Potty training is a developmental milestone for your daughter. Videos that show a girl what the potty is all about can help her develop her skills and understanding in this area. Videos can also remove any anxiety about using the potty and make potty time fun for your little girl. Most girls train between 18 months and 3 years of age, notes the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), though the right age is determined largely by your daughter's readiness to learn. When your daughter stays dry for two to three hours, shows an interest in the potty, can communicate a need to go and has the physical dexterity to manage her clothing, it might be time to show her a video to introduce the process.
"Once Upon a Potty"
Based on Alona Frankel's popular book, the main character, Prudence, begins the process of using the potty in an animated story. The video includes a song ("The Potty Song") that parents might use at home. However, much of the video is focused on parents; the animation portion for kids is only one segment of the video. In addition, if you prefer specific language, this video may not be for you as the story uses substitute words for elimination ("wee wee," for example), which may be confusing to your child.
"Potty Power"
This energetic video focuses on motivating your daughter to use the potty. Using questions, the video provides your daughter with a chance to think about the process of using the toilet and covers hygiene issues such as washing hands. The questions, focused on skills that children 3 and older might have, target normal, everyday activities for girls, such as holding a crayon and lead to "big kid" skills such as using the potty. The video uses a combination of story narration, songs and stories to convey the process completely.
"The Potty Movie for Girls: Hannah Edition"
Based on Alyssa Satin Capucilli's book, Hannah's story of giving up diapers and using the potty includes animation, songs and an easy to understand story. Hannah is given a big box as a gift that contains a potty chair. At first hesitant to use it, she eventually incorporates it into her play time. Then she uses it for the first time, with great results and to the joy of her parents. The story artfully conveys how normal it is to have an accident, which can be calming to girls. Hannah's shopping trip for "big girl" undies is well drawn and fun for girls as well.
