{"product_id":"diaperfree-before-3-isbn-9780307237096","title":"Diaper-Free Before 3","description":"Conventional wisdom tells parents that they should delay potty training to toddler age, and only after seeing signs of readiness. But is that really the best way? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eDiaper-Free Before 3\u003c\/i\u003e, Dr. Jill Lekovic presents the new case that early training—beginning as early as nine months olds—is natural, healthy, and beneficial for your child, based on medical evidence. By incoporating the potty into your child's routine early on, toilet training becomes far less stressful for both parent and child. Dr. Lekovic's method, which she has used successfully with her own kids and recommends to patients, helps children become better aware of their body's signals, boosts confidence, and decreases the risk of urinary health problems. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe guide includes informative chapters on bedwetting, accidents, and adapting the method for day care, special-needs children, and older toddlers. Offering a technique that really works and turns toilet training into a positive experience, \u003ci\u003eDiaper-Free Before 3\u003c\/i\u003e is sure to become a new parenting classic. | “Using medical studies and other parenting literature, pediatrician and mother Lekovic challenges conventional potty-training wisdom and presents a plan to get you baby out of diapers as early as age two.” —From the University of Chicago Magazine, April 2006 | Chapter 1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    What's wrong with the idea of readiness?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The parents of a healthy one-year-old boy, Jake, bring him in for his   regular checkup. His growth is normal and his parents report that he   started taking a few steps on his own over the last few weeks. He says   \"mommy\" and \"daddy,\" shakes his head no and yes, and looks around for   his shoes or favorite toys when they are mentioned. He was weaned from   the breast two months ago and now only takes a bottle before bed and   nap. He loves a variety of foods and does well drinking from a cup.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Jake wears disposable diapers, and his parents have noticed that his   diaper is often dry after a nap and that his bowel movements are   usually after breakfast and dinner. He is curious about the toilet and   wants to go in with his parents. He loves to have his diaper off and   even tries to take it off himself at times. Jake's paternal grandmother   got him a little potty chair for his first birthday, and his parents   have a lot of concerns about when to introduce it. Their friends have   told them that it is \"way too early to even think about it.\" They want   to know how to tell if he is ready to be toilet trained, and how to   avoid making any mistakes along the way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Is Jake ready to be toilet trained? Most doctors and parenting books   recommend that children must show signs of readiness before beginning   toilet training. Different experts list various skills, but most   suggest that children require some communication skills, a desire to   use the potty, and the ability to walk to the potty before being   trained. Before you decide when it is best to start training your   child, you should know that these guidelines (and the very idea of   readiness) are based on the well-publicized opinions of a few   individuals (not medical research), and are by no means infallible.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    When you look at the history of potty training, how it was done in the   past and under different circumstances, and how we came to consider the   readiness guidelines to be the standard, you will begin to question   what you have been told and to seriously reconsider what is best for   your child. Despite the fact that a review published in the May 1999   issue of Pediatric Annals stated that \"there is little question that   children can be toilet trained by 1 year of age,\" most parents (and   doctors) are not even aware that there is a well-established   alternative to toilet training based on readiness skills.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Over the last century, changes in American lifestyles have been complex   and far-reaching. Many of the changes in the perception of children and   the practice of child-rearing are closely linked with these more   general trends in our society. The most influential development with   regard to toilet training was the introduction of Dr. T. Berry   Brazelton's child-centered approach to training, a concept that has led   to the current American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines for toilet   training. In this chapter I will explain the current guidelines and how   they evolved. I will also explain how this approach is based on a false   set of assumptions and theories (many of which have subsequently been   established in the medical community to be mistaken). The readiness   approach may actually pose multiple health risks to your child,   inadvertently impeding her natural course of development.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The American Academy of Pediatrics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Guidelines for Toilet Training\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The idea behind child-centered training is that children show various   signs (related to their overall development) when they are ready to be   trained. The AAP lists several signs of readiness, including:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    *The ability to walk to the potty\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    *The ability to understand and follow one- and two-step commands\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    *Adequate language skills to express needs and wishes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    *The child's desire for independent control of bowel and bladder   function\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The guidelines suggest that once you see these signs of readiness in   your child you should gradually introduce your child to the potty. Most   people see these signs begin to emerge during the second year of life,   and the usual time to start training based on these guidelines is   around two years of age. However, observing development is very   subjective, and many children do not have much useful vocabulary in the   second year of life. Many people see verbal communication skills (or a   lack thereof) as an obstacle to potty training their child based on   these guidelines, and they put off training because they do not know   how to train a child who can't (or won't) tell them when he needs to   go. Furthermore, the child's desire for control must be recognized by   the caregiver and can mean anything (depending on the parent's   interpretation) from pulling off the diaper to wandering into the   bathroom to actually asking to use the potty. That means a child could   seem ready at twelve months, or not until he is three years old, just   based on how much he talks (a skill that has nothing to do with   actually using the toilet), or on how curious he seems to be about the   toilet. A lot of this has to do with the parent's expectations, and if   she does not think a child can be trained at fifteen months of age, she   will not think her child's curiosity about the potty has anything to do   with toileting readiness.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Although these guidelines are well intentioned, they are based on some   faulty assumptions and have led to some huge delays in toilet training   and unforeseen consequences. The average age for completion of training   has advanced from before eighteen months (in the 1970s) to thirty-six   months and beyond. The AAP guidelines are completely open to   interpretation and have not provided adequate guidance to help parents   understand their children's development. There has been a shift in what   we recognize in our children's behavior and abilities, leading to even   further delays in training. There are no instructions about the use of   disposable diapers or suggestions about when it might be appropriate to   stop using them. There are also no comments about accidents, how many   to expect or consider normal, or how to handle them. Finally, the idea   that it is potentially harmful to your child to introduce the potty   before he is ready is neither based on any medical facts nor supported   by the many studies that have been done on this topic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Dr. T. Berry Brazelton\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    The guidelines used by the AAP developed (to a large degree) from the   work of Dr. T. Berry Brazelton. Dr. Brazelton's approach centers on the   signs of readiness from the child, such as communication skills to   express needs and motor skills to be independent with the task. He   advised mothers to gradually introduce their infants to the potty after   eighteen months of age, which at the time of his study was a huge delay   for most people. He urged parents to avoid using pressure, in order to   facilitate the infant's independent control of toileting. He argued   that bowel control at age two or three was strictly a developmental   task (or something that a child will \"grow into\"), as opposed to a   skill that needed to be taught or practiced.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    These recommendations evolved from Brazelton's famous 1962 article   called \"A Child-Oriented Approach to Toilet Training.\" In the   introduction to this article he states: \"Since the advent of   streamlined diaper care has liberated mothers in our culture from the   real need to 'train' their children early, this step may be viewed more   honestly as a major developmental task for the child.\" I realize that I   am looking at this from a different point of view, but who says women   needed to be \"liberated\" from caring for their children? Furthermore,   how could the invention of disposable diapers made of paper and plastic   materials that were created in the last few decades (after human beings   have been dealing with this issue for thousands of years) allow us to   finally see the task more \"honestly\"? It simply does not make sense. It   was the same (patriarchal) medical establishment that convinced an   entire generation of women that giving their babies formula saved them   from the onerous, time-consuming, and unseemly task of breast-feeding.   Since then, it has become evident that there are many health benefits   to breast-feeding (not to mention some mothers who think it is a   wonderful, important experience to share with their babies).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Brazelton relied heavily on psychoanalytic theory to make the case that   delaying toilet training was not only more convenient but also   desirable from a developmental standpoint. He argued that children   trained at a younger age were more prone to regression under pressure   (or having accidents), and that this could be avoided by confronting   this task at a more advanced stage of development. Writes Brazelton:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Parents and pediatricians are aware that the child's autonomous   achievement in any developmental area frees him to progress to more   advanced areas. Faulty mastery may leave him with a deficit that   results in regression under stress. [Pathological symptoms such as   constipation and enuresis] . . . usually reflect a fundamental   psychological disturbance in the child's adjustment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    In short he felt that there was a connection between problems with   potty training and the child's psychological well-being. This was not a   new idea (I discuss a little history in Chapter 2), but Brazelton   popularized it in a way that changed how everyone viewed toilet   training. He took toilet training from being a natural part of a   child's growth development and made it one with special psychological   significance.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Myth #1: Toilet Training Has\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Special Importance in Children's\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Psychological Development\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Many experts have questioned the connection between toilet training and   psychological disturbance in children over the years. Even one of the   most popular and well-regarded pediatric reference textbooks, Nelson's,   states: \"There is little to indicate that the experiences involved in   the toilet training of most children are of major psychological   consequence.\" Of course being negative, humiliating, or punishing a   child as a part of toilet training can damage her self-esteem and cause   her to resist training. But these patterns reflect an underlying   parental approach and attitude that impacts all areas of child   development, not just toilet training. You should use the same measure   of patience, flexibility, and love with toilet training that you do   with all of parenting.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Myth #2: Babies Don't Know When\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    They Are Voiding\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Since Brazelton did his 1962 study, we have increased knowledge about   the developing nervous system in babies and children. As part of his   argument for later training, Brazelton referred to theories suggesting   that babies are born with a simple reflex occurring at the level of the   nerves in the spinal cord, which causes them to empty their bladder   when it is full. The idea was that as the bladder fills, certain nerves   sense it is full and those nerves directly set off a corresponding set   of nerves that lead to the bladder being emptied. According to   Brazelton's theory, voluntary control of voiding happens only when the   brain matures enough to begin to control this simple reflex. This is   clearly not the case, as the current medical evidence proves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Today's experts have found that newborn babies already have brain-based   control over voiding related to arousal. In fact PET scans have shown   that specific areas of the brain become active in newborn babies before   they empty their bladders. This means that the higher functions of the   brain are getting some sensory input and then exerting control over the   bladder in a way that is much more complex than a spinal reflex arc,   even before birth. There are certain stages in the sleep cycle when the   bladder does not empty. This fascinating area is wide open to research,   but it is clear that Brazelton's assertions do not explain the system.   The idea that there is a transition at some point in the child's   development from reflex voiding to voluntary voiding, or any point when   higher functions of the nervous system are not involved in voiding, has   been completely discredited. So these facts shift the question from   being \"When does a baby's brain become involved in voiding?\" to \"When   does a baby become consciously aware of these processes?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    This question of conscious awareness in babies presents itself in many   forms. Parents often see their newborn baby smile, and many have asked   me when babies know they are smiling or begin to smile on purpose.   Usually I give a simplistic explanation that there are many expressions   that occur spontaneously in babies, but they begin to recognize and   smile at caregivers after about six weeks of age. The real answer is a   little more complicated, but analogous to toilet training.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Facial expressions in babies can represent spontaneous events, or they   can be responses to stimuli as simple as the discomfort of being cold   or having gas or as complex as a feeling of comfort, fear, or even   happiness. The differences among when your baby is unconsciously moving   his facial muscles, when he is responding to his environment with   reflexive grimaces and smiles, when he is imitating the expression of a   caregiver, and when he is making the connection among seeing a   caregiver, feeling happy, and deciding to smile about it are not   measurable, at least with what is currently known about the cognitive   development of humans. They occur over time and not at a single moment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Bladder and bowel control are similar things in that there is a gap   between what is possible in terms of conditioned behavior and when   babies become aware of the process in the complex sense that involves   anticipation, planning, and communication. This complex but completely   apparent fact directly confronts the idea that the signs of readiness   suggested by the Academy have real significance. As much as we wonder   as parents what our babies think and feel when they smile, we accept   that we really don't know, and we continue to smile and talk to them as   they grow. The same should be true with potty training. There is no   specific age when children become aware (or for that matter any age   when we know that they are not aware) of their toileting needs. We   should offer them cues to tune in to the signals from their bodies (see   your baby flushed and grunting, take him to the potty, he feels relaxed   sitting on the potty, and he has a bowel movement).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Myth #3: Early Training Causes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    More Frequent Accidents\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    This assertion has been completely disproven many times over since it   was first made. In fact there is no evidence that children trained   early have any increase in the amount or frequency of accidents   throughout childhood. The opposite is true; children trained earlier   have much more reliable and consistent control than older children who   often make accidents one of their tools in their ongoing power struggle   with caregivers. Most children go through episodes of increased   frequency of accidents after they have been trained, and there does not   seem to be any association between training method and these periods.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Brazelton advanced the theory that the ability to be voluntarily   trained (and thus to be able to control accidents) correlated with   development of certain parts of the central nervous system that control   voluntary motor functions. He argued that this process occurs between   twelve and eighteen months of age, and any training prior to that time   would lead a child to regress when she entered later stages of   development. | Your Baby Can Start Learning as Early as 6 Months Old!","brand":"Harmony","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302971592933,"sku":"NP9780307237095","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780307237095_f7b511c9-da97-4d14-bf49-b4e18b5fe2de.jpg?v=1767725081","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/diaperfree-before-3-isbn-9780307237096","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}