You Can Go to the Potty

Rating:
Summary: Heads Above the Rest
Review: Everything you need to know about potty training (oops! I mean potty LEARNING as per Dr. Sears) is contained in this 32-page picture book. The first three pages have helpful notes to parents and caregivers. The story itself includes sidebars, or blocks of supplemental material, designed to answer the persistent questions (Why? Why? Why?) of curious children. The last page provides details about attachment parenting, a responsive style of raising children, and a list of various Internet, textbook, and organizational resources. The special bonus? A pull-out poster with seven simple steps to hang in the bathroom.

Renowned pediatrician Dr. William Sears and his R.N. wife Martha team up with writer Christie Watts Kelly to produce a book that stands heads above the rest. Impressive credentials, comprehensive content...but does it pass the read-aloud test?

I didn't discover this book until late in the game. My girls had already graduated to big-girl underwear and pull-ups. But I read it to them anyway. The cartoon illustrations rendered by Renee Andriani captured their attention - for awhile. Then they lost interest. Too wordy? Or just too late? My third child is due next year. When the time comes, I'll try this book again to teach the fundamentals. When s/he understands what to do, but needs extra time to do it, we'll read potty books I find more entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: Heads Above the Rest
Review: Everything you need to know about potty training (oops! I mean potty LEARNING as per Dr. Sears) is contained in this 32-page picture book. The first three pages have helpful notes to parents and caregivers. The story itself includes sidebars, or blocks of supplemental material, designed to answer the persistent questions (Why? Why? Why?) of curious children. The last page provides details about attachment parenting, a responsive style of raising children, and a list of various Internet, textbook, and organizational resources. The special bonus? A pull-out poster with seven simple steps to hang in the bathroom.

Renowned pediatrician Dr. William Sears and his R.N. wife Martha team up with writer Christie Watts Kelly to produce a book that stands heads above the rest. Impressive credentials, comprehensive content...but does it pass the read-aloud test?

I didn't discover this book until late in the game. My girls had already graduated to big-girl underwear and pull-ups. But I read it to them anyway. The cartoon illustrations rendered by Renee Andriani captured their attention - for awhile. Then they lost interest. Too wordy? Or just too late? My third child is due next year. When the time comes, I'll try this book again to teach the fundamentals. When s/he understands what to do, but needs extra time to do it, we'll read potty books I find more entertaining.

Rating:
Summary: Really good!
Review: My son (2 1/2) loves this book. I found that it really helps with explaining the process and motivating him to use the potty. The poster is nice too.

Rating:
Summary: great philo
Review: The philosophy of all of the work that CWK and the Sears' have done together really embraces the attachment parenting, and this book is no exception. The provision of parent guide is really a nice touch. I highly recommend.

Rating:
Summary: great philo
Review: The philosophy of all of the work that CWK and the Sears' have done together really embraces the attachment parenting, and this book is no exception. The provision of parent guide is really a nice touch. I highly recommend.

Rating:
Summary: Another great parenting book by Dr. Sears!
Review: This book is excellent for parents who practice Attachment Parenting. It starts by explaining that when the child was a baby, their parents did everything for them. This shows a mother breastfeeding, parents and baby co-sleeping, and a father "wearing" the baby in a sling. It then talks about diapers and how as children get older, they use the potty like their parents. There are lots of parent tips that appear in the margins, encouraging further discussion and customizing things to suit your family's needs and preferences. As always, Dr. Sears encourages you to follow your instincts.

The story itself isn't much different from the one you'd find in The Potty Book or other training books. It follows a child through potty training, buying underwear, etc. The narrative uses language a child can understand, but sometimes it seemed a bit too babyish for me. ("poo-poo goes bye-bye"). I don't think you have to talk down to kids to get them to understand. But, that small complaint aside, the book is informative and positive. It's a wonderful teaching tool, and perfectly suited for Attachment families.

Rating:
Summary: best potty learning book out there
Review: We have purchased many books in this genre :-) and are delighted with this book by childcare experts William and Martha Sears. The book starts with a three-page introduction for parents, discussing readiness and approach. The text for children is comforting and informative -- letting kids know that there was a time that parents did everything for them but now they are growing up, and using the toilet is another aspect of their growth, like dressing or feeding themselves. Cartoon pictures show a little boy using a potty seat and his older siblings using the adult toilet seat. An older boy urinates standing up, and handwashing is shown. Sidebars on most pages address questions that children might ask with suggested answers. The process is emphatically positive though constipation and accidents are also mentioned. The book concludes with a page about attachment parenting.

The only thing I didn't like was the use of the terms "pee-pee" and "poo-poo" but that's easy enough to change as you read. The message is comforting at the same time the text is informative for kids, discussing the mechanics of the process as well as the benefits.

There is also a pull-out poster that shows the steps involved, and this can be placed on the bathroom wall or maybe in a spot your youngster tends to seek out when s/he feels the need to go potty.

Excellent.

Rating:
Summary: A hit, with the kiddo!
Review: We started reading this a couple months ago, very early in the process. My daughter is loving it (She's 20 months-old)! She always wants us to read it to her, even though we're only at the point where she tells us After The Fact that she's gone in the diaper. I'm sure she'll like this book for a long time.