Potty Training Boys

[beckyritchie04]

Ok, my son is almost 21 months old and I want to start potty training him. I would LOVE for him to be potty trained by the time our son arrives in two months.

Who has potty trained a boy? Do you have any tips for me to make this more successful? Did you train sitting or standing for peepee?

Do you have an example of a reward chart that you have made?

Thanks so much!

[ajf9597]

We potty trained DS sitting down on a potty chair. He didn't like the "big" toilet and he was more comfortable with the potty chair, more his size I guess. We also did a sticker chart for when he went to the bathroom.

[lhaslem]

I set aside a weekend that I knew we could stay put...and I had Hayden nekkid for almost the entire weekend. He HATED getting wet when he peed on himself (which I learned while he was in the tub...he always got out of the tub to pee in the potty). I set the portapotty in the family room and he would play while sitting on it or read or watch TV and eventually he peed in it and was super excited, so he knew what to do the next time. After that weekend, he was pretty much ready! He started sitting down and then within a month was standing (I wish he would have sat a bit longer...yucky messes). Good luck!!

[kscwgirl]

Mine is in pullups, he flat out refuses diapers.. we're not "there" yet but we are getting closer. He's been more consistent on going since I got him a stool to stand on so that he can pee standing up like Daddy. That was a big problem for us, he refused to pee unless he could stand up, he hated sitting down to pee. So.. we're getting there. Slowly. LOL

[Leila]

Is he showing signs of readiness? If he's not showing signs, I'd wait. I know you'd like to have it done by the time your other child is here in 2 months, but there's really no rushing potty training, especially in boys.

That said, there's nothing wrong with introducing the idea to him by way of a potty seat, bringing him in with Mom/Dad each time you guys go, etc. But, at 21 months, I just wouldn't push it too much.

[Misty Cato]

If he's ready - go for it. But to put your mind at ease bit. I tried to potty train my boy before our baby was born and we just didn't quite get there. He regressed quite a bit once the baby was born too. However a few months later he was ready he trained really easy. It wasn't nearly as hard to PT with a baby around as I thought it might be. The only difficult moment came when I was nursing and ds yells from the bathroom, "Mom, I need help wiping my butt." LOL!

[Sharon Kay]

I have 3 boys. I taught each one of them to SIT (and my dh)...I didn't want to clean it up...rule is...if you stand...you have bathroom cleanup duty for 2 weeks...so ALL males in the house sit. ha ha ha We don't have a urinal in the house so they are not to stand (I explained that to dh and he didn't want to install one...thank goodness). They learned how to stand and pee in preschool when they saw the other kids do it...but again it was in a urinal and they knew the difference. I hate cleaning toilets!

We had a little portable potty in the playroom (with a big washable wet mat under it)...that was how they started out. There was also the little potty seat in the bathroom and they could choose where they wanted to go...until they were trained and then it was just the bathroom.

I wouldn't worry about hurrying to get him trained...when the baby comes you may find him regressing anyway...either out of attention getting or just because your hands are busy and don't have time to mess with him with last minute emergencies when feeding or changing the baby.

[4noisyboys]

I would sit mine backwards on the toilet while I was running the bath. Sitting that way, it is guaranteed to go into the toilet instead of across the room.

Later, I had a fabulous step up and seat that went on the big toilet, and they loved it. They'd climb up themselves and go. I've not seen anything like that in the stores recently, but I have to admit, I haven't looked!

21 months is young for a boy. Some are ready, but mine never were. Mine were all over 2 years, and so I had my 2nd and 3rd sons both in diapers at the same time for almost a year. That was ok. They all trained in a few days, and within a week were night trained as well.

[nikkiARNGwife]

21 months may just be a little too young..especially for a boy. I started trying with DS around that age and it just wasn't going to happen. So I let it go and he finally just really trained himself right before his 3rd b-day. The good news is that once they get it they really get it. I learned with him though that you can't push it and if he's not ready it's just not going to happen kwim?

[kscwgirl]

I should add, mine turned 3 in feb and we're still in pullups. :D

[ColleenSwerb]

Sharon.....you make your husband sit to pee?? :blink:

[nikkiARNGwife]

Oh and we did the sitting backwards thing like Debra said..it's a pain b/c he had to take all his pants/underwear off and on every time, but it did keep the tee tee IN the toilet (most of the time anyway lol)

[kscwgirl]

I tried the sitting backwards with JJ and he totally felt like he was going to fall in.. freaked him out every time. He's really done pretty good now that I let him stand up. Boys are weird. :D

[lovemy4kids]

Our four kids were each born about two years apart. I've always waited until they were 3 years old before potty training. My oldest DS was actually 3 1/2. I just never wanted to attempt it around such a life-changing event as adding a baby to the family. Plus I wanted them to be a little older. And I always try to do it in the spring or summer. It's worked really well for us. Our youngest will be three in July, so she will be the only one to not be three years old when she starts potty training as I will probably start the process with her in June.

Both of our boys learned sitting down. My oldest DS didn't start standing at the toilet until he was 5. Our youngest DS recently turned 5 and is still sitting. He hasn't expressed an interest, but we'll probably work on the whole standing thing with him before he goes to kindergarten in the fall.

And this is what I've done with all of them for rewards...I get them one of those little 3x5-ish spiral notebooks that is bound at the top. I write the day and date at the top of the page, and each day is a new page. I get some of the little reward chart size stickers (http://www.abctoyzonecatalog.com/seasons_superspotsreg_supershapes-p-155230.html), and also some bigger normal size stickers. The bigger stickers are usually related to something the child currently likes. For instance, my 2nd DS had Thomas the Tank Engine stickers. The child puts one of the little stickers in his/her notebook every time he/she goes potty in the toilet (or potty chair). And he/she gets to put one of the big stickers in the notebook every time he/she goes poop in the toilet (or potty chair). It's a great way to have a record of how each day went, and to be able to look back and see the progress. It was very motivating for my kids because they wanted to be able to put a sticker in their notebook. And then eventually the need to use the notebook phases out after a few weeks.

[ditzyscrap]

We didn't manage to get Mason potty trained until he was 4. I tried earlier and it just wasn't working...he would flat out refuse to try. So I'm another one that will say that you'll end up with more heartache by trying to rush him into it...and if you are too pushy on it he could end up waiting even longer before bothering to try.

And Col...I had my DH trained to sit, too. Then one day he decided he didn't want to sit anymore and started standing up, which taught MASON how to stand up (we potty trained him sitting down) and now there's a mess all the time. The threat of "you'll have to clean the bathroom" (to DH) doesn't work anymore because he almost always cleans the bathroom, lmao.

[4noisyboys]

Sharon.....you make your husband sit to pee?? :blink:

LOL!! I wish all men would sit to pee in the house! My dad would be the first person I'd make sit. When he's visiting there is always a HUGE mess!!

[ColleenSwerb]

Jordan would first, laugh his head off, and then, pee standing up from the opposite side of the room.

Not a snowballs chance in heck could I get away with forcing him to pee sitting down.

[nikkiARNGwife]

Jordan would first, laugh his head off, and then, pee standing up from the opposite side of the room.

Not a snowballs chance in heck could I get away with forcing him to pee sitting down.

lol..yep that would be hubby's reaction too...i honestly didn't know they COULD pee sitting down lol...for some reason it sounds hilarious to me! lol

I have managed to get DH to clean it up if he gets it everywhere..usually..but you know he's 6'2" and pretty much it goes everywhere every time :blink:

[Leah]

I just want to say good luck!

My son started showing interest and taking initiative on his own when he was that age, 21 months. I ran with it and now he's 3yrs. and still not 100% trained. :(

[Leila]

It had never occurred to me that men might sit to pee until I met Andrew. At home, it's the only way he'll go. Unfortunately, the boys think it's "dorky," so they refuse to do it. :thumbdown:

[cheltzey]

21 months sounds really early to me. I think you'll both wind up frustrated.

We go with the gradual approach. For example, have him try to sit on the toilet several times a day, especially when you know he should need to pee (after he wakes up, after naps, before bed). Then just put the diaper back on after he's done. He'll eventually learn how to pee on the toilet, and then you can begin to take him even more frequently. Only after they're regularly going on the potty every time we put them on do we switch to underwear. Then we make a HUGE deal of the big boy underwear, calls all the grandmas and grandpas, and talk constantly about what a big boy he is.

We just started underwear last Sunday, and DS is almost done being potty trained. He now has maybe 1 accident every 2 days. It's been GREAT!! He's just over 2 1/2, and he was completely ready. He gets 1 gummi bear for peeing and an additional one for going #2. It's a great incentive for him, since they rarely get candy.

[lauren grier]

Ce was FULLY day and night PT'd by that age.. but most kids are not ready- esp boys. If he's showing signs of readiness awesomeness.. otherwise, don't stress too much on it. I introduced the potty (didn't force it.. it was just THERE) starting around 14 months with ce.. Eventually I just let him be nekkid for a week or so and that was it. He actually night trained first, but I think that was just luck- he was having trouble sleeping back when and waking up every few hours ^_^ .. oh yes, and totally made him sit. He didn't start standing to pee till he'd been trained for well over a year. I was NOT cleaning up pee everywhere :p