Must-Have Toys for Potty Training Your Toddler

If you've had a cat before you had a boy it can be frustrating when it comes to toilet training. After all, if an animal with a smaller brain can instinctively go in the litter box from the minute it arrives in your home why can't a human know to use the toilet for his bathroom-going needs?

Of course it's not that simple. We are a complicated species and it takes a while to learn how to control the specific muscles for our bathroom-going needs. Some boys have a fear of releasing certain forms of potty business into the potty. Others don't understand why they should use the potty when diapers work just fine. In any event let's explore some fun toys that might ease the transition.

Big Kid Central Potty Training Success DVD

My three-year-old son enjoyed watching this DVD to the point where it would no longer work in the player. It follows the potty-training adventures of five different children while offering tips for parents. The children are at different stages of the potty-training process. It even covers how to pee standing up and what to do with a child that is in day care. Some of the methods may be a bit OCD (making a checklist seems like a bit much) but if the kid enjoys it you can encourage him or her to be like the kids shown here. Peer pressure can occasionally be a good thing.

Potty Time With Elmo

The folks at Sesame Street produced this fun book that has you read along with your toddler. When prompted either of you can push one of seven buttons that make cool noises from a flushing toilet to Elmo's announcement that he's going to use the potty. Again, this book can work based on peer pressure. This is great for fans of the ubiquitous red puppet but beware that you may want to dump all the Elmo merchandise from your home once you've heard "It's time to use the potty!" for the thousandth time.

Corolle's Potty Training Dolls - Emma and Paul

According to a website review your toddler can squeeze these dolls after they have feed them and they will go to the potty. Why not see another baby go? This could reduce the fear factor some kids have about sitting on the potty and doing their business. These dolls come highly recommended by Terri Crane, author of the book "How To Potty Train Your Child In Just One Day".

Sources

1 - www.pull-ups.com

2 - www.pilbooks.com

3 - http://toys.about.com/od/corolledolls/gr/pottytraining.htm