Lazy Parents Turn to Siri and Alexa to Potty Train Their Kids

potty train Potty training Siri Alexa Smart assistants Amazon Echo Dot Rachel Fitz-Desorgher Tracy Fulwood professional potty trainer pee or poop

By Lili Scott , Parent Herald May 28, 06:53 pm

Photo: (Photo : Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

Potty training can be such a laborious task, which may take months to perfect depending on the child. However, some parents are having an easier time with the process, thanks to some help from smart assistants like Siri and Alexa.

According to The Sun, there are lazy but practical mothers who are telling their friends on social media about the genius gadgets they have at home. These gadgets apparently work so well with potty training toddlers.

One mother on Facebook raved about the family's Amazon Echo Dot, which reminds her toddler to use the potty every 40 minutes. The mom said that this actually takes the pressure off her motherly duties and it eliminates a light debacle with her son.

However, not all mothers are on board with the idea of using Siri and Alexa for potty training. While it does seem to make this easier for mothers, it also means they do not need to get off social media to take care of their toddler's needs since the smart assistance could handle it.

Potty Training Needs Consistency

One thing that Siri or Alexa can account for is consistency in potty training and all smart assistants can carry and deliver routines on the dot. However, parents will still need to be involved and invested in guiding their kids, who are still learning their body signals.

Parenting expert Rachel Fitz-Desorgher told Metro that the routine does not have to be an exact schedule since there are days when kids don't have to pee more than they are used to. Instead, the most important part of potty training is to allow the children to develop and work it out for themselves when they have to pee or poop.

Fitz-Desorgher also said that potty training can still be a hit and a miss. Accidents can happen at any time, even if their training is consistent, but this should not be a source of fuss or worry.

"This is a journey, not a race," the expert said. "So do not panic if they don't get it straight away," she added. "'Remember that you are working towards toilet independence."

Make Potty Training Fun

Professional potty trainer Tracy Fulwood, on the other hand, shared via Daily Mail that kids should never be bribed to use the toilet. Some lazy parents like to say, "If you go potty, I will buy you this toy," because they think it will eliminate any wasted time and cut the process shorter.

However, Fulwood said that bribery is giving the children control when it's not what they need. They have to learn boundaries from the start and learn to use the toilet properly.

Parents also need to make potty training fun for the children by turning this into a game. Allow the kids to take their time in the potty and don't make this into a chore or a command as it will rob the joy away from the experience of learning their independence.