At a certain point in your little one’s life, you’ll have to start potty training with them.
Giving up the nappy and trying to get your little one onto a potty can be a stressful and downright messy process, but one mum thinks she’s found a way to make the whole thing a little easier.
In a post on the Facebook page The Motherload, a woman named Leanne revealed how she’s been using her Amazon Alexa smart device to help her son remember to use his potty.
And both she and the child think that the little trick is absolutely “brilliant”.
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
She explained how she’d been finding potty training a “nightmare” before turning to Alexa for help.
So how does she do it? It’s actually really simple.
Leanne said: “I don’t know if everyone has already thought of this and I’m a bit behind, but I thought I’d share.
“I have an echo dot (Alexa) in my kitchen. I ask her to set a reminder for every 40 minutes for [son] to sit on the potty.”
(Image: PA)
She went on to say that it was great because Alexa addressed her son by name and asks him to go to the potty.
“He thinks it’s brilliant,” she continued. “It’s been so successful and really helped his potty training!”
The mum added that each time the boy did go and sit on the potty after being reminded, she rewarded him with a sticker.
More than 300 people liked her post, with many fellow parents commenting to say they’d be trying the trick for themselves.
One person wrote: “That is genius – our little boy would love that and much more likely to do it being told by Alexa than us I’m sure!”
Another replied: “OMG worth having the Alexa just for that!”
A third added: “Love this idea! Been trying to encourage my son to use the potty, so gonna enlist Alexa’s help!”
Potty training guru Amanda Jenner recently shared some of her top tips with Mirror Online.
According to the expert, each child is different and you shouldn’t compare your little one to anyone else.
“Two and a half, to three and a half years, is the average age in the UK to start potty training and it’s a good time,” she says.
“Some children are ready at two, but it depends on the child and whether they are showing signs of readiness, as there’s no point trying to teach them something if they’re not ready.
“The most important thing is not to compare your toddler to others, we’re great at doing that, but you just get yourself all in a tizz.”
She explained that there were a few signs that would show if your child was ready to start potty training.
These include your little one stopping in their tracks and looking down at their nappy, recognising their bodily functions as they happen and insisting on having their nappy changed right away.
She adds: “If you’re child is showing signs they want to be clean, that’s good, but before you can do anything you need to make sure they understand commands and can communicate with you.
“It’s important they do this so they know what you mean when you tell them to go and sit on the potty.”
