote this book for training toddlers... and now it's nearly a 50 year classic with revisions through the years, but same great method.
Looking back almost 2 decades later, I think I would not use sugary drinks and I would try for yummy, but more healthful treats.
April 30, 2025
Not a fan. This book over promises and underdelivers. I recognize I am coming from a behavioral standpoint with this book and it is not written from that standpoint, but there are things it overlooks. For example, it is a applicable for a very small group of neurotypical children, or very socially motivated neurodivergent kiddos. The pre-requisites listed at the beginning do not cover all pre-requisites required for the procedures in this book, showing the failure to take into account neurodivergent children. It also emphasizes at the beginning of the book to avoid shaming your kiddo, but then later promotes procedures that could shame or embarrass your child (ex: the all-my-friends procedure). Furthermore, it has starting your kiddo on a toilet training potty have having them carry their waste from the kitchen (???) to a toilet in a bathroom - this seems like overkill, just sit your kiddo on the toilet with a potty training seat, saves lots of time! (What 2.5 year old wants to carry their own pee???). Anyways, lots of opinions here. I will end with I love the intrinsic motivation aspect and emphasizing teaching your child to be independent from the get-go, that part is great!
January 1, 2020
There were a lot of things I liked about this book, and a lot I didn’t. Firstly, this was definitely written in the 70s... It took me at least half the book to figure out that “training pants” referred to underwear. And I won’t speak to my child as suggested by saying things like, “You’re such a big boy now for going pee-pee on the potty!” And I chose not to use a separate, tiny potty. Also, I thought the format was a bit hard to follow—I tried to make a short outline while reading but I got a little jumbled about when to say what and what to establish before moving on. I liked the idea of using a wetting doll and having my child teach the doll how to use the potty. That worked really well. However, after a long, grueling day, sticking to the plan, my 29-month-old is not potty trained. Maybe the title of the book set my expectations too high? Here’s to day 2 tomorrow and hoping we have more success.
April 3, 2022
This method has worked beautifully for 4 of my children. I wish I had known about it when I potty trained my oldest.
I feel that some of the explanations and motivations for training kids are outdated. It doesn't take forever to change a diaper anymore. I don't know of any mother who resents her child for being in diapers until 3-4 years of age. I've heard of parents using fly swatters on bums or spanking for accidents. This method discourages physical punishment (as it should). This method uses positivity and praise.
All four of my children were either 2.5 or 3. Three has been the best age! They loved teaching the doll to use the potty and practice when she had an "accident." When they themselves had an accident, they hated to practice. This has always been the biggest motivation to stay dry and have clean pants.
I'd recommend this to anyone with a 3 year old to potty train! I should also mention that having a supportive family has been so helpful as well.
I feel that some of the explanations and motivations for training kids are outdated. It doesn't take forever to change a diaper anymore. I don't know of any mother who resents her child for being in diapers until 3-4 years of age. I've heard of parents using fly swatters on bums or spanking for accidents. This method discourages physical punishment (as it should). This method uses positivity and praise.
All four of my children were either 2.5 or 3. Three has been the best age! They loved teaching the doll to use the potty and practice when she had an "accident." When they themselves had an accident, they hated to practice. This has always been the biggest motivation to stay dry and have clean pants.
I'd recommend this to anyone with a 3 year old to potty train! I should also mention that having a supportive family has been so helpful as well.
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