How to Potty Train a Kid Using Twilio and an AWS IoT Button

 Potty training is one of the most challenging and rewarding milestones for parents and kids alike. It can also be a frustrating and messy process that requires patience and consistency. But what if you could make it easier and more fun with some technology?

 

In this blog post, I will show you how to use a Twilio SMS service and an AWS IoT button to create a simple potty training system that notifies you when your kid needs to go to the bathroom, tracks their progress, and rewards them with positive feedback.-

 

What You'll Need

 

To follow along with this tutorial, you'll need:

 

- An AWS account and an AWS IoT button. You can buy one from Amazon or use any compatible device that can trigger an AWS Lambda function.

- A Twilio account and a Twilio phone number. You can sign up for a free trial here and get a phone number that can send and receive SMS messages.

- A smartphone with the Twilio app installed. You'll use this to receive the notifications from the IoT button and to send messages to your kid.

- A potty or a toilet seat adapter for your kid. You'll also need some stickers or other rewards to motivate them.

 

How It Works

 

The idea behind this system is simple: whenever your kid presses the IoT button, it will trigger an AWS Lambda function that will send an SMS message to your phone using the Twilio API. The message will tell you that your kid needs to go to the bathroom and ask you to reply with a confirmation.-

 

When you reply with "OK", the Lambda function will update a DynamoDB table that stores the date and time of each potty attempt. It will also send another SMS message to your kid's phone using the Twilio app, congratulating them on their success and giving them a sticker or another reward.

 

You can also use the Twilio app to send encouraging messages to your kid throughout the day, such as "You're doing great!" or "Don't forget to press the button when you need to go!". The app will also show you a dashboard with the history of your kid's potty attempts and their progress.-

 

Step 1: Set Up the AWS IoT Button

 

The first step is to set up the AWS IoT button and connect it to your AWS account. You can follow the instructions here to do that. Make sure you choose a name for your button and enable the trigger for Lambda.-

 

Once you have set up your button, you can test it by pressing it and checking the CloudWatch logs for your Lambda function. You should see something like this: