ENVIRONMENTAL:
1. Indoor Tabletop Fountain With LED Lights
These come in a variety of sizes and prices and can be so tranquil and encouraging. A word of caution is that these fountains plugin to the wall, so supervision is required. I would get a fountain that does not have loose rocks at the bottom, and this may not be appropriate for sensory seekers that may want to splash or play with the water. For everyone else this could be a great reinforcer!
A mother commented that her older child was content to stay in pullups until she made her toilet more interesting. According to her this product had a slight white noise sound and got her child to give the toilet another chance.
This is battery powered and can be used in the bedroom or bathroom. It also has nature sounds and music.
This is another calming sensory item to keep your child engaged in her/his toileting task and keeps the bathroom environment friendly.
TIMERS:
5. Ooze Tube
This is a great sensory item that is calming and colorful that should keep your child relaxed while they sit on the toilet.
It may be already in your home. There are a large variety for sale. This link is just one of many that may help take your kids mind off the sitting part of the toileting task.
GOAL TRACKERS AND TOILET PROMPTERS:
I have included a reward chart with stickers for younger children.
8. Candy
For older kids you can use their favorite stickers and put on a chocolate kiss candy as a reward!
Sometimes it is nice to get a toilet task reminder that is not from your parents. This watch allows your toddler to be more independent and it comes with high ratings!
PRIZES and REWARDS
10. Farting Pens Amazon.com: Rhode Island Novelty 7 Inch Toilet Bowl Poop Face Emoticon Pens Black Ink Set of 4: Toys & Games
11. Poop Face in Toilet Emoticon Pens
Sometimes it is good to make light and humor out of a frustrating situation. Try these for a laugh when everyone needs it the most.
12. Erasable pens and erasable highlighters
These are great reinforcers and not just for toileting. It is a great academic motivator as well!
This poop plush is soft and cute and loved by younger kids.
14. Poop emoji stress/squeeze balls
Highly rated and fun for everyone!
Every child is unique and different so what works for one person may not work for another. These are just a few ideas that may motivate a child/teen who is starting to learn, is resistant or has regressed, to become interested once again!
For those kids that have incontinence, constipation, or a medical condition the above reinforcers can be fun and encouraging but should not be used as a reward system.
Teaching toileting skills can be frustrating especially when dealing with repeated accidents and lack of meaningful progress. It is important not to punish, shame or embarrass the child/teen as it will create more challenges and delay progress in mastering this skill.
We will be discussing medical conditions that interfere with achieving independent toileting skills in a future blog post.
Please share your ideas, rewards and reinforcers that have helped you in your journey so that we can share them with other parents. I can be reached at ivette@love2sit.org.
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