3 Things I learned About Potty Training from Writing Potty Like a Princess
I wrote a potty training book, and now people ask me for my tips on potty training. The truth is, I really don't have any. I was not a successful or skilled potty training parent. That is precisely why I wrote this book. I was failing at every aspect of this, and I needed something else. Something that worked for us. They say the best things to make are the things you want to exist. So, I wrote a story about the potty featuring some adorable princesses. This is not a How-To potty train book. It's just a fun story about the potty, created to inspire my little girl, and hopefully yours, to use the potty. Now, when people ask for my tips, I jokingly say "don't." It's too stressful! Don't potty train, your child will figure it out when they're ready. Unfortunately for myself, and many other parents, potty training was something we desperately needed in order to get the childcare we wanted at a cost we could afford. So, if not potty training isn't an option for you either, I did learn a few things that inspired me to write Potty Like a Princess!
1. Every child is different.
The adorable, inclusive princesses on the pages of Potty Like A Princess did not happen by accident. I wanted my little girl to see all kinds of children being princesses and using the potty. Representation and diversity in children's literature is very important to me. It also serves as a reminder that every child is different. Different bodies, abilities, personalities and temperament. Just because a potty training technique worked perfectly for one child, does not mean something is wrong if it doesn't work for another. It just means that child has different needs. We should celebrate those differences, and not compare one journey to the other. Remember this, and give everyone in the potty training process a little grace, including the parent!
2. Make it fun!
This book is silly! It rhymes! AND it's about a party! What's more fun than that? No matter what potty training strategy you follow, they have to feel like it's a fun learning process.
3. Use your child's interest to your advantage.
If your child loves princesses, letting them know that princesses also use the potty can be really useful. I call it, "creating fictional peer pressure." (wink, wink!) I've heard, but have no experience on this, that a second child is often easier to potty train because they watch an older sibling. I did not have that advantage. So, I created the princesses in this book to be the role models. "They use the potty and you can too!" I have been asked when I am going to write a book for potty training boys. I'm afraid that book is just not in my head. I only wrote this based on my own experience with a princess loving child. But - whatever your child is into, use that to your advantage!