Childrearing: Potty Training Tools
By Michele Blandino
Potty training is serious business. For those who may be bold enough to dispute this statement, I invite you to surf on over to your favorite online book retailer and enter a search using the term “potty training”. My search resulted in over 200 titles.
The Most Anticipated Milestone
While most parents eagerly anticipate their child’s first steps, first words, or first taste of “real” food, they approach the task of teaching their child how to use the toilet with anxiety and total confusion. It’s not as though parents relish the thought of their youngster spending their toddler years in diapers. In fact, most parents can’t wait for the day when they are finally free of the mess and expense associated with diapering their children. Yet, when it comes to beginning the task, many parents simply don’t know how, or when, to begin.
Getting Help
As a result, more and more parents are turning to the increasing number of “potty training aids” that are being introduced to the market. These aids range from musical potty chairs that emit a happy tune when the child successfully completes their task, to electronic bedwetting alarms that alert parents to night-time accidents.
As would be expected, there are retail stores and websites devoted exclusively to potty training. A few of these are listed as the end of this article. The products offered by these sites are by and large the same and the prices seem to be comparable. For instance:
- Potty Training Watches – These kid-sized watches have two modes – vibrate and alarm – which alert kids that it is time to use the bathroom. Parents can set the watch for whatever interval they choose. These retail for around $40.
- Musical Potties – A moisture activated sensor at the bottom of the musical potty sold at http://www.pottytrainingstuff.com/ plays Old McDonald Had a Farm with each success. The concept is simple: in order to get it to work, the child needs to complete the task. At around $20, this may be a good investment.
- Singing Dolls – Positive reinforcement is the key to most childhood successes and potty training is certainly no exception. Items such as the Singing Potty Bear sing and dance to happy tunes such as “I am a Super Duper Pooper” and help children celebrate their successes. The Singing Potty Bear Retails for around $20.
- Potty Training Alarms –These battery-operated alarms come equipped with moisture sensing pads that detect nighttime accidents. At $79.95, parents have to decide if being woken during the night to tend to an accident is something they will embrace.
