My daughter turned two this past week.  The levels at which my life has changed over these past two years are mind boggling.  It has also been educational.  I didn’t know that there was so much variety in diapers.  I didn’t know that there were “levels” to baby food.  I didn’t know how tempting it would be to set your kid in front of a TV just for a few minutes of silence.  I also didn’t know there was a “potty training” sub-culture.

We have begun the preliminary stages of potty-training our daughter.  I am astonished at the amount of doo-dads, books, websites, and yes, even support groups for those potty training.  Its odd to think that potty training has become a community activity.  In this overwhelming toilet culture I have a couple of observations both dealing with potty books.

The first observation is that many potty books are surprisingly graphic.  One of my favorites (insert sarcasm here) is “Everybody Poops” by Taro Gomi.  Here is an excerpt from an Amazon review:

“A hilarious book showing many kinds of animals, their poop, and describing where and how they poop (e.g. while walking). Also reviewed are the ways a baby poops in a diaper, small child in a potty, and older children and adults on a toilet. Hysterical graphics such as rear view of child sitting on toilet with the poop in midair, which we see between the gap in his buttock cheeks. Other scenes demonstrate how the toilet is flushed and the poop is washed down the pipes.”

One word comes to mind….”Ewww.”  My wife and mother-in-law where potty book shopping the other day and came across a book titled “Once Upon a Potty – Girl.”  My wife opened up to a random page where the little girl in the book was bent over showing the relevant anatomical part, exclaiming “This is where the poop comes out!”  I am all about being accurate when we tell kids things about their bodies, but I can do it without visual aides.  I can understand the need for children to be comfortable during their potty training time, and kids books can assist with that.  However there is a point where it can get a little too graphic.  Besides if the two year old who has this book read to them is anything like my two year old then be prepared for a bold proclamation of “This is where my poop come out!” next time you go to the store.

My second observation is that potty books are surprisingly complementarian.  About 75% of the books I have seen are gender specific.  Now this should seem like an obvious neccesity given the anatomical particulars of pottying amongst the genders.  However in our increasingly gender neutral society I have come to expect even in toilet literature an attempt to minimize the difference between boys and girls.  Of course my pessimism reminds me that in only  few years there will most likely be a wave of neutered potty books….perhaps even a trans-gendered one.  Talk about “ewwww”.  Well at least for now we can rest assured that despite the genderless programing we are exposed to on a daily basis, we can always be comforted by one of the last complementarian strongholds, Potty Books.

Until next time remember Bishop Joe’s life lesson #238.  Everybody poops.

Peace be with you,

Bishop Joe