Why Use A Potty Training Doll

The idea of using potty dolls to potty train toddlers has been around for some 30 years. Many parents (including myself) have successfully potty trained their children using a potty training doll.

So if you are thinking about using a potty training doll to assist you in the potty training process, read on.

I will start by giving you some background on when, how and why the idea of using potty training dolls was introduced and then give you information on why and how to use a potty training doll. Last but not least, we will look at the potty training dolls available on the market today (compare the features, function and price) and visit with some dolls from the days gone by.

Potty Training Dolls - Some Background

The idea or concept of using a potty doll to potty train a child was developed by two psychologist named Nathan H. Azrin, Ph. D. and Richard M. Foxx Ph.D. in the 1970s. These two psychologists were studying what is involved in learning and how learning can be made more rapid.

They were researching how to potty train special needs (autistic, down syndrome and mentally retarded) children. Read more about the research and the book by here. They discovered that using their methods, children not categorized as special needs could be potty trained in less than a day. In 1974, they published their findings in a book titled "Toilet Training in Less Than a Day". The book has sold over 2 million copies.

Since then, several potty training books for parents such as "Potty Training for Dummies"& "The Everything Potty Training Book" have talked about using potty dolls for potty training, but not until Dr. Phil has this method become really popular.

Dr Phil has done two shows on Potty Training in One Day. His first show aired on November 8th, 2002 and the second show in prime time on September 22nd, 2004.

Dr. Phil inspired me to create Potty Training in One Day - The Complete System for for Boys or Girls with Potty Training Dolls - Potty Scotty™ and Potty Patty™ . These potty training dolls are Specially Designed to Potty Train™ .

Why use a Potty Training Doll?

We know that children learn from seeing, listening and hearing.

At the age of 18 months, children become fascinated by the behavior of other children their own age or older. By the age of 24-30 months, they start to understand gender differences and focus on imitating the behavior of the same sex parent. They learn action and attitudes and will copy things that they have seen.

So, what is better than using a doll to model the appropriate potty training behavior for your child?

How to use a Potty Training Doll?

How you use a potty doll to assist in the potty training process really depends on which potty training method you decide to use.

Dr Phil's Potty Training Method uses a potty training doll - or doll that wets (according to Dr Phil) - to model the "going potty" behavior for you child. The doll is rewarded for going potty - throw the doll a potty party. Your child will extrapolate and will want to go potty like the doll and have a potty party as well. Dr Phil also recommends letting your child call his favorite superhero when he has successfully gone potty.

Parents' Potty Training Guide: How to Potty Train in One Day have you the parent teach your child to teach the doll to go potty. The concepts (which by the way is the same concept in Potty Training Concepts!) in this potty training method are that children learn by teaching and behavior is shaped by consequences.

Since "teaching is the highest form of learning", your child will not only teach the doll to go potty, but also teach the potty doll what are desired behaviors are and the natural and logical consequences of these behaviors. Once your child understand this, then you will teach your child to teach the doll what the undesired behaviors are and the natural and logical consequences of undesired behavior.

Potty Training Dolls available on the market.

I have developed a comparison of the features, function and price of the potty training dolls available on the market today. I have tried to be as objective as I can, but you know that I do have a slight bias!! You decide which one will work best for you.

I would just like to add, that Potty Scotty™ and Potty Patty™ were specially designed as potty training dolls and their main purpose is to aid in the process of potty training children. It is important to note, that even thought your child will enjoy playing with these dolls, they are a training tool by design and not a toy by design. Read this to see what makes these dolls truly unique.

Based on my research, below are some of the potty training dolls of the days gone by.

Do you remember Betsy Wetsy? This potty training doll was sold from the 1950 to the 1980. The doll had a straight tube from the mouth to the bottom - so it was pretty hard to model the going potty behavior with Betsy Wetsy.

Then there was Talking Potty Dotty. Dotty said things such as "Mommy, I have to got potty!" and "Hurry, Mommy! Hurry!". You had to quickly take her to her potty and she would go in her little potty. From my research, Dotty did not make it because she was hard to feed and did not always make it to the potty!!