Tag Archives: potty training method

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 →

Potty Training Adventure

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By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

Here’s a great video chronicling one family’s potty training adventures.

Do you have an adorable video of your kid in the process of potty training? Share it on our Facebook page!

Like the chart they use? Be sure to check our version as a free download on the Resources page!

Book Review: “Too Big for Diapers”

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By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

Too Big for Diapers (a Sesame Street Babies publication)

Too Big For Diapers bookToo Big For Diapers sample pages

In five quick page turns, this book follows Baby Ernie (shown as a stuffed doll) through the potty training process. It has very simple words describing what he is doing on each page, stressing the “stop and go!” concept in a similar way to Potty Time.

The photos of the dolls and props are large and bold, likely very engaging, especially to children who are training a little bit on the younger side, or who absolutely love Sesame Street.

Baby Hopkins plushA really nice companion to this book might be our Baby Hopkins plush who can be snuggled with as the story is read, and used to act out what Baby Ernie is doing in the book.

 

 

To read our other book reviews, click HERE!

Book Review: “You Can Go to the Potty”

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By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

We are reviewing some potty training books! Our entire collection of reviews will be housed HERE.

You Can Go to the Potty
You Can Go To The Potty book
By William Sears, M.D., Martha Sears, R.N., and Christie Watts Kelly

This book is from the Sears pediatrician team, particular favorites of those who like the attachment parenting method. It’s also one of the books I (Colleen) used with my own son! It actually starts out with tips for parents, and explains some of the choices in the book, as well as giving a few tips if you are experiencing any difficulty during the potty training process.

The story starts out talking about the baby days. In line with the attachment parenting approach, the illustrations show both nursing and co-sleeping, which some families will greatly appreciate and others may not as much. It then transitions into what big kids can do, and talks about where pee and poo-poo might go, first in a diaper and now into the toilet.

This book takes a specific approach to the timing of potty training, telling children they will switch to underwear when they can keep their diapers dry. Some families will do well with this timing, whereas others may find a different approach is going to work better for their child.

The book moves on to the process of potty training, including a supportive take on accidents and of course lots of great celebrating. A particularly nice aspect of this book is the little insets on some pages called “Answers for the Very Curious”. These boxes contain questions children might ask about going potty and simple answers that they can understand – very helpful!

Hopkins Uses the Potty board book

As this is geared towards little ones but is very factual, it would make a nice companion to a more playful approach, such as our book “Hopkins Uses the Potty”

Book Review: “Diapers Are Not Forever”

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By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be taking a look at some of the MANY potty training books on the market. Here’s the first one!

Diapers Are Not ForeverDiapers are Not Forever book
By Elizabeth Verdick

A very simple prose, along with the inviting illustrations, will draw children into this book that explains how diapers are not forever. It starts with showing how the children are growing and now they can do what the big kids do – go potty! It then takes the reader through the steps of going potty, with noted differences for boys and girls, and stresses the celebration a child can have with his family. As a bonus, there are tips for parents at the end.

Parents who prefer not to reward with tangible items will appreciate the idea that the family will celebrate with a “clap and cheer”. This book fits great with the Potty Time philosophy and songs, especially the “Potty Dance” and “Let’s Celebrate” (Click on the songs to hear a sample!)

Potty Time DVD + Music CD

These songs are included on the Potty Time DVD + Music CD.

 

To read our other book reviews, click HERE

Making Potty Training a Family Affair: Grandparents

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By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

grandpa and grandmaWe’ve looked at how to get dad and siblings involved in potty training. Today, let’s take a look at grandparents.

1)   Get on the same page: Sometimes navigating child-rearing philosophies with your parents or in-laws can be tricky. Parenting methods have changed a great deal in the last several decades, and Grandma may have her tried and true method that just doesn’t jive with your approach. Continue reading →