Cleveland Clinic Pediatrician, Dr. Deb Lonzer, Releases Potty Training Book

Cleveland Clinic pediatrician Deb Lonzer, M.D., today released her potty training book, The Flushville Four. This collaboration with illustrator and Wickliffe native John Cairns, M.F.A. is a fun-filled adventure for kids and parents alike. The loveable characters are all somewhere in the potty training process, but potty training is not the main focus of their daily lives (or their parent's!).

Potty training can be among the most stressful times for parents. Dr. Lonzer's book is for parents who may just be beginning to consider potty training their child. It's for parents who have been struggling to get their child out of diapers for months, even years. "At the request of one of my patients," explains Dr. Lonzer, "I wrote this book to help toddlers and parents relax a bit about potty training." Flushville's playful colors and matter-of-fact potty language help take some of the pressure off both parents and children.

"This book is for parents who'd like potty training to be a fun, natural process," asserts Dr. Lonzer. It meets kids where they are and gives them situations with which they can identify. Rather than telling kids about how to use the potty, The Flushville Four provides a real-life glimpse into potty training. The characters want to feel like big kids; they have accidents; they practice holding it during play; they race to the potty chair. But they also play outside, help set the table, eat healthy meals, learn about the importance of hand washing, and celebrate small victories. The Flushville Four is currently available for sale at http://www.deblonzermd.com. Proceeds from the sale of this book benefit Cleveland Clinic Children's.

As a board-certified pediatrician, Dr. Lonzer has spent over twenty years at Cleveland Clinic Children's, helping parents navigate through the early years with their children. In addition, she is a member of Cleveland Clinic's Board of Governors and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at CWRU School of Medicine. Dr. Lonzer is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and member of ACPE, APA, and AMGA.

Dr. Lonzer is a graduate of The Hershey Medical Center of the Pennsylvania State University, and completed her training in pediatrics at Cleveland Clinic Children's. Dr. Lonzer began practicing pediatrics in 1995. She is listed in Castle Connolly's Best Doctors in America, is a Consumer's Research Council of America Top Pediatrician, and has won awards for her teaching and research. Dr. Lonzer is a frequent guest on a variety of local news programs and is also frequently quoted by print and web-based health information outlets, including The Plain Dealer, Cleveland Magazine, Parents Magazine, Saturday Evening Post, Pregnancy Magazine, USA Today, ABC, NBC Nightly News, and MSNBC.

For more information about potty training, children's health issues, and The Flushville Four, please visit the following website: http://www.deblonzermd.com, or follow @DrDebLonzer on Twitter. Additionally, the Flushville Four Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/FlushvilleFour) contains all this and more for parents, caregivers, and health professionals.