How do I use a Potty Training Doll to Potty Train my Child in 2025?
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Whether you prefer a video how-to, or the step-by-step via words & bulletpoints, check-out both options below of how to potty train using a Potty Training Doll.
Enjoy the step-by-step demo video (the doll included is listed below the video). You can buy "Annie" the Potty Training Doll here.
Step 1: Teach the Doll to Potty
Your goals of teaching the doll are several fold because you want:
Your child gets to be the “big girl/big boy” who is the “teacher” (and toddlers LOVE that!)
You are teaching the difference between WET vs. DRY
You are teaching the difference between CLEAN vs. DIRTY
Have your child “teach” by watching you the first time (see the video for an example) and then have them participate by doing any of the following:
Open, fill and put the lid back on the bottle
Take the diaper off of the doll (and “throw” it away)
Make sure the new undies are DRY and CLEAN
Put new undies on the doll
Give water to the doll
If the doll has an accident you can decide whether you want your child correcting the doll or not. If you have a real baby in your family, this might play out so that your child starts telling the baby “no, no” or “yucky”, so just take that in to consideration.
Have your child “notice” that the doll needs to go pee pee, or poo poo
Rush the doll to the potty
Take the doll’s undies off
Put the doll on the potty
Celebrate that the doll went to the potty to go pee pee
Give any sort of reward/dance/cheer to the doll for doing a good job (or just say “good pee pee in the potty”). Make sure you have this behavior model what you want to be doing for your child in real life when they have pottying success
The Potty Training Doll I used in the demo video above is no longer available, but this is a similar one: here.
They have multiple ethnicities (if the photo doesn't show that below, click to see options on Amazon): Dark skinned potty training doll.
Wish you could potty train in a way that best fits your family? Take this quick quiz to learn how to potty train best using your family’s values, style and parenting preferences. Click here to take the Pottying Personality Quiz now!
It's fun. Take the quick quiz now :)
Step 2: Show What Happens When the Doll Has an Accident
When the doll has an accident - you want to point that out. The reason you want to do this is so that you child understands what an "accident" is, why it's not what potty training is about, and that when s/he has an accident, s/he doesn't just get to start playing again...she or he needs to help clean-up as well.
Have your child bring the doll back to where they had the accident and say "we have to clean up the pee pee. Pee pee goes in the potty now" (or something like that - but ending with "pee pee goes in the potty now")
Step 3: Have Your Child Practice Getting to the Potty, Fast!
In this step you are trying to teach your child to get to the bathroom, as soon as they notice they have to pee, or poo. To do this, you are going to have a little game that both mommy and daddy, or whomever cares for the child, can play. It's like yelling "fire", but instead you are going to say "pee pee!" and then they need to stop whatever they are doing and run to the potty. You are not actually having them go to the bathroom with the intent of them getting pee and poo in every time - the idea of this game is to make sure your child knows:
How to get to the bathroom from different areas of the house
Learns to stop what they're doing and immediately go to the bathroom
Learns that it can be fun to notice that they need to go pee-pee
Like most things in parenting, practicing these skills when your child, and yourself, aren't in a stressful environment is the best method.
Need help with more personalized help with potty training? We do personalized consultations! You can choose via phone/Zoom, or even someone showing up on your doorstep to help you potty train at home with a home consultation.
Conclusion
Step 1: Teach the Doll to Potty
Step 2: Show What Happens When the Doll Has an Accident
Step 3: Have Your Child Practice Getting to the Potty, Fast!
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