Also called the "child-centered approach" and the "child-led approach," this is the strategy endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and promoted by Dr T. Berry Brazelton, perhaps the most well-known pediatrician and child development expert in the country. Similar strategies abound, including the popular "attachment parenting" methods of Dr. William Sears and Martha Sears, R.N.
This is the most widely used method in the United States today.
The heart of the approach is the idea that your child sets the pace of training--so the actual age of your child is less important than your child's developmental readiness.
Parents evaluate whether their child is ready to start potty training based on signs of readiness, including, talking about going to the potty, showing an interest in others using the toilet, and an ability to understand and follow directions.
When the child is ready, parents can begin a series of "successive approximations" leading up to successful potty use, such as talking about the potty, introducing a potty chair, and sitting on the potty chair while dressed.
Parents introduce the next step in the process only when the child is ready for it, and this process can take weeks or months, depending on the child.
Charts and stickers can be used to help give kids a greater sense of control and of accomplishment.
Rewards are allowed, but parents should avoid increasing the reward for each successful potty use.
Children should never be punished for missteps or setbacks, and parents should not force the steps; your child might go along with you at first, but may resist later in an effort to reclaim some of the control you took away.
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