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Potty training aids - what works and what doesn't.
There are lots of excellent potty training aids on the market so how do you decide what to spend your money on and what to pass by?
A lot depends upon you and your child. Are you going to use these training aids as a part of a comprehensive training program? They usually work better when they are used in that way.
I have personally trained four children, both boys and girls to be potty trained. You can use a lot of things right from your own home to help you toilet train your child; you can also purchase some "special" items that your child will enjoy and use to stay motivated during this learning process.
Potty training aids - my favorites.
Hands down, these are my favorite potty training aids.
A potty training doll.
This concept is developmentally sound. Use a beloved doll
 or stuffed animal to be potty trained right along with your toddler.
Everyone knows a buddy is a good thing! In our family, we have used this idea successfully in several ways during our children's growing up years (worked with stopping thumbsucking, too).
You need to decide if you simply want the doll to go along on this journey for support or actually be the model for your child during the potty training process. If you decide that having a potty doll model using the potty chair is what you want, then you'll want to get a potty training doll.
Otherwise a favorite stuffed animal or doll dressed up in potty training pants will do the trick as your potty training aid.
If you decide to purchase a doll specifically as a potty training aid, there are lots of choices in potty training dolls. You can choose from boy or girls dolls, soft or hard dolls, even character dolls like Elmo.
It makes more sense to me to choose a potty training doll that can actually go potty on demand. If you, too, like this feature, then make sure you carefully choose your doll as not all have that feature.
Potty training watch.
Now, this recommendation comes with a caveat. A potty training watch
 is especially useful when you have a toddler who is having some success at the potty training process but is getting tired of being told to go to the potty all the time.
You can eliminate your nagging and get your toddler motivated again with a potty watch. However, I think you can also accomplish the same thing using a kitchen timer. So give it some thought while remembering that the real point here is to move your toddler farther along the potty training road.
DVD potty training.
It has always been a help to my kids to watch other kids. Peer pressure works; the trick is to use it to your advantage.
You can check with your local library for both potty books and potty training videos.
When you find the ones you want to watch over and over, you'll probably want to buy them. Repetition is the key here.
You can choose from live-action videos, like I Can Go Potty!
 or character dvds. Whatever gets your child's attention the most is what you want.
Some children are intensely interested in other children showing them through the potty training process. If that's your child you'll want to take advantage of a live action dvd.
But lots of little toddlers adore character movies, too. No More Diapers
 is a sweet example of this type of dvd.
A free potty training chart
I can supply this to you here. Customize your potty charts, changing them to keep interest strong.
I also have a potty readiness log
 for you, Mom, that you can use to see if your toddler is ready to begin potty training at this time. It will help you start the potty training process with confidence - and it's free.
There are other potty training aids, but these are my favorites.
Frankly, keeping things changed up is a big part of the potty training process. Boredom is your enemy; your child will stop training when he's bored.
If you feel overwhelmed by this whole process, well, that's normal, too. If you're not sure what to do first or if a step-by-step plan would be helpful, then you might like this comprehensive potty training guide. It will give you lots of hints and specific strategies for potty training. Think of it like an answer book for potty training!
This guide can help you jumpstart your toddler by potty training in just a few days; then you'll need to practice those newly learned bathroom behaviors over several months to solidify. It can be a big help if you've never potty trained before.
Popular potty training topics.
Potty Training Child
A list of all of our articles to help you while potty training your child.
Toilet Training Tips
Many times just one new piece of toilet training advice that I hadn't considered before was just the help I needed to help my child over a potty training hump.
Potty Training Boy
Additional tips to help if you are potty training a boy (I've trained two boys myself).
Potty Training Girls
Specific tips to help potty training for girls move smoothly (I've trained two girls myself).
Colleen Langenfeld is a mother with over 29 years of parenting experience and helps other busy moms around the globe at www.paintedgold.com.
Note from Colleen: Remember, I earn my living making excellent recommendations to you, Mom, so when you choose to click any of the links on this website and make a purchase, I may earn a commission.
Naturally, that means I care about what you think! If you try a product or service I recommend, I'd love to hear from you. How else can I keep my recommendations top notch for all my visitors?
And thank you, for stopping by.
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