Fun Fact Alert: June is Potty Training Awareness Month!! (You get to learn cool things like this when you write potty humor books!)
Given that I have college-aged kids now, it's been quite some time since my family has ventured down the potty training path, but here's another fun fact: The idea for my book WHERE DOES A PIRATE GO POTTY? came to me when my son spoke those very words when he was a toddler.
There was one day when he was being particularly silly, running through the house with a diaper on his bottom, a bandana on his head, and a pirate’s patch over one eye. He looked at me with an ornery twinkle in his uncovered eye, and asked in his best, pirate-y gruff toddler voice, “Where Does a Pirate Go Potty?” I knew immediately that this was the title for a book, and I started drafting a manuscript soon after. As you may know from my "path to publication story" for my potty books, it took many years and many revisions to get this story just right, but what I continue to love about it is that each time I read it, I am instantly transported back to that memorable moment shared with my son, when he first posed that silly question to me.
If you are in the throes of potty training right now, (or if you know of someone who is) might I suggest that a sense of humor goes a long way to making the process bearable! Reading books like WHERE DOES A PIRATE GO POTTY? and the companion book WHERE DOES A COWGIRL GO POTTY? is one way to keep things light. I also recommend novelty items such as the toy toilet pictured in the image above that audibly flushes. I bring it to author visits and other book events, and it makes me laugh EVERY time someone flushes it. (You can find loads of other potty-themed novelty items that I’ve curated, including a downloadable flushing sound loop and a dancing poo emoji, by visiting me on Pinterest.)
If you really want to get down to business and you’re looking for some potty training experts, and/or some support products to make the process easier, here are some of the "potty people" I follow on Instagram: @pottytrainingconsultant, @thepottyfairy, @pottyology, @pottyriderinfo, @peekaboopottysticker, and @peapodmats. (Feel free to tag other resources I/others should be aware of in the comments below.)
Happy Potty Training Awareness Month, matey's!
