Going to the Potty

 By Fred Rogers

Another win at the thrift store!

We're still working on potty training.  Don't judge us, we're up against some pretty serious hurdles.

But, even though it isn't happening any day soon, it's nice to sit back and read this book and talk to my oldest about that someday when she'll stop wearing diapers.

I love it for many reasons.  First, it's real pictures of real kids.  Which makes the potty training seem real as apposed to this imaginary thing that cartoon figures do.

I love it because it uses plain simple language and talks about the different potties and the different ways that parents might talk about bowel movements.  It's a really universal book.

I love it because it breaks the whole thing down to be a small part of a more complex developmental stage at which toddlers are learning to become children and detach themselves from their parents bit by bit and what that means to the child.  It is so interesting to my daughter for her to read a book about her that seems to know just what she's up to and just how she feels.

What in heaven's name would we do without Mr. Rogers?

(This book did not potty train my child.  But I think she's starting to turn the corner and stop being so stubborn about it.)

It Hurts When I Poop

 By Howard J. Bennett, M.D.
Illustrated by M.S. Weber

Yup.  We took out a potty book.  A very specific potty book about constipation.  This one is about a kid who purposely refuses to poop.  The difference between this kid and my kid is that this one is old enough to negotiate with his parents.

 The book is a story within a story.  Ryan goes to the doctor because he won't poop, and the doctor tells him a story about a coyote who won't clean his house.  And then explains that it's a metaphor.  That part went over my kid's head.

The actual good part is the one where they have diagrams and explain where poop comes from and where it goes.  It's very interesting for kids and might help you explain to them why it is SO important that they STOP HOLDING IT IN.

Reading this book wasn't a miracle cure, but I think it was good to help us talk about some of the problems we're having.  I think we just need to sneak prunes into the baby food and wait a few months before we have a serious chat about it again.

Get Dressed Santa!

 By Tomie dePaola

It's a book about Santa having to use the potty.  So, if you're going to get a potty training book for a toddler for Christmas, I guess this is the one to get.

It's not so great.  The rhythm is uneven.  The rhyming is lazy.  The pictures are cute, though.  I love Tomie dePaola so much; I really want to cut him some slack on this one.

My daughter loves this book a lot.  But she still refuses to use the potty.