POCKET SNAILS POTTY ADVENTURE
(not rated)
MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5)
DVD EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5)
Studio: Soaring Star
BY KEVIN CARR
Anyone who has gone through the challenge of potty training their child knows that there are no easy solutions. And if you are going through that struggle, you’ll find everyone giving you advice – from keeping them in diapers until they’re ready to throwing goldfish crackers in the toilet and telling them to aim for the fish.
The bottom line about potty training is that every child is different. In a perfect world, we could do everything right, but in the real world, there isn’t always time, resources and patience. Some families choose to use potty training videos, and I’ve seen several from “Elmo” to “Bear in the Big Blue House” to “Blues Clues.”
I wish it were as simple as showing your child a video. Sadly, it’s not. The videos can serve a purpose, however, to at least get the kids acquainted with the concept and reinforce certain behaviors.
Soaring Star productions has a low-budget potty training video available featuring the Pocket Snails. These are snails that live in a young boy’s pocket, and they dispense advice and support each other. In “Pocket Snails Potty Adventure,” the snails help Jake’s little sister Wendy to get potty trained.
Like the other videos available out there, it gives good advice to the child and encourages them in the behavior. Also included in the DVD case is a Potty Steps Map that lays out the process of potty training. For the child attuned to visual cues, this can be a benefit.
The animation is rather rudimentary, and the upbeat voices can get a little annoying. However, for the preschool audience, it can be appealing. The video might be good for your child, but like anything else, potty training will take its own, sweet time.