Customer Reviews

Going to the Potty (First Experiences)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This was absolutely the best potty training book we found! Although Alona Frankel's "Once Upon A Potty" also gets high marks in our family, this book by Fred Rogers (of PBS Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood") was much more interesting for my daughter as it shows real children learning to use the potty. The narrative is simple, and all of the books in the Mr. Rogers' series celebrate growing up and the excitement of being a "big kid". Rogers does an excellent job addressing common fears experienced by preschoolers. Speaks directly to children in very much the same way as Rogers' show.

I like Mr. Rogers' book because it portrays potty-learning as something children learn to do when they get bigger, the way they learn to do other things such as feed or dress themselves. The photos of little children are very good and enjoyable to look at. It is a multicultural picture book and the parents are also shown as being caring and loving. While it is not the miracle cure for a resistant child, this book is enjoyable to read and I would recommend it to any parent.

I can't understand the criticisms of this book - one criticized it for being basic, but BASIC is exactly what a two year old needs, isn't it? And who cares if the pictures are old - can't our children (and indeed can't we) learn from books published over time, not only brand new books? This book is great - basic, straightforward and very matter-of-fact and friendly, just like Mr Rogers himself. I can't see turning potty time into some kind of big adventure with cutesy characters and teddy bears; it's the potty, for pete's sake - it IS basic and simple! Cheers to Mr Rogers!!

Some have reviewed Going to the Potty by Fred Rogers as outdated.
Yes---the pictures were taken years ago but who cares. The pictures are discrete yet very informative and neither I nor my child cares what clothes the people are wearing. The information is still up to date---going to the potty hasn't changed over the years has it? I highly recommend this book. It does not contain any silly characters or make potty training into a story but a reality of real people using the potty. Good job Mr. Rogers!

My daughter and I love this book. In fact it is her favorite Potty learning book. Mr. Rogers presents potty learning as part of a child's growing up. Parents help the child along his/her way to independence. It is low pressure with lots of photos of real children. My daughter asks me to read this book a couple of times a day. I was very impressed with this book.

Mr. Rogers addresses this milestone so well because he sees things from a child's perspective. He then discusses the topic in a way in which the child can understand and relate. He does not oversimplify and gloss over the child's experience. He addresses the sensations that a child may experience, for example, noting that the potty seat may feel cold and hard at first, but it soon feels better. Or that sometimes the water is noisy when the toilet is flushed. He also addresses what the child may feel emotionally. He alludes to the sense of pride at accomplishing a new skill on the way to growing up. But he also acknowledges that sometimes there are setbacks. This prepares a child not to feel defeated or like a failure if (when) he or she has an accident. I think Fred Rogers must have been practicing emotional intelligence techniques before it became a well known approach. Again, Mr. Rogers was ahead of his time, and is the most relevant source for exploring new experiences on the way to growing up.

My son is almost 2, and this has been his favorite book for a few months. He doesn't seem to be close to toilet training, but he finds this book utterly fascinating! He'll pick this book over Teletubbies (whom he adores) any day! (The book is pretty dated, but he doesn't notice.)

Gentle, kind Mr. Roger's explains the basics of being a big boy or girl. Pictures show babies learning to do things for themselves as well as big boys and girls learning to use the potty. My son really liked the book. It gently told him that for big boys like himself, the potty was just one more thing they could learn to do for themself.

Although the pictures are a little dated, my son never complained. This is a wonderful book, written in a kind, matter-of-fact way. Its a keeper!

Wow! I'm so relieved to find a potty-training book with photos of boys AND girls, black & white & Asian. And no constraints about what you call voiding in the pot: that's left up to the parents. Great book for starting discussion about a new venture for toddlers.

I LOVE Mr. Rogers! This book was great- bought it for my first child 6 years ago, then somehow it got lost. No other book has ever gone missing in our somewhat organized home, and I was heart-broken thinking I wouldn't have it for my second child. Well it's time and the book never turned up, throughout the attic, so I'm buying another. This book and Alona Frankel's Once Upon a Potty made potty training more natural and interesting to my first child.