If your toddler is able to follow simple instructions, stays dry for three to four hours at a time and has showed some interest in the potty, she may be ready to begin potty training, according to BabyCenter.com. Regardless of your potty-training method, your attempts may be more successful if you inspire enthusiasm in your child about the whole process. Children's authors who are knowledgeable about the toddler psyche have written some popular potty-training books that can help get your child pumped about this milestone.
Once Upon a Potty
This classic tale, written and illustrated by Alona Frankel, entertains children while providing them with all the information they need about going to the bathroom. True to reality, Frankel skips the sugar coating and ensures that the children in the book's illustrations are anatomically correct. To make the story applicable to all children, it is available in separate "boy" and "girl" versions. Moreover, the book can be purchased as part of a package that includes a corresponding doll and a doll-size potty.
Everyone Poops
This story, written and illustrated by Taro Gomi and translated by Amanda Mayer Stinchecum, is a vibrant and blunt tale that explains that all creatures (including adults and children) eat and poop. It goes to great lengths to compare the different types of poop that come from different creatures and to explain that different creatures poop in different places. Gomi also personalizes the story for small children by introducing a child who uses the potty. Toddlers learning to use the toilet for the first time will take comfort in knowing that the process is completely normal and expected.
Uh Oh! Gotta Go!
This book, written by Bob McGrath and illustrated by Shelley Diererichs, normalizes the event of using the potty by depicting a series of unrelated children who have experiences with the toilet. A child in the midst of potty training may find that she relates to some of the 20-something distinctive children in this book, such as the child who waits until the last minute to run to the bathroom or the child who enjoys flushing the toilet.
My Big Girl Potty
This story, which can also be purchased as "My Big Boy Potty," was written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Maxie Chambliss. The two stories are the same in content, directly addressing the child to make it more personalized, except that they are specifically geared toward each sex. The basic plot is the same story line for any child learning to use the potty: The parents buy a potty for the child, the parents positively encourage use of the potty, the child stumbles a few times but isn't scolded for having accidents and the child finally successfully graduates to underwear. It is positive throughout to make the experience seem less daunting to a small child, and it even offers a few tips for parents at the back of the book.
Your New Potty
This book, written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Margaret Miller, depicts its story photographically, therefore making it seem even more realistic to small children. As it delves into the stories of a boy and a girl, it speaks to both genders at the same time. Cole strives to make the story toddler-friendly by simplifying language and shedding a positive light on the whole process, including the accidents that happen from time to time. This book is also prefaced with information for parents who are potty training their children.
