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Don’t be a Wet Blanket When it Comes to the Pressures of
Potty Training for Preschool—They Can Do It with Your Help!

Summer is crunch time for millions of parents whose toddlers must be potty-trained before they can be admitted to preschool programs in the fall. In America, there are about 20 million parents with children under the age of 4 and more than four million of those children are enrolled in nursery programs where children are not permitted to advance to preschool until they are potty-trained.

Combine that with the fact that according to the Children’s Hospital Guide to Your Child’s Health and Development, 40 percent of 3 year olds still use diapers and the rush is on. But how can you tell whether a child is ready? Here are 5 signs provided by Teri Crane, (thepottypro.com), best selling author of Potty Train Your Child in Just One Day: Proven Secrets of the Potty Pro.

1. He’s/She’s interested in trying to do things “by him or herself.”

2. He/She understands the meaning of using the potty and no more diapers and can discuss the subject.

3. His/Her diaper is staying dry for longer.

4. He/She frequently wakes up with a dry diaper.

5. He/She stops playing to squat for a bowel movement

When you’ve determined that a child is ready for potty training, you can do it in a single day. Crane, who has developed the “One-Day Potty-Training Party” and taught the method to parents in her Potty-Training Boot Camp, offers these guidelines:

STEP ONE: Give your child a new doll (preferably one that “wets”),—Crane recommends Paul and Emma by Corolle (corolle.com),—and have a two-person party (just you and your child) that entails playing games, reading books, and “potty training” the doll.

STEP TWO: Shift the focus to potty-training your child. Reward your child for his/her success.

STEP THREE: To celebrate your child’s success, the party expands to include his/her other parent, siblings, grandparents and other close relatives, all of whom offer their congratulations.

The method has been tested and approved by pediatricians and parents alike, Crane attests. Dr. Phil says, “A potty party is the way to get your child to go, literally!” At the end of the day, your child is potty trained for preschool and has a new best friend in their Paul or Emma potty training doll.