It just so happens that Shark Week coincides with the week I’ve started potty training the Bear. It seems appropriate as I hear the theme from Jaws in my head every time I see him start the potty dance. First it’s this little twitch, ba dum. Then he does a little hop. Ba dum, ba dum. At that point we dash for the bathroom. DUH DUN DUH DUN DUH DUN DO DEE DOO DO DEE DOO!
I tried to be as prepared as possible. I took a class. I found some books for him and me. I bought a DVD of “Once Upon a Potty.” (Hint: Ebay- it’s so much cheaper than anywhere else I looked.) But even with all the prep I was a bit caught off guard as we said good-bye to the diapers, hugged them, and sent them to a new home (the garage). The main thing I was worried about was remembering to remind the Bear when to try. With 2 little ones and our house in redecorating mode, I’m a bit distracted. But guess what friends? There’s an app for that! I found 3 apps today that were incredibly helpful and I wanted to share them with you.
1. Pull-Ups iGo Potty: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
This app by Huggie’s did exactly what I needed it to in terms of reminding us when it was time to “try.” The main screen has a countdown to your next potty. You can set it to turn off during bedtime hours. It also includes neat features like the option to upload a pic of your kiddo, a virtual sticker chart, and the ability to email a progress report.
Pros:
Excellent timer with several pleasant ringtones to choose from.
Very easy and quick to set up.
Free.
Cons:
You have to leave the app open for the timer to work. If you close it out to send an email or check Facebook, it keeps the countdown going, but doesn’t alert you.
You only get to put a sticker on your chart if the kiddo goes potty. Just “trying” doesn’t cut it.
2. Potty Time: two little hands
Potty Time turned out to be a life-saver today. I never ever let the Bear play games on my phone. And that is because he broke the space bar off my laptop. 🙂 But today, for this very special reason, I let him use it. And he LOVED this app. The features are simple. One of his favorites was “Call Rachel.” You call Rachel about successes or accidents and this very nice woman, obviously Rachel, says encouraging things such as, “Is it true? Did somebody use the potty? I’m sooo proud of you! Call me next time!” Simple, yet motivating. There’s a cute little story about Hopkins the frog (Books). And a sticker chart you can use as you wish- for successes or tries.
There are 4 stickers that come with the app- a boy, a girl, a heart, and a star. For 99 cents you can purchase 8 additional stickers that look like this:
Worth 99 cents? Your call. I think we would have been fine without them, but the Bear really likes the toilet one.
Pros:
Rachel is amazing. Call her. I want her to leave messages for parents.
The book, games, and video are good time fillers while you wait and try.
Free.
Cons:
Your kid is playing with your device while he/she is going to the bathroom (if you choose to use the games as filler). But that’s what hand sanitizer and wipes are for.
3. The New Potty: Oceanhouse Media, Inc
This is the digital version of the Gina and Mercer Mayer book, The New Potty. It has 3 options- Read to Me, Read to Myself, and Auto Play. We only tried the Read to Me option, but I liked it. A very well-spoken narrator reads as the text is highlighted. The child can then click on images on the page and words pop up making it interactive. There is a spider and grasshopper on every page to find. At the end of the story it tells you how man you found.
Pros
Another great filler if your little one has a hard time sitting (or even being convinced to sit in the first place!)
Educational and could be used after the potty training.
Cons:
Cost $1.99
Hope we FINnish up the potty trainings soon! Sorry, had to.
Have you found any apps or technology that have helped you potty train?
Gaining Mommymentum 
Liked the listing of pros and cons!
I liked it. you are very good at this. Keep up the good work. Pa