I have found the best potty training book to share. Simply called, "The Potty Book," it is a wonderful resource for parents and toddlers who are embarking down the road of potty training. For many parents this can be a stressful time, but with this potty training book, your mind will be at ease.
If you are a parent who is a bit stressed about starting or completing the potty training process, then you are not alone. Potty training can be a very stressful time in a parent's life.
The best advice I have heard is from the author of "The Potty Book," Alyssa Satin Capucilli, who is also a doctor. She states on the video, and as an educator I agree, that potty training is a normal learning experience in a child's life and need not be stressful. The parent is stressed and the child is not. Let's face it, there is a lot of social pressure to do it right, and in a timely manner!
Think of potty training as any learning experience your little one is going through, learning his or her name, learning letters and numbers, getting dressed, how to play with other children, and the list goes on and on. Potty training is a social learning experience. Your child is simply learning how to behave socially. All of this is a part of life.
Some great advice to remember is this, one day you will see your son and daughter accomplish great things, getting married, getting degrees, learning to drive, and he or she will be potty trained! So, the first step is to relax. Then, go get The Potty Book and DVD.
Book and DVD name (available at Amazon): The Potty Book and DVD for girls, or The Potty Book and DVD for boys
Author: Alyssa Satin Capucilli
Illustrator: Dorothy Stott
Publisher and Year: Barron's Educational Services, Inc., 2000
This book and DVD are very powerful in helping parents to potty train their children, because they are age and developmentally appropriate. The characters are ones that any little boy or girl can relate to. There is also a wonderful potty song that your toddler will sing again and again.
The best part about this DVD is that it shows the progression of learning how to use the potty. The main character (Hannah for girls or Henry for boys) is learning how to potty train right along with your child. He/she makes mistakes, makes decisions, and makes progress in this DVD and book. From beginning to end, your child will celebrate with Hannah or Henry as he/she learns to use the potty. It's really a story about social competence and achievement.
The book is essentially the same as the DVD, only reading the book allows you and your child some personal time, away from the television, to talk about the characters and what is happening in the story. From an educators, and a parent's point of view, this is a great book and DVD for potty training toddlers.
It is also a great, pass along book, like my child loved it and you just have to try it, kind of book. Of course, each child is different, so it is not guaranteed your child will love it.
Best on the potty training, and remember, potty training is a learning activity which every child faces, and just like any other life accomplishment, we want it to be met with celebration and a great self-esteem.