Book Review: The Potty Book for Girls/ for Boys

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The Potty Book for Girls, The Potty Book for BoysBy Colleen Brunetti, MEd

The Potty Book for Girls
The Potty Book for Boys

By Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Like all the other “for boys” and “for girls” books reviewed thus far, this is the same book, just switching out the gender. Told in ongoing rhyme, it tells the story of a child who loves to play and is ready to try a newly gifted potty.

Parents will get a chuckle out of the opening pages, which shows a very squirmy toddler getting a diaper change, and young children will identify with the main character who isn’t quite sure it’s time to give up that trusty diaper. After trying, and a few accidents, there is success and lots of happy pride. In the closing pages, the young reader is invited along to try too – a nice way to put ideas into action in this little book.

To read our other book reviews, go HERE

Book Review: My Big Girl/Boy Potty

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By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

My Big Girl Potty and My Big Boy Potty
By Joanna Cole

These two books are pretty much the same story, swapping out Michael in the boy book for Ashley in the girl book. The story is especially engaging as the young reader is introduced to the character and asked some questions. I used the boy book with my own son when we potty trained and he loved answering the questions and finding similarities between himself and Michael in the book.

In this story, the child is given a potty chair. They go through the steps of trying out the potty but not being ready, to having success, to still wearing a diaper at night, to celebrating with the purchase of some big kid undies. The books give a nod to accidents, assuring the child it is okay. At the end of the book, the young reader is assured they will use the potty to, and “won’t you be so proud!”

To read some of our other potty training books, look HERE!

More Early Potty Training

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By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

Here’s another anecdotal account of early potty training, this one involving a mom who had personal interest in early training, both to avoid messy diapers and to help the planet. What are your thoughts?

http://coastalmommies.com/blog/2012/7/potty-training-infants

A Great Review!

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By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

From time to time a blogger will take a look at the Potty Time program and write up a review. We love that Potty Time is spreading and recently saw some great independent insight into what we offer.

Amber over at JadeLouise Designs had this to say:

Potty Time is a fantastic combination of sign language, songs, verbal, PottyTime DVD & CDauditory, and visual stimulus to help a little toddler learn about how amazing their body is. In Potty Time you learn new sign language signs. Each sign is showcased with Rachel (the creator and instructor of the videos) showing the new sign and saying the name of the sign. Also showcased is the actual word written out, plus a photo to show what the word means. It’s a very well rounded instruction to ensure any learning style will be well received.

Thanks, Amber! We’re so glad you liked Potty Time! To read lots more about Amber’s take on our programming, and see what else she’s up to, please visit her blog at JadeLouise Designs!

Book Review: “My Big Girl Undies” and “My Big Boy Undies”

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By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

My Big Girl UndiesMy Big Boy Undies
My Big Girl Undies and My Big Boy Undies by Karen Katz

This book comes in two editions, one for boys and one for girls. These books celebrate the fun of underwear, and also acknowledge the occasional accident.  The prose is largely the same, just switching out boys and girls. Neither book is really gender specific, at least not beyond the patterns on the underwear and the gender of the children in the illustrations. In other words, your child won’t learn anything about the differences in going potty when you’re a boy or a girl, such standing up or sitting down, wiping front to back, etc. Nonetheless, this is a carefree and fun way to enjoy the potty process, particularly the celebration of wearing underwear.

We have two great resources for training boys and girls here on the blog that do help with gender specifics, and these would be a good addition for Mom and Dad if using these books.

Potty Training Boys and Girls: A mom to 11 kids talks about some of the insights she got from raising her family.

Specific Tips for Girls and Boys: A list of tips specific to training each gender.

 

Community Question: This One is Tricky!

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By Colleen Brunett, MEd

Question: My daughter doesn’t tell me she has to go potty. I’ll sit her on the potty sometimes she goes other times she screams but she takes her diaper off all the time… when I put big girls panties on her five min later there wet… what can I do? She’s two.

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Book Review: “A Potty For Me”

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By Kim Fries, MA CCC-SLP

A Potty For MeThis bright colorful lift-the-flap book follows a child, along with a very patient Mommy, through the potty training process. At first the child is hesitant to use the potty, then tries but has an accident and finally goes and gets to wear “big kid pants.”  The child is nondescript and could be seen as a boy or girl.  Parents will like the opportunity to discuss accidents and opportunity to “try again.”  The book has a sing-songy rhyming rhythm that flows easily, and the sense of pride the child feels at the end brings a smile to your face.

I have used this book for years in my Signing Classes.  I loved the vocabulary (potty, try, diaper, big kid, accident, proud) and emphasis on children trying rather than the pressure to succeed.  The author’s focus on child readiness and use of emotion vocabulary (happy, proud) was also a big draw for me.

With the release of the Potty Time board book, “Hopkins Uses the Potty”, I now use both.  They work well together and give the parents in my signing classes an opportunity to practice vocabulary while reading a book to a toddler. When parent go home and sign during the potty routine, or sign another book, they have shared with me that the additional practice helps them feel more confident and comfortable with signing. Signing with your child is good not only for potty training, but early literacy skills too!

A Potty For Me matches the Potty Time philosophy and goes well with the songs “Stop and Go”, “Accident” and “Celebrate!” (click on the songs to hear a sample!)

Kim Fries is a Certified Master Signing Time Academy Instructor. You can learn more about Kim and her signing and speech classes by visiting her website HERE

Community Question: Night Wetting

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By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

Question: Do you have any tips for nighttime training? My daughter is almost 5 and still wears a pull-up to bed. Every once in a while she says she wants to wear panties and we encourage it, but she always wets. She will do it for 2-3 nights and then wants to go back to wearing a pull-up.

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Community Question: My Daughter Isn’t Interested!

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By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

We get lots of great questions on our Facebook community, and sometimes we like to answer them on the blog too.

Question: Why doesn’t my 2-year-old daughter give a hoot about using the potty??? I thought they were supposed to train earlier than boys… Continue reading →