Potty-training. What fond memories I have of that stage...
Parents magazine has put together a list of their 14 Favorite Potty Training Books - picture books to share with a child as well as books geared towards mom and dad. Guess which of our books made it to the list? Both Everyone Poops and I Want My Potty, of course.
Check out all the book lists on their site which are put together in a lovely little slide show. I personally couldn't get past the ads bouncing on the screen, but for those of you who have more patience than I, head on over to see which of your favorites made it to the lists.
I had a difficult morning with my son yesterday. He didn't want to cooperate and I was not in the mood to negotiate. He sat there in his pjs asking me to help him get his clothes on. I pointed out, impatiently, that he's been capable of putting his own clothes on for quite some time. He wasn't giving in and I was growing more impatient.
Finally, I lost the little patience I had left and insisted that he help me out by putting his clothes on so we could head out for the day and not be any more late than we were already. He burst into tears, mom guilt took over and I joined him on the couch where we sat quietly (except for the sniffling noise) until he was calm enough to explain why he was so upset.
"You made me sad because you didn't say please!"
I was speechless. Had I forgotten my manners simply because it was Monday and we were running late (and I hadn't made enough coffee)? I apologized to him, he said it was "a little OK and a lot not OK," and together, we got his clothes on, wiped away his tears and gathered our things to head out for the day.
My son is great at reminding me that it's more important to be nice and polite, than to be on time. Picture books can also serve as a reminder of the many important things in life, and the Little Princess reminds me a lot of my son. They're both very vocal about their needs - which is a good thing. In Say Please! by Tony Ross, the Little Princess reminds a Blue Beastie to use the magic words. Tony Ross has created quite a little character with the Little Princess, who also appears in Wash Your Hands!, I Don't Want to go to Bed!, I Want My Pacifier, I Want My Potty, and I Want My Tooth.
What book characters do your children or students remind you of and why?
My sister and I got back to the hotel after dinner last night feeling pretty exhausted. We took our time peeling off our shoes and getting ready for bed. Somehow, we managed to start packing, take turns using the bathroom, and check our email before finally sitting down on the bed to unwind. The room was very quiet, except for a strange noise that I couldn't quite recognize.
When I finally figured out what it was I was hearing, I started giggling - quietly at first - but then I couldn't stop. What I heard was the man next door snoring! The walls were so thin in this hotel that it sounded as though he were literally right next to us.
I wonder what types of things our neighbors heard from our room over the last few days. I'm sure we talked about our sons (on at least one occasion). I think I may have brought up the negative aspects of potty-training, such as having to continually wipe urine off of the walls, cabinets, floor and anything else within a 3-foot radius of my son (we're working on his aim).
From Belgium
Standing Up Written by Marie-Anne Gillet Illustrated by Isabelle Gilboux
It's always interesting to hear what others have to say when they think no one else can hear them. And so, with the Website of the Week (that I have grown accustomed to sharing in the weekly Kane/Miller newsletter) in mind, I thought it'd only be fitting to mention this quirky (and dare I say vulgar at times) website:
