Book Review: “The Magic Bowl Parent’s Guide: Potty Training Made Easy”

The Magic Bowl Parent’s Guide: Potty Training Made Easy

By Dr. Baruch Kushnir
160 Pages (Paperback)
Publisher:  Price World Publishing
Date Published: May 1, 2011

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Dr. Baruch Kushnir is one of the world’s foremost experts on bed wetting, bladder control, and child development. With an M.Sc. in Clinical Psychology, a Ph. D. in Medical Psychology, and 17 clinics in his name, Dr. Kushnir has synthesized more than 25 years of experience into this comprehensive step-by step manual. The Magic Bowl: Potty Training Made Easy focuses on the positive aspects of each individual child’s behavior. Dr. Kushnir’s plan is not only stress free, but it actually celebrates the process and makes it fun!

Included with the book is the critically acclaimed The Magic Bowl DVD, also created by Dr. Kushnir. The DVD centers around three cartoon toddlers that experience the transition from diapers to the toilet. It is a cheerful musical that presents the toilet as a warm, motherly, protective figure. It promotes good toilet habits (flushing and washing hands) and the animation, sprightly songs, warm mood, and fast pace appeals to the target audience of toddlers reluctant to use the bathroom.

MY THOUGHTS:

I have never read a potty training book before because I’d figured “How hard could it be?” Well I was wrong, it’s hard especially with my now 4 year old.  First off I want to say that while it is a 160 page book, it is big font and all Questions and Answers – easy to read and flip through.  Dr. Baruch Kushnir makes some great points, but he also does use the answer of seeing a professional for bedwetting issues more than a few times as well as bringing up a bed wetting device.  I guess I was hoping for answers from other parents or real-life answers as the Questions in the book are, but some of his answers were helpful and ideas I hadn’t tried yet.  For example, he mentions to have the child sit on the potty while disposing of the poop if they have an accident in their underwear, I have been using this one to show my son that is where poop goes.

I put the DVD on while my boys were playing and they immediately stopped and couldn’t help but watch.  The movie is an animation with music and lots of kids, both boys and girls.  It talks about how annoying diapers can be, how they can make you have to leave places because you need a diaper change, how the potty is not scary.  It also says how accidents are okay and happen.  I really like the one tip I got from the DVD for both, which is to put stickers inside the rim of the actual toilet for boys to aim at.  I heard of floating targets but the stickers look fun and easy (anything to get my boys from spraying the wall!)  The DVD has a toilet as the main character/narrator, which is kinda funny and makes it look friendly.

BUY IT: You can find The Magic Bowl Parent’s Guide: Potty Training Made Easy on Amazon or look for it at your local bookstore.

Mom and More Disclosure: I was sent this book to review in exchange for my honest opinion. Please see my Disclosure Policy.