This post brought to you by the letter P

Go Potty Go! is perhaps not the miracle all of us diaper-shoppers wish for, but it's undeniably cute without being cloying. Which, for a video about toilet training, is a pretty big achievement. Both my kids (the one who pees on the potty and the one who's quite happy in his Huggies) found its songs catchy and its potty-going panda stars, Paige and Parker, charming. After just a few viewings, all three of us were singing along to "Diapers Are for Babies" and marching to the beat of "Big Kid Parade" (because after all, just like the song says, two-thirds of us do "wear underpants every day").

At only a few weeks past his second birthday, Opie's not quite ready for potty training. He does like to throw back his head, thrust out his groin, and crow "PEEEEEEEEEEE!" just for the heck of it. But any invitations to sit on the potty are usually turned down, especially if he is obviously caught in the act, if you know what I mean. Still, he is intrigued by this video, which outlines all the important toileting steps--sitting, wiping, washing up--cheerfully and straightforwardly. He'll sit and watch all 30 minutes of it, which is more than I can say for most episodes of Jay Jay the Jet Plane (well, I can't blame him for that--those planes are freaky) and everything his big sister watches (so much for the electronic babysitter).

For him, and for me, this video is just the right speed. I'm not into pushing him toward the potty before he's ready, and it turns out that Paige and Parker aren't either. The DVD is a gentle introduction to the wonders of the potty chair (the animated one even looks exactly like ours) that doesn't put any pressure on kids to perform too early. We'll keep watching until we're three for three on the underpants--and probably beyond then too.

What we liked: Just about everything--the songs are fun, the characters are cute, and the production values are high. Most importantly, the message is easy to understand and kid-friendly.

What we didn't: The menu is inconsistent, which makes it a little confusing to use (it's hard to know which choice you're selecting). There is a "music video" section which allows you to just play the songs--but not all of them are included.

Who it's for: Young toddlers who are just embarking on the potty-learning train, in families who want to take a laidback, no-pressure approach.















P.S. In the category of "what will they think of next?!"