''Infant Potty Training: A Gentle and Primeval Method Adapted to Modern Living'' is a book about

toilet training Toilet training (also potty training or toilet learning) is the process of training someone, particularly a toddler or infant, to use the toilet for urination and defecation. Attitudes toward training in recent history have fluctuated substantial ...

by Laurie Boucke. It is an expansion of ideas that were originally presented in a small self-published volume called ''Trickle Treat'' in 1991. ''Infant Potty Training'' was first published in 2000, is now in its third edition (2008), and has editions in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

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Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

and

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

. Infant potty training is traditionally used in at least 80 countries. Boucke's method of infant potty training is based on an ancient means of toilet training stemming from cultures that don't use

diapers A diaper /ˈdaɪpə(r)/ (American and Canadian English) or a nappy (Australian English, British English, and Hiberno-English) is a type of underwear that allows the wearer to urinate or defecate without using a toilet, by absorbing or conta ...

and washing machines, and that has been adapted to a modern

urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

lifestyle in various ways, including the use of a potty or

toilet A toilet is a piece of sanitary hardware that collects human urine and feces, and sometimes toilet paper, usually for disposal. Flush toilets use water, while dry or non-flush toilets do not. They can be designed for a sitting position popu ...

, part-time pottying and part-time diapering. Instead of always letting a baby eliminate in a diaper, parents start to offer some potty or toilet visits, usually at a much earlier age than with contemporary toilet training.

Overview of the book

The book consists of four parts: * Part I is a how-to guide that also includes chapters on current

medical Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...

research on infant potty training,

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writings,

environmental A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...

considerations, and diapers. * Part II gives detailed

testimonials In promotion (marketing), promotion and advertising, a testimonial or show consists of a person's written or spoken statement extolling the virtue of a product (business), product. The term "testimonial" most commonly applies to the sales pitc ...

by experienced parents in the United States. * Part III consists of testimonials from 13 other countries. * Part IV covers

cross-cultural studies Cross-cultural studies, sometimes called holocultural studies or comparative studies, is a specialization in anthropology and sister sciences such as sociology, psychology, economics, political science that uses field data from many societies thr ...

in the form of

anthropological Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...

reports from many different societies and cultures in

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, the

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Regions and the

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Synopsis of the practice

The key is to create cue associations that can be used as a means of

communication Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...

. This is done by learning and responding to

body language Body language is a type of communication in which physical behaviors, as opposed to words, are used to express or convey information. Such behavior includes facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movement, touch and the use of space. Th ...

and vocalizations, as well as to elimination timing and patterns. As a child matures, he starts to intentionally signal about his toilet needs. As with other means of toilet training, there is no fixed length or guaranteed outcome. The four main steps for beginners are: * Observation/Familiarization Parents watch and take note of the child's: :*Timing (Elimination frequency in relation to waking and feeding) :*Body language (Example: grimacing) :*Sounds (Example: grunting) * Anticipation/

Intuition Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without recourse to conscious reasoning. Different fields use the word "intuition" in very different ways, including but not limited to: direct access to unconscious knowledge; unconscious cognition; ...

Parents anticipate when the child needs to go, then at that moment, give a cue signal (a sound, hand signal, word or phrase). The child will associate these with potty time. * Position/Location After establishing a comfortable position—whether it be in-arms for an infant or on a potty or toilet for a toddler — the same position and location are used for a while, and the child associates these with potty time. * Reciprocal Communication As the child matures, natural bodily and vocal communication expands to include intentional communication in various forms such as the use of sign language or other hand signals, vocalizations, words, and phrases. Parents continue to communicate through manual and audible signals.

History

Variations of infant potty training have been used in non-

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societies for centuries, and this information has been passed down both orally and later in writing. A hindrance to the acceptance of the practice in modern Western societies for some years was the misconception that infant potty training is the same as a somewhat harsh and coercive method used in the early 1900s in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

that used suppositories to put the baby on a strict schedule of bowel movements. This harsh toilet training method is described in the 1929 and 1935 editions of ''Infant Care'', a

US Department of Labor The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety and health, wage and hour standards, unemploym ...

, Children's Bureau publication. However, gentler methods that did not rely on suppositories were recommended in the 1914 and 1938 and later editions of ''Infant Care''. Though a regulated schedule was valued in many parts of infant care including toilet training, at no time was punishment considered appropriate for an infant under one year of age.Children's Bureau Historical Publications
, United States Department of Labor (1914-1938). Infant Care. Children's Bureau Publication. Boucke's method of infant potty training focuses on learning and responding to the child’s natural elimination timing and signals rather than trying to institute a strict schedule.

References

{{Reflist Cross-cultural studies Developmental psychology Books about toilet training

Overview of the book

Synopsis of the practice

History

See also

References