Who is Carol Cline?
I’m sure you have come across potty training methods that promise to potty train your child in 3 days. But you wonder if such methods are just gimmicks. Same here! When I started potty training my daughter, she was such a hard case. I started looking into all of these methods, programs, and books. I was so desperate and wanted a quick fix. “Only 3 days!” I thought… that’s awesome! So I had to review some of these potty training programs.
There are so many different potty training programs out there that promise different things. They all differ in how they approach potty training. My daughter was so scared of the potty, and stubborn at the same time. So I had to find a program that was going to consider her temperament and fears. So I decided to do what any good blogger would do. I decided to review some of these popular programs. For myself, and my readers…you’re welcome!
Keep in mind that they all have pretty much the same concept. Which is that you get rid of diapers, devote yourself to at least 3 days of stay at home potty training, and not use pull-ups to sabotage the process. Here is my review of 3 different potty training programs.
#1 Pick Start Potty Training Program, by Carol Cline
This program is my favorite and is at the top of my list. It is created by a mother of 4 and daycare owner who has tons of experience with potty training toddlers. In this program, Carol teaches you an easy to follow method of potty training, with no pressure to nighttime train. What I love is that she covers a variety of topics. She talks about differences between training boys and girls. She has special sections in the program for special needs children (autism, down syndrome etc). There is a section especially for twins/multiples, and older children who may be more difficult to train. The best part of the program is the “bumps in the road” section, which every potty training parent will face during potty training. In this section she addresses fear of pooping, wetting the bed, tantrums, regression and so much more. She also teaches you how to handle outings to places like the mall, fairs, pools, and even airplane travels. I also love the fact that you can ask her questions when they come up during the training process (and trust me, your always going to have questions). Carol offers a “lifeline” where you can reach her directly, with any unique questions you may have. The personal consultations is what had me sold. This program goes way beyond a quick potty training in 3 days method, Carol Cline literally helps you through EVERYTHING. There isn’t a topic that she doesn’t cover. You are truly getting your money’s worth. That is why I recommend this program above any other. Don’t get discouraged by the gimmicky sales page. In my opinion the site could really use some work in the marketing department. But if you can overlook the sales pitch and silly video, you will see that this is really an excellent program. The Start Potty Training Program PDF is available for immediate download.
No-Sweat Potty Training, by Dana Obleman
This is another popular potty training program. And as most of the other programs, you ditch the diapers, offer tremendous praise and rewards for success. The main difference with this program is that your child is allowed to wear diapers at night. Dana considers daytime and nighttime training as two separate entities. Dana says “you should also understand (and let your child know) that he’ll still be using diapers at nighttime, and that nighttime diapers are OK — even for big kids! (The fact is that bladder control at night takes longer to master.)” This alone is a huge plus in my book. I need a program that’s going to offer a realistic method and approach, not a quick gimmick. What I also like about Dana Obleman is that you can get lots of freebies right from her site. Useful information that may answer your questions, before you even decide to purchase the program. For example, right now you can get a free PDF where Dana talks about potty training myths, and gives you tips on how to potty train. Here it is.
3 day Potty Training by, Lora Jensen.
A program that quickly gained popularity (I’m guessing it has something to do with title). The gist of this program is that you take away all diapers, put on underwear, and don’t ever revert back to diapers. You offer liquids and high fiber foods. And you praise and reward your child for using the potty. It’s a pretty simple program, straight forward and easy to follow. There are a few things I didn’t like. First Lora has you refer to accidents as “yucky” or “pew”. Now my little girl had a very bad fear of “letting it go”. (you can read about that HERE) Among all my research, I learned that kids with these fears usually view their “duty” as part of themselves and their body. In my opinion, the worst thing you can do is call “a part of your child’s body”, “yucky”. That’s a horrible idea, and will only make your child feel ashamed.
The other thing that was a deal breaker was that Lora has you take away diapers, even at night-time. I agree taking them away during the day, but as I mentioned before night-time training is a developmental milestone, that matures with age. Lora says that if your child is at least 22 months old, they should be waking up dry and gives you a few different options of “nighttime training”. I tried her method and it just didn’t work. There is no way my 22 month old was going to stay dry at night. That is not something you can “train”. She wet the bed over and over. When she woke up, the diaper had cold pee, and she had no idea she had done it. Meaning she did at some point during the night while she was asleep. Waking my daughter up from her sleep to take her potty just wasn’t an option for us. And you can’t really change things up either, Lora says you have to “follow the program to the T” for it to be successful.This program may work for others, but it didn’t work for us.
So there you have it! A quick guide and review of the most popular potty training programs that promise to potty train your child in a few days. If there are any you would like me to review that I haven’t mentioned please leave me a comment below, and I will try my best to get a copy for review.
