Potty Training My Boy!!

For what it's worth, both my sons (now 22 and 13 yrs.) potty-trained between 2 1/2 and 3 (later than my girls). Had friends tell me to put Cheerios into the toilet and tell the boys to aim there - kind of made it more fun and like a game, and they float.... Helps with clean-up too!
Above all, don't stress it - I discovered I didn't get extra Brownie points for early training.

Hi L.,
I am the mom of 1 girl and 3 boys. After potty training my daughter at 18 months old, I figured boys would potty train at about that age as well. I learned a lot in the next several years with 3 boys to follow. People told me that boys potty train at a later age than girls. I didn't believe them and tried anyway. They were right. All 3 of my sons waited til "they" were ready. Each of them potty trained around the age of 3.
He may not be ready yet. When he is, it will become easy.
I hope this helps.
H. :0)

I was told NOT to use Pull-ups by the director of my sons' preschool and it worked! We went straight from diapers to training underwear (which hold about a cup of liquid before they begin leaking). My son wet himself only twice before figuring it out because he hated the feeling of being in wet undies. I was also told to teach him to go standing up instead of sitting. I would always drop a few Froot Loops into the bowl to give him something to aim at (kind of like "target practice") and to make it fun. That way, he looked forward to using the potty...Good luck to you!

I will tell you what I did that worked well. I bought normal underwear and put my daughter in them. I gave her alot of liquid to drink and every 15-20 minutes (I had a timer) I would say, let's go try to go potty and we would go and sit on the potty. She got 1 M&M for #1 and two for #2. She had a couple of #1 accidents but for the most part did a good job. I found that going #2 was scary for her. So I told her to try to "toot" on the potty and would reward for that. That helped her learn what muscles to use. The first time she went #2 I hugged her and talked her through it! We danced and got our M&M's and she was good to go. I did have to remind her to go once she got good at it. She would get distracted and then tell me she had to go after she already started.
Once she got it down, we did not give treats anymore. I hope this helps!! Good luck!

Hi L.,
Our pediatrician advised us to wait until our son actually woke up dry in the mornings before starting the process. So our son was a little less than 2 1/2 years old. We have been potty training for about 6 months. We started with buying him the "Elmo goes potty" kit(or something like that). We got it at ToysRUs. It includes the full size Elmo with a little blue potty that he sits on. Elmo says different things about going potty. Then we bought a potty and put it the bathroom and just let him sit in it as a chair with diapers and cloths on. We slowly switched him to training pants during the day (not just pull ups) which are not as absorbent, so they feel wetness and become uncomfortable. For the last two months my son will tell us he has to go potty. He is very proud that he keeps his "big boys pants dry". However he will only pee in the pot at this point. In the last two weeks we have let him wear real underwear on weekends to encourage his progress. It's a slow & messy process so be prepared. We offer lots of praise, and no penalties for mistakes. Good luck to you!

D.

Hi L.,
To potty train my boy, we bought a gumball machine and set it on the counter next to the potty. It worked! If he had to go, we sat him on his potty chair and just waited with him. If he went, it was a HUGE celebration. It DID take awhile for him to do #2 on the potty, though. He got really scared. My husband would kneel and hold him in a hug while he pushed! It really was funny...Good Luck!

Hey L.,
The potty rrg task is tedious and requires ample of patience..which well we all tend to lose at some point of time.I had my boys trained regularly rt from a tender stage,,and succeded by 18 mths..well, I think it is sheer persistence and the consistency of making them do and use the restroom time and time again..eventually makes them get a clue to as to what we are trying to tell them..and yes, don't hesitate to tell them they r wrong when they do miss..It is a tough job as I said , still, if u have a determined mind , I am sure u cud do it effectively soon. Try using books too, let them read on the pot, my older one did that and yes till date does it..which is y he ends up taking more time than usual:-)
All the best

Hi L.,

When you get responses to this question could you please let me know as well. I am trying to train my boy as well he will not go in the toliet but goes everywhere else, including the carpet! Yesterday I payed 250 dollars to have professionals clean the rug that he had stained! He likes to not were his diapers so I finally had to get him some overalls because he plays in his room while I work at home. He will sit on the toliet but still does not understand the concept. You and I are in the same boat, so any suggestions from other mothers would be helpful!

Thanks,

L. Allen,TX

My son was 2 1/2 when I said "Hey Isaac, you are going to wear "big boy underwear" now, I want you to go pee pee and poop in the potty like Mommy and Daddy does." By this time he had been waking up every morning and from naps with a dry diaper. Within 3 days we were accident free. He still, to this day, has only peed in the bed once. This was after going to the circus. He was exausted and had over indulged in snacks and drinks on his night out.
It is not really the child that you have to train. It is you. For the first 2-3 weeks you have to remember to take them strait to the toilet after naps and when waking up from the night. You know your childs schedule. What time during the day does he usually have a bowl movement? Keep that in mind, and remember to remind him to go sit on the potty around that time.
Praise is always good for a child, but using a toilet is just an expected human behavior. Trust me, doing a poo poo dance once a day for 6 months is going to get old. A piece of candy with every time they visit the toilet equals a mouth full of cavities. Just a good ol' "good job, Buster" and a pat on the back will do the trick. He will be proud, if he sees that you are proud.
Some extra things to remember:
No drinks at least 1 1/2 hour before bedtime.
Kids shouldn't have a cup of juice or milk all the time just to sip on. This is one of my pet peeves. It totally ruins thier appetite and their teeth!! Plus makes toilet training impossible. They will be wearing (another of my pet peeves) a pull-up until they are in the first grade. A child with no physical reason and at the right mental age, should have no problems potty training. If it seems to be too difficult, there is probably something wrong with the equation.
Keep the use of the pull up to a minimum....like only at night or for long car trips. The pull up is a daiper, plain and simple....it is really just a crutch.