Sesame Street - Elmo's Potty Time Reviews

• I'll be kind and call it mediocre

  
  By A1XAYSI96X8YVH on 2006-09-18
  We bought this video at the tale end of our potty training experience. My son had been "almost potty trained" for months and months and we were down to crunch time - 4 weeks to get him seriously trained so he could start preschool. I thought this video would be the push he needed.
  
  I think this video bored him. He watched it for maybe 10 minutes and then went outside to play in his sandbox.
  
  I was hoping for something of an "Elmo's World" format... I really don't know what Elmo's World does potty time would be like, but that's what I was hoping for. This is NOT Elmo's World, even though it has Elmo.
  
  This video has a lot of filler that IMO tends to become boring after a while and not have any impact on encouraging your kid to use the potty. A segment on how toilet paper is made, a segment where various bathroom fixtures turn on and off on their own... etc. Stuff that is kind of entertaining but not useful. I think it would be better to focus just on using the potty here, maybe show more puppets going as someone suggested.
  
  Two things I really didn't like about this video were the "dirty diaper blues" segment where they show a bunch of kids running around in diapers and then looking unhappy, presumably because they are wet... then at the end, one girl actually runs inside the house to use the toilet. Every single kid is in disposable diapers. As a cloth diapering mom, I would like to have seen at least a nod towards cloth diapering.
  
  The other thing I didn't like was when they had kids giving other words for "pee" or "poop"... one boy says "I call it DOOKIE!" with a big grin. Maybe I am just getting OLD (I am 29) but I do NOT think children should be using the word dookie and I can't imagine anyone using that to toilet train. Dookie is a word that I first heard in 5th grade and it was one of those words that isn't exactly a swear word but still gets a rise out of adults. I mean, I don't think Green Day named their album "Dookie" because it is a family-friendly word. Anyway, I guess I am an adult now because it sure got a rise out of me. Yeah, yeah, I know our kids can and will hear words we don't want them to hear - I'll even confess my son picked up at least one choice word from me - but I like to think of Sesame Street as being a "place" we don't have to worry about our kids hearing such things. Just my opinion.
  
  One thing I did like about this video was when the baby bear (not Baby Bear but Baby Bear's baby sister Curly- yeah, I can't figure that logic out either) goes and hides under a table because she had to poop and Gina came along and convinced Curly it was OK to come inside and use the potty. This was a favorite caper of my son's for some time... he would go outside and stand behind the bushes or in a certain spot of the yard and we KNEW it was because he had to poop. FRUSTRATING!!! I liked seeing a video give a nod to this quirk - none of the others we have seen did this.
  
  All in all, I can't say I reccomend this video. It was mildly entertaining (oddly enough now that my son is trained he watches is over and over, go figure) and mildly informative/encouraging, but I don't think it has any merits over any other videos we have seen - chances are you can get a few from your local library, which is what we did before buying this.
  
  If this video has any merit at all, I think it may be in getting a younger child interesting in the process - not getting an almost-trained child to wrap things up. My son is 2y10m... maybe at 2 this would have been more useful but I really don't know. Turns out what we needed to do was lay down the law and say no more diapers and after 3 days with a few accidents, he was trained. Your milage may very.
  
  

• Funny and Helpful

  
  By A3BX6FLQABQAL5 on 2007-04-12
  We decided to let my 21 month old daughter watch this prior to hard core potty training so that she would become at ease with the subject. It has certainly helped.
  
  I was really surprised to read some of the bad reviews. For one, Elmo's Dad does NOT sound like Chef from Southpark. And if he was voiced by Issac Hayes, that would have been great too! His voice brings back fond memories of School House Rock (think "I'm Just A Bill"). If it was intentional, it was genious as his character felt nostalgic to me even though I had never seen him before. Next, there is a segment in which kids yell out what they call poop and pee. It's funny. One of the reviewers was offended but I feel that if my daughter sees big kids and Elmo speaking so comfortably about poop and pee, then it minimizes the stigma and will make her more comfortable about it all. I think that being uptight about poop and pee makes you, well...constipated. And that is counter-productive.
  
  OK, so, the songs are cute. My daughter sings and dances. The language is very clear and comprehensive with subtle side jokes for parents. My daughter gets the message. And it is very very supportive and encouraging which makes me happy. Oh, and Grover is in it, which also makes me happy.
  
  I recommend this Elmo film. We have watched it daily for two weeks and I am not tired of it. Neither is my daughter. She went from pulling her potty apart in play to actually sitting on her potty (clothed). She has also told me that she is almost ready to try to use it. So, we're happy.
  
  

• Excellent for Potty Training

  
  By A2GBQFHGKZ1XJ3 on 2006-08-30
  My 3 1/2 year old daughter had no interest in using the potty and we tried everything. I purchased this video and it arrived at my house on a Saturday morning. After watching the video my daughter announced that she wanted to put underwear on and she then used the potty for the first time that same day!!! She's been in underwear during the day every day since then and uses the potty consistently.
  
  I highly recommend this video to any parent having a hard time with potty training. Kids can relate to the characters they know and they make it easy for kids to understand.
  
  The best $[...] I spent by far!
  
  
  

• It's just okay

  
  By A8237D1QSA96P on 2006-09-02
  My toddler watches this video over and over... because it has Elmo. But I am disappointed with the actual potty training content. We only see baby Elmo sitting on the potty briefly, and while other puppets talk about using the potty, none of them actually do it on camera. I'm not sure why; they're puppets, for gosh sakes! How could anyone be offended by puppets on the potty? This may be a great video for a very young, beginning potty trainer. But for a child who has already started the process (and perhaps used the potty a few times), segments like the one about what words different people use for "wee wee" and "woo woo," is entertaining for the toddler but a waste of time in terms of learning to use the potty. For a slightly older or more advanced potty trainer, I would instead suggest the "It's Potty Time!" video, which actually shows kids doing things like sitting on the potty, how to wipe, etc. This video is a nice Elmo video, but it didn't teach my toddler anything about using the potty that he hadn't already learned, and didn't seem to inspire him to actually use the potty. It has become a source of entertainment, which is great (it never hurts to have another Sesame Street video) but it is not the teaching tool I hoped it would be.
  
  

• LIGHTEN UP, PARENTS!

  
  By A1FIAJ7EUXM0P6 on 2006-10-25
  I am a 25 year old mother of a 17 month old boy and we absolutely LOVE this video! We are in the very early stages of potty training, and since my son adores all Sesame Street characters, I thought this would be a good supplement to the training that his father and I give him. I have to say that most parents are right to say that there is not a lot of actual "potty footage," but I think that this video is more of a tool to encourage toddlers instead of a graphic "how-to" guide--isn't that our job? The content presented here is highly positive words from Muppets that apparently potty like pros. They discuss wearing diapers, listening to your body, having accidents, and of course, wiping, flushing and washing up. There are segments that do not relate directly to using the potty, but the moral of those clips, I think, is that "it takes time, but you can do anything with practice." I also really appreciate the fact that Elmo's dad is the parent in the show that talks about training with his son--I like to see daddies taking part in important milestones like this. As for terms used to describe "what you put in the potty," if you don't like them, teach your kids what YOU want them to say. Unfortunately for all of you that cringe at a less than proper word being uttered in front of your child, you might as well get used to the idea--if you plan on letting your child spend any time with other kids, they are going to hear a lot worse than the word "dookie." Your influence will ultimately reign supreme. So parents, if you would like a fun and unintimidating supplement to go along with your adventures in potty training, this is a great choice.
  
  
• very cute video
  By A1PNXUDWUI9FD7 on 2006-09-14
  My son is really liking this video. While the video only shows Elmo on the potty in the beginning, it focuses a lot on listening to your body which I like. It has a nice feel of patience about it--it explains to kids that learning how to use the potty is a process, that accidents will happen and that that's ok. The video celebrates potty time and growing up, getting big-kid underpants and going forward at your own pace. Unlike a prior reviewer, I love the part where the different children are talking about the different names they use for pee or poo or whatever your family chooses to call it. One of the things that makes Sesame Street so great is the diversity of people and thought to which it exposes our children. And about Elmo's daddy having an accent? I believe it is what one would call an African American accent. You should have no problem understanding him at all.
  
  
• SAVE YOUR MONEY
  By A17771LTRWSKQ5 on 2006-09-27
  I agree with the other reviewers. THERE IS LITTLE IF ANY POTTY TRAINING CONTENT. Elmo and friends just chants "potty is good", "potty is cool", etc. throughout the overly long video. Can you really convince a toddler who has always been in diapers that just because "potty is cool" to go pee/poop in the toilet? I think not.
  
  The video is also overly long, close to an hour. My son who LOVES Elmo got bored after about 20 minutes. I am glad that I borrowed it from the library and didn't waste any money buying this video.
  
  
• Potty humour
  By A2QWF2BJ2FM4R2 on 2006-12-03
  I could not believe my eyes when I saw this one. My daughter loves Elmo and is not yet potty trained so I thought this might be something. Indeed it is! This one somehow verges on the bizarre with its potty fixation....I am not sure I approve of this for kids but it sure is funny for an adult.
  
  
• excellent potty dvd!
  By A7ZT61T3FFKIW on 2006-08-30
  My 2 year old LOVES this dvd. He asks for it several times a day. It presents potty concepts in a great way, and it's captivating for kids. We haven't made a whole lot of potty training progress since we've gotten it, but it's only been a week. I just wish it showed Elmo, or some of the other muppets actually sitting on the potty, since I think that would motivate my son.
  
  
• Lame, Lame, Lame
  By A30N05AWNGAUGY on 2006-10-06
  Although Elmo's World videos tend to be pretty reliable in quality, other Sesame Street videos featuring Elmo can range from great to absolutely dreary. I'm sorry to report that this belongs to the latter group.
  
  Basically, they've assembled a clip job of old song segments loosely (sometimes mystifying so) related to toileting, and then shot some cheap-looking "story" segues to bind the whole thing together. The result is a totally uncoordinated mess. I don't know what coherent message about toileting any kid would get from this video. And to the extent that they stay at all on-message, it's clumsily executed. Compare this with something like Elmo's Musical Adventure -- which was carefully thought through from start to finish, with footage completely written and shot especially for that video -- and that puts this one to shame.
  
  Ordinarily I wouldn't get so annoyed by a subpar Elmo video. But to unload junk like this on a topic as important as tolieting is inexcusable. Buy "Potty Time With Bear" or "Once Upon a Potty" instead, and avoid this one altogether.
  
  
• I can't believe how effective Elmo is!!!!
  By A3F8DPZ4WUCEVW on 2006-09-13
  We recently purchased Elmo's -Potty Time- about a week ago. We started the potty training process by letting her watch the movie a few times a day (Morning, Lunch & in the Evening) I can't believe it, our little girl just got up during the movie and sat on her little potty and went!!! YEAH. I'm sure all your parents out there can relate and understand the amazing feeling of your childs accomplishments.
  Good Luck :)
  
  
• Not what I had hoped.
  By A2VM1DG1WGT34M on 2006-09-16
  This started out well but quickly went downhill. Frankly, about 10 minutes into it, the kids were really bored. I would save my money and buy a book.
  
  
• great for an older toddler
  By A3CKJTOZR06CPY on 2007-03-23
  for those who need to show the child exactly what to do, this is not the dvd for you. for that i would reccomend the once upon a potty collection. if you have an older toddler, like 2 1/2 and up - this is a great show. my daughter goes on the potty - sometimes when she wants to - but she refuses to give up her pull-ups. this show talks about taking a break to go as soon as you get the urge. it also informs you to wipe and flush and wash your hands. it has catchy tunes, and is typical sesame street format. i would say that this is not a begginer video, but a stage 2 advanced for those who know what the potty is for, and now have to "get it all together." thanks for the help elmo!!
  
  
• It helped our son.
  By A156K4U71966TE on 2007-05-14
  My son began watching this dvd at age 20 months and loved the potty idea. For months, he sat on his potty, played with toilet paper, flushed and washed his hands. He has never shown any resistance to sitting on his potty or the toilet. Finally, at age of 2 years and 3 months he finally "pee pee'd" in the toilet. He loves the dvd and has been very enthusiatic about using a potty. The poor thing just can't coordinate timing with his bladder. He's on the right track. I also recommed the Sesame Street cushioned toilet ring as he prefers the toilet to his potty. I also purchased the Elmo potty plush doll which has been great is demonstrating the need to use the toilet after drinking water. He loves helping the plush Elmo doll use the potty. I recommend buying this dvd earlier than later. Even if your child is not ready, it teaches other important skills like hand washing.
  
  
• A+ for concept, c+ for the execution
  By A2YH13YGVJN35S on 2007-08-14
  The idea is great: Turn a process that can be a headache and a chore for both parent and child, emphasize the positive, and make it fun. Unfortunately, this is not Sesame Workshop's finest job. The video has almost as much filler material as potty-related content. For example, did we really need two nearly identical songs encouraging kids to try doing new things? Several of the other segments are recycled from previous episodes of Sesame Street, including the hand-washing segment which was re-dubbed to make a reference to using the toilet in the beginning. I really think that's kind of cheap. Incidentally, the only songs from this video that my 2-year-old will sing along are the ones written specifically for the video and performed by the cast.
  
  In addition, the skeleton cast of 2 humans and only a handful of muppets makes the street scenes look empty! You get the feeling that everyone on Sesame Street was on vacation the week this video was shot (either that, or most of the actors and muppeteers didn't want anything to do with this project). Well, maybe it's for the best. I wouldn't want Big Bird giving lessons because birds are pretty filthy about their toileting habits and I don't even WANT to know where Oscar the Grouch goes potty!
  
  Unfortunately, the dialogue uttered by the few cast members and muppets is awkward and forced (but then it's hard to write a script where you go from reading the Sunday comics to discussing bowel movements in 60 seconds flat). Fortunately, the awkwardness for parents who are watching along is broken up by Baby Bear with some off-color jokes that will soar over your child's head. Finally, the segment where Prarie Dawn reminds kids to wipe, flush and wash drags on too long (meaning that's when my toddler leaves the TV to explore something else in the house).
  
  However, it's possible that our toddlers don't care about these short-comings. As I type this, my 2-year-old is watching the video and becoming more excited and confident with using the potty regularly. So, even with the low production value, I'm still giving it 4 stars and recommending it to Elmo-loving children who need something to get them excited about using the potty. The video's upbeat, encouraging attitude toward using the potty alonw is worth the price of the DVD.
  
  My daughter (2 years 9 months) identifies with the following segments (meaning she sings along or repeats parts of it while she's on the potty herself): The song where baby Elmo uses the potty for the first time, the frank discussion between Gordon, Elmo and Baby Bear about listening to your body, and the song at the end where the cast ensures that everyone uses the potty and that you will too.
  
  
• What a disappointment...
  By AMQNK5T3Z0FMU on 2007-10-26
  This happily Elmo infested household was hoping for a little more instruction and a little less decoration when it comes down to potty time. Our son (2) has learned his alphabet and numbers in record time by watching Elmo and his Sesame Street friends and so we thought this DVD would help him putting other things in the potty than his toy cars. Regretfully the Sesame Street makers felt they needed to fill the 45 minutes of show time with so many musical skits and talking about getting out of diapers, using training pants and underwear they forgot to actually show Elmo in the process of having to go, sitting on the potty until done, wiping and washing hands afterwards. Could it be that these mundane facts of life are now too close to the realm of unspoken acts for adults to discuss with young children? Maybe the page-sized ad for the Potty Elmo play set in the Printed Parents Guide is a hint you will have to invest a little more to actually see Elmo on the potty (we use the image now to show our son that yes, Elmo has to physically sit on a potty to pee and poo) Even the Interactive Storybook element included on the DVD talks in hurried words about the actual act of using the potty, but the image shown is one with baby Ernie holding his underpants slightly down, bending in front of a potty. If my 2-year old understood full sentences to that degree, we could have told him that without visual aids. And that's what it comes down to: this DVD adds nothing to my son's understanding of the odd little plastic seat and bowl other than that his parents and the whole of the Sesame Street cast seem to bestow it with great importance...until we either show him using the toilet ourselves or find a different DVD that actually is a little more revealing and a little less fluffy.
  
  
• Best Potty video out I've seen!
  By A2NTHGVACDI21P on 2006-09-02
  you HAVE to get this video! I think I've seen just about every single potty video out there, and this one is far and away SO much better! My two girls love it, and want to watch it again and again. it has helped my 3-year old so much in terms of wanting to use the potty, i'm shocked! and my 6 year old just enjoys watching it because it's fun. The songs are so catchy and we sing them over and over (and some of the lyrics are just hysterical for us parents!) I've been telling all my friends about it. Really, you're going to love it!
  
  
• NOOOO Potty Training HERE!!!!
  By AK7IJ1HKCQ8CR on 2006-09-24
  First of all, the video itself is okay, and probably entertaining to most children. Older children, would probably actually "understand" the video. But, as for POTTY TRAINING content... it would have received "0" Stars, if I was basing it on that alone. I agree with another reviewer who suggested having Elmo and the other puppets actually ON a potty more frequently.
  
  
• We love Elmo!
  By A29VXUCFA6TEDX on 2006-10-13
  My 2 year old daughter absolutely loves this movie. She asks for it everyday. She has also shown a much increased intrest in the potty since seeing this, although she is not yet potty trained. I am quite surprised by the negative reviews here. The movie does cater to a large audience by covering ways different families say potty terms. I also like all of the different clips that talk about other aspects of potty training like flushing and washing our hands. Those are also things our little ones are learning. If you love Sesame Street, you'll love this!
  
  
• Excellent potty training tool
  By A1NEUNILH9KVGP on 2006-10-31
  My son just turned 2 and had "0" interest in going potty. He had dropped out of potty training after about 2 weeks of trying around 18 months- he just wasn't ready yet. Anyway, I bought him this DVD for his birthday. He LOVES it and he watches at least once a day. Shortly after his birthday, he also got a terrible diaper rash that was painful to him and I started talking to him about the DVD and about how it would be better to put his "poo-poo" in the potty. Now that his verbal skills are more advanced and that the video helps him use the words he need to tell us when he has to go, he started asking us to go. We talk about the DVD and how Elmo is a big boy and goes potty all the time. He even had an accident during nap one day and was crying about missing the potty and I started singing the "Accidents Happen" song from the DVD and he brightened right up instead of giving up. The point is that the DVD will not potty train your kid for you but it opens up discussion and gives your child words to use. It also makes them feel ok if they have an accident and stresses that the important thing is trying. I think it's very reassuring to my son and he is doing so great now. Also, the songs are corny yet catchy. And, come on, if you can't laugh about Sesame Street being sponsored today by the letter "p" and the number "2"- then you are missing your humor chip! :)
  
  
• Worked for us! The "push" we needed.
  By A22DLJGFYSOSDI on 2006-11-20
  I bought this for my very stubborn toddler for her third birthday. She watched it several times over the weekend. Monday I began potty-training again, she had a couple of accidents. After that day she was potty-trained. I think it was a combination of several things and not just this video. I have another toddler that will turn 2 in a couple of months and she watches the video and has gained interest in the potty as well. Again I think it's a combination of other things as well.
  
  My kids seem to really like the video. They are watching it now. This is NOT the best for potty-training fundamentals, but will spark their curiosity.
  
  I agree with the other parent with the word "dookie", TOTALLY inappropiate!!!
  
  
  
• Not what I was hoping.....
  By A1CCN0PU60WBVG on 2007-01-30
  When I saw Elmo had a potty training video, I thought that would be the answer to all of our potty training woes. Not so. It didn't focus on the actual act of going to the potty very much at all. Hardly any bathroom scenes. Too much singing and superfluous fillers. My daughter lost interest almost immediately (as did I) and kept asking for a "different Elmo". This was not effective for us at all and I thought a very poor attempt at getting kids interested in the potty.
  
  
• It is good if your kid likes Elmo
  By A1BIJUZW6FY3JM on 2007-03-27
  My 18-month daughter likes Elmo, but she never finish the DVD. She loses her attention in the middle of the DVD. I am not sure if she is too young for the DVD. However, she started to know the concept of Poop-Pee. When she says Poop-pee, she will run to the bath room; eventhough, she doesn't feel like she wants to go. I haven't found any DVD that is better than this DVD for my daughter.
  
  
• Amazing
  By AQGJ0BG88BEDA on 2007-09-21
  My Son who is 1 ½ loves Elmo, So I thought that this video would be perfect for him. After watching the movie once he pointed to his diaper and said "Pee Pee". Now every time he Pee Pee's in his diaper he tells me.
  I think kids relate to Elmo and the Sesame Street gang so they comprehend the topic more . Not only do they use the term "Pee Pee and Poo Poo", they also use the other terms also. I loved and my son loved this Video.
  
  
• Watching Elmo' Potty Time Over and Over and Over and.....
  By A1Z8TOZ7B352Y2 on 2006-09-08
  My two-year old loves to watch this over and over again even though we have other Elmo videos. We are in the process of potty training and the video does seem to have sparked an interest in the potty. We now have success every morning and after nap time. However, as a parent, the video itself was not as great as I had hoped. I want my child to use terms we have implemented for "number one and number two," and the song where kids express what they call it has confused my child. I dislike the term "urinate and pee" and also "dooky and doody." Hopefully our child won't repeat these. I also don't care for the accent Elmo's father has. It is hard to understand him. The video does not really show anyone (with the excpetion of Elmo in the beginning) sitting on the potty.
  
  
• We love it!
  By A37553726TM67U on 2006-10-30
  Our 3 year old daughter loves it...and we think it is an excellent product. A nice change from the basic "only seeing the kids on the potty" shows. There is lots to learn in this...our daugther loves the part about how toilet paper is made. The story is educational, encouraging, and fun. We think this has helped her interest in using the potty very much...five stars from this very pleased family!
  
  
• Not focused and not aimed at right age level
  By A3RZBOMX48IBKX on 2006-11-12
  We bought several different potty training videos and this was, unexpectedly, the worst. The reason: It lacks focus. It comes off as more of a production made by people who never had kids, or at least don't remember what potty training is all about.
  
  It goes back and forth between Elmo and short film and animated clips that focus on independence and doing things for yourself. But it doesn't really hold a 2 year old's interest and the song lyrics and such are overly complicated for a child of that age. My older daughter, who's potty trained for years now, watched it more than my son who grew bored really fast.
  
  If you are going for entertainment, get this DVD, but if you want your little one to start giving up diapers, go with Potty Power.
  
  
• entertaining
  By A24HKZDUGO3WQW on 2006-11-22
  my 18mth old daughter loves elmo so i bought this to get her started on focusing in potty training she does pay attention to the video the songs are upbeat and she did ask to go to the bathroom the first time she saw it only to be scared once she was actually sitting down in her potty training seat the thing i dont like is the part where kids are saying alternative word for pipi and popo they use caca and i would hate for my daughter to learn that word
  
  
• Great introduction to potty training
  By A1SKG26RO6D0QH on 2007-01-05
  My child and I love this video. Since my toddler is a HUGE Elmo/Sesame Street fan I decided to give this video a try, and I was not disappointed. They describe how others were succesful in potty training, the different words for pee & poop, flushing, washing hands, and most importantly how great it is that kids keep trying and how it is OK to have accidents. There is also a fun/creative soundtrack to accompany the video (as usual). The video was a great introduction to potty training, and my 2 year old has been more interested in other material on the subject after viewing it.
  
  
• It's Potttteee Time!
  By A3TNBDMZ4Y6AMI on 2006-11-04
  I absolutely enjoyed this DVD. Of course, I showed it to my grandson who was quite interested at the time. My Little One is still wearing diapers but at least he understands what a potty is. The "Elmo" family in this DVD and the lessons they teach are wonderful. I intend to show my grandson this again now that he's a bit older. (2yrs.) This is a *must* for anyone who wants to take on the laborious task of potty training. :)
  
  

• Too Big for Diapers (Too Big Board Books)
• Best of Elmo's World DVD Collection
• Potty Power - For Boys & Girls
• Sesame Street - The Best of Elmo
• Potty Time with Elmo (Liittle Sound Book)