I have a 5-year old little boy that has been potty trained for over 2 years. Every time he uses the potty (without his dad or me helping), he pees all over the potty, the floor, the trashcan... He tells me tries to aim and make it in, but just misses. I've offered rewards for making it in the potty and it doesn't help, so I think he is trying. I've also made him clean it up, but he just wastes a bunch of tp and paper towels and still doesn't get it all.
I've considered just letting him go in the backyard, but we don't have a privacy fence and I'm afraid that will promote doing this in public.
Any ideas? Things that have worked for you? I'm desperate!
Also... hubby said to teach him to aim at the back wall of the toilet, and that will help limit splash-out. If you can, draw a small target on the back of the toilet bowl just ABOVE the water line. (red permanent marker, maybe?)
(If they aim at the water, things tend to splash out a bit...)
I had my son aim at a cheerio, he was two and a half and it worked like a charm.
I would say that if by age five he can't stand up "like a man" he needs to sit down, and point and HOLD it down.
Have his dad work with him. He's not a dog, there's no reason he can't learn something so simple (and for sure he should NOT be sent outside to urinate/defecate like an animal!)
In my house, peeing while standing is a privilege. Those who can't get their pee in the potty must sit - like a girl (the boys really don't like being compared to a girl). There are 4 males in my house ranging from 3 to 32 and as a result of the sitting rule, they all manage to get their urine into the toilet without problem.
My boys are men now and seriously am I allowed to admit this? I think I just yelled a lot.
Tell him he has to sit.
My daughter used to throw cheerios in the toilet and have the kids try to shoot the cheerios. It was a game for them and kept the pee pee where it belonged!
Sitting. I can't think of any other suggestion as foolproof.
all of the above!
potty targets are great for little fellows (and big fellows have a sneaking appreciation for 'em too.) you can buy them but why? just find something that floats and have him aim. he needs to direct his flow himself. sometimes an untethered nozzle will spray off in odd directions. teach him how to be the master of his own ship.
and it's great that you've got him cleaning up. don't stop just because he's not good at it! he's only 5 and probably not great at cleaning anything yet, but you're rockin' it by having him give it his best. supervise it gently, encourage his efforts, and go back afterwards and mop up anything he didn't get. this too shall pass. (sort of- any time you live with men there's splash fallout.)
going outside from time to time is fine, but you're right, you don't want it to be the default. when my kids lived here i begged them to pee around the outside of the flower beds to discourage the deer, but noooooooo, they didn't want to help a mom out. now that they're grown i find 'em peeing off the patio at all hours! cretins. i suspect it's because they live in the city and enjoy the privacy of being able to pee outside here at the farm.
:) khairete
S.
Either have him sit, or do the cheerio in the toilet. My son did both, and it worked. Also, now that I have a son, I realize there's a reason they make those toilet bowl contour rugs. Just roll it up and throw it in the wash (and get a couple to rotate when the other is in the wash cause you'll be washing them quite a bit). :)
For boys who have awful aim - have them use the shower.
It's MUCH easier to rinse and with a shower door or curtain, it doesn't go anywhere else.
Put something in the toilet he can aim at. They like to aim for things. I am sure your husband will aim at the spot too.
We luckily did not have this problem with my son. (whew) My husband says that his mom would put a Cheerio in the toilet and tell him to aim for the center. He says that helped him and his brothers with the aim problem. Worth a try, I suppose! Good luck!
I think you have some great suggestions here, but one thing I learned from my hubby is that sometimes it just sprays out sideways. They don't have any control of it. I made him prove it to me, and he did several times! so, I just wanted to encourage you keep that in mind as well. I like the shower/bathtub idea while he practices aiming. Good luck! This kind of makes me thankful my guy is still in diapers. :)
