Mommy! I Have to Go Potty!: A Parent's Guide to Toilet Training (Paperback)

by Jan Faull (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
One of Parenting Press's most popular books!

About the Author
If you're looking for theory and philosophy, you won't find it in Jan Faull's books and columns. No ivory-tower "expert", she learned about power struggles literally from the ground up--starting as the "nap room" teacher at a child-care center. She had earned a degree in English education at the University of Washington, but there were almost no teaching jobs in 1970, so Faull found herself working at a United Way-affiliated child care center in Portland. After years of managing child care centers and working in parenting education, Faull realized she could make a difference in children's lives by working through their parents. Fascinated by the topic, she returned to the University of Washington for a master's degree in early childhood education.

Meanwhile, the families she'd led through toddler and cooperative preschool programs had graduated to elementary school and they began recommending her as a speaker for PTA and other school-based meetings and workshops. The positive reception for her practical, thoughtful advice encouraged Faull to seek a way of getting parenting education into the media. She considered approaching television stations with conventional queries, but it was a gutsy complaint that got her on the air. When KIRO-TV, a Seattle network affiliate, broadcast a comment on explaining death to children, she called up the station and told the noon news producer that she could do a better job than the station's guest parenting expert. Within weeks, she was on the news twice a month as its child development expert.

Not long after, she pursued an assignment as a newspaper columnist--but again, with no letter of application. When a charity auction offered lunch with her local newspaper publisher, Faull made sure hers was the top bid--and long before they'd gotten through the entree, she was querying him on how to get a writing job. By dessert, after she'd outlined how he and his wife could solve their toilet-training struggles, she had a job.

Today Faull continues to research answers to a wide variety of parenting questions. A frequent speaker in the Puget Sound area, she also hears from the parents who read her weekly columns in the Seattle Times and her monthly "Your Child" articles on Disney Online's family.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 140 pages
• Publisher: Parenting Press (May 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965047709
• ISBN-13: 978-0965047708
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #86,253 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

239 of 241 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Oasis in the potty training desert!, May 29, 2000

By A Customer

As a first time mom, I really had no idea how to begin potty training my son. I knew I didn't want to use my parent's methods, so I tried a book my doctor had recommended called "Toilet Training in Less than a Day". What a nightmare! By the end of that day, My son was hiding in the closet to wet himself, I was in tears, and my husband was furious. (I have a further review of that book here at Amazon.) We stopped training for two months to let our son get over the experience, and in the meantime, I found Jan Faull's wonderful book, "Mommy! I Have To Go Potty!". It was a true godsend, a book that offers tips and suggestions, not a strict training "plan". The "Stories from the bathroom" that detail other parents experiences are terrific! Seeing how other folks in the same boat handle their situation helped immensely. And Ms. Faull's overall tone is one of guiding and teaching, not rigid "training". We just started trying our son out on the potty again last week and he's already making great strides; asking to go to the bathroom and even staying Msy for long periods of time. I think Ms. Faull's method of firm but gentle reminders and positive attitudes had made all the difference. If you're a new parent, looking for help with this subject, I highly recommend this book! Thank you Ms. Faull!

185 of 187 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Great, great, great!, January 23, 2001

By A Customer

I recently bought this book after reading the reviews here (as well as reviews for other potty training books). This book is, and works, even better than I imagined!
I started looking for potty training books when my daughter was about 16 mths. I am a first time mom who doesn't know where to begin! I read "Toilet Training in Less Than a Day" and decided that was the way to go. I purchased all the supplies but even though my daughter showed readiness signs around 18 mths, I could not bring myself to get started training! I think I was overwhelmed with remembering all the steps involved and afraid I'd make a mistake.
I pretty much forgot about trying to do any potty training whatsoever - not knowing how to proceed - until last week when I finally bought this book.
My daughter is now 26 mths. She showed some fear in sitting on her potty, though it has been part of our furnishings for 8 mths now. But after reading just the first 45 pages or so in the book, we have begun a routine of sitting on the potty for stories 2x a day clothed. Last night we have progressed to the next step, without a diaper. She doesn't think twice or give me any problems when I say "time to sit on your potty!" In fact, it's hard to get her off! I cannot wait to the next step: underpants for 2 hrs a day.
So anyhow, this book was very brief. Like I said, the bulk of the info falls in the first 1/4 of the book - the rest tackles other problems. It got us started very quickly. I guess it never occured to me to start a potty training "program" slowly and with little, progressing steps. This book gave me confidence as a first time potty trainer and more importantly, a place to start! Yes, I will recommend this book to many others in similar situations. The moms I know say to wait until the child is 3+, but I thought that was ridiculous! The book says between 2 and 3 is a good starting age. As long as they show readiness signs, even if they aren't interested, you can start slowly but confidently! Good luck!

152 of 156 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A reader in California, August 3, 2000

By A Customer

I am a full time working mother and needed to start potty training my 2 year old so she could go to preschool. I have a 5 1/2 year old who was potty trained at her school so I had little hands on experience. I bought the book "Potty Training in Less than a Day" and tried it. Unfortunately, my daughter is a typical stubborn 2 year old and would not do as I asked. She did meet all the criteria for readiness set by the book. Then I read "Mommy, I have to go Potty" and it gave me so many new ideas on how to approach the subject. I realized that I had to figure out how to make it my daughter's idea to want to use the potty. I rewarded little steps instead of waiting for the big moment. I used alot of the techniques set out by the book. Because her current daycare situation was not helpful in helping me potty train, I started potty training on a part time basis, in the evenings and weekends. It took a little longer, but within 2-3 weeks of parttime training she was well on her way. This book is great because it gives ideas on what to do if your child doesn't response to your first method.