Book Review: Potty Time (a Sesame Beginnings publication)

By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

Potty Time! A Sesame PublicationThis book is listed for ages 24 – 36 months on the cover and contains simple illustrated representation of the loveable Sesame Street characters. What I particularly appreciate about this book is that each character is at a different stage of development, one who goes all the time, one who has the occasional accident, and one who is just not interested at all yet. This may be very reassuring to children and parents alike!

The text invites children in by asking occasional questions and explains what each character is doing and why.

One page even mentions how a character calls her time in the bathroom “potty time”, which is a rather convenient link to the Potty Time program too!

To read our other book reviews, click HERE

Book Review: “You Can Go to the Potty”

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”

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

You Did What?!?

By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

No doubt, kids can come up with some pretty creative uses for standard household objects. Here’s an article about a little boy who had something very unusual happen to him because of it!

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/fireys-called-to-cut-toilet-from-toddlers-head-after-he-became-stuck/story-fn7x8me2-1226356400984

What’s the craziest thing your child has pulled while potty training?

Making Potty Training a Family Affair: Grandparents

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

Making Potty Training a Family Affair: Siblings

By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

monkey see, monkey do!We’re taking a look at different ways to get family members involved in the potty training process. To read about dads, click HERE. Today, let’s talk about those older siblings.

1)   Monkey see, monkey do: Toddlers are often in awe of their older siblings.  Use this to your advantage. Continue reading

Making Potty Training a Family Affair: Dads

By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

In the next few posts, we’ll offer you some quick tips to get different members of your family involved with the potty training process.

Let’s start with Daddy. Dads are great. They have a special way with their kids and a different roll than mom. But, the truth is, sometimes dads can be a little reluctant or unsure when it comes to potty training. Here are three quick tips to get them in on the action. Continue reading

The Making of Potty Time: Part Two

   Inspiration and Direction

By Colleen Brunetti, MEd

I recently had the privilege of speaking with co-creator of Signing Time, Emilie Brown, to chat about the making of Potty Time. Some of you might not know Emilie, but she is a driving force behind much of what you see in the Baby Signing Time and Signing Time videos, and sister to Rachel Coleman. You can read about their co-creation of Signing Time HERE. I wanted to learn more about what went into Potty Time, a project 10 years in the making!

Rachel Coleman and Emilie Brown

Rachel Coleman and Emilie Brown

What was the inspiration for Potty Time?

For years Signing Time fans have been saying that there should be a potty training DVD with Rachel. They even went so far as to tell her, “If you (Rachel) tell my kid to go potty, I know she’ll do it!”

The truth was, neither Emilie nor Rachel ever used a potty training DVD or materials, and they didn’t feel personally compelled to do it.  Add that to the fact that Rachel wasn’t in a big hurry to sing about “poop” and “pee”, and the idea of a potty training program from the Signing Time folks didn’t seem like it was going to happen any time soon.

However, most of the Signing Time products are a response to a request or a need that fans have expressed, and the Signing Time creators were listening!

In addition to meeting the needs of the Signing Time fans, Rachel and Emilie (and their family) had a very personal inspiration for the Potty Time approach – their mom, Linda! She has nine children and over twenty grandchildren, and each and every time she would change a messy diaper she would say something like, “Wow! What a great poop! Good Job! Your body is working!” Emilie, Rachel and their siblings found themselves saying many of the same things.

This is a bit of an unusual approach! How often are we instead tempted to hold our noses and say, “Ewwww!”? And what kind of message is that sending?

But this is the opposite approach.  How many times a day do you get to send a positive message to your child about her body’s abilities?

What did you hope to accomplish with Potty Time?

The Signing Time team set out to make a program that would be not about a certain approach to potty training, but rather a warm and supportive tool to use with any potty training method or philosophy.

Potty Time characters, Alex, Leah and Hopkins

As with all of the Signing Time products, there is a special way of doing things – anybody can teach the vocabulary for bathroom needs, but the Signing Time team set out to do that with their trademark approach: making kids feel good about themselves and teaching values, all while learning a new language.

Potty Time uses the Signing Time signature feature –singing your way through your child’s day… all of their day! Signing Time always keeps it positive, and thus, the message from Potty Time is simple but profound: “You can do it! Your body is amazing. This is part of growing up.”

In our next installment we will talk more about how Potty Time was created and how the creators hoped families everywhere would use it. Stay tuned!

 

My Potty Training Adventures: Three Children, Three Lessons

By LeeAnn Mason

LeeAnn the Marketing Assistant for Signing Time, which includes a roll as Signing Time Academy Administrator.  She has been a fan since 2002 when her oldest received Signing Time on VHS for her first Birthday.  In July of 2003, she became the first Signing Time Distributor and started volunteering for Two Little Hands Productions where ever she could. In June of 2005 she was offer a temporary position helping with a special project and her responsibilities have grown and changed based on the needs of the company.

Here LeeAnn shares her own potty training story!

While working in a childcare center before I was even married, I worked with the 2 year old class which meant potty training. At our center the policy was to assist the parents with which ever method they chose. Some preferred to use Pull-Ups® or Easy-Ups®, some preferred us to leave their children in diapers and take them to the potty every half hour, and others preferred bringing several changes of clothes letting their children tell us when they needed to use the restroom. We accommodated all of these approaches. At the time, I was confident that I knew how to potty train. I also believed I knew exactly how I would potty train my own children when the time came. Boy was I wrong! Here’s what I learned from potty training each of my three children: Continue reading

Potty Training and Autism: Tips and Techniques

By Kim Fries, MA CCC-SLP

Kim Fries

Kim Fries is a Signing Time Academy instructor as well as a speech therapist. Here she takes us through some tips and techniques for helping potty train a child with autism that she has successfully used and seen implemented over the years. Kim can be reached through her website at www.LittleHandsFL.com and via Facebook at www.facebook.com/LittleHandsFL 

There has been a lot of interest on the Potty Time website, Facebook page, and here on the blog, about potty training children with special needs, especially children who have an Autism Spectrum diagnosis.  As a mom of a child on the spectrum and as a pediatric speech therapist, I have worked with many children, families, and occupational therapists to address potty training.  Here are a few tips, tricks and suggestions I have used, heard and learned. Continue reading