Depending on who you talk to, potty training with your toddler may be a simple, week long exercise, or months of repetition that test your perseverance (and patience). For my daughter, it was certainly the latter.
Each day, my wife and I would look for all of the indicators of a child in need of a bathroom trip and follow the potty training playbook of providing encouragement and celebrating the small wins (Today’s Parent is a great resource if you need help). Yet, consistency seemed to always be a struggle. When our daughter would have an “accident,” it was usually because of momentary distraction or a lack of enthusiasm to make using the bathroom by herself a priority.
We tried a lot of different tactics to get her excited about potty training. Promoting her to “big girl” status. Bribery (the power of candy and ice cream can be very powerful). But arguably it was tapping into her love for story time that seemed to have the biggest impact in getting her to make potty training a priority.
As a result, we began filling our bookshelf with different books about bathroom independence. And while my daughter has never met a book she didn’t like, there were some consistent favorites that she seemed to ask for more than others. Here is a quick snapshot of her top three.
Our Top Three Potty Training Books
P is for Potty!
Author: Lena Cooper
Published: 2014
Random House Publishing
Familiar characters. More than 30 different hidden flaps to look under. The Sesame Street themed P is for Potty! was the most sought after book in our household for several months. The interactive elements within the story help create a lot of enthusiasm and engagement for toddlers learning to use the potty on their own.
Read our full review here.
Potty
Author: Leslie Patricelli
Published: 2010
Candlewick Press
Leslie Patricelli’s Potty is a simplified potty training book that features a toddler asking questions about going to the bathroom. The best parts of the book are the funny illustrations throughout that make this a fun read for kids 3 and under.
Read our full review here.
P-O-T-T-Y
Author: Heather Brown
Kathy Ireland Toddler
Bendon Inc.
Bendon Inc.’s P-O-T-T-Y takes a proven approach that appeals to young children and turns their story into a song. Using the tune of “B-I_N-G-O”, this short board book let’s children go through the steps of using the bathroom on their own by learning a fun song with a familiar pattern.
Read our full review here.
For more recommendations on potty training books for toddlers, check out our “Potty Training” page!