Potty Genius Blog — Advice from Professionals

Elimination Communication During Potty Training

Elimination communication, a method for infant potty training is commonly used in tribal communities, hunter-gatherer cultures, and less industrialized societies. It is growing in popularity in the United States, as it helps reduce the economic and environmental impact of disposable diapers. The average American child is out of diapers at around 3 years old, where those that use elimination communication are typically out of diapers by 18 months with some “trained” as early as 6 months.

by Brittany Tacket, MA

Potty Genius Blog

“Toilet Training in Less Than a Day”: Azrin and Foxx Method

“Toilet Training in Less Than a Day,” by Nathan H. Azrin, PhD and Richard M. Foxx, PhD, hit bookstands in 1974. Forty plus years later, it is still in print, and the method has worked for millions of children. Azrin and Foxx, like others, noted that forcing children to sit on the potty (toilet) until they finally used it was an ineffective training method. The method they developed involves teaching the child to toilet (urinate in the potty) through repetition. There is more to it, including lots of praise, as well as verbal disapproval and corrective action when needed.

by Anna Kaplan, MD