At what age are most boys toilet trained?

Yvette - posted on 05/23/2009

thanks for your advice, going to kindy with a diaper on has crossed my mind, but im still a few years away from that.

Johanna M - posted on 05/21/2009

All children... boy/girl will potty train at different times depending on the child. Boys tend to be slower overall but can also be quick about it. My advice, dont push to hard. My 9 year old was perfect by 2.5 yrs, my son who is 2yrs 9 moths is just now going pee-pee in the potty... mention #2 and he runs away... fast. Try not to get too frustrated.. I promise you he will not go to kindergarten with a diaper on! Good luck!

Susan - posted on 05/21/2009

All kids are definitely different. My two older kids are 8 and 6. They were both 3-1/2 before they showed any interest. Didn't push them and I can count on 1 hand the number of accidents we have had. Our pediatrician said not to be concerned unless it was nearing time for kindergarten.

Ginger - posted on 05/21/2009

Toilet training is a developmental milestone just like walking. Some kids start as early as 2. Toilet training is a complex biological, emotional, social undertaking. First, developmentally he has to be able to control is urination and bowel movements. Second, he has to want to do it. He will show signs, such as sitting on the potty, going through the motions of pottying (sitting, wiping, pulling up pants, flushing, washing hands) even though he may not go at all. Socially, he need to understand that this is what Mommy and Daddy do and children at daycare do, or an older brother does, etc. He needs to be able to pull pants down, have names for his movements, pee-pee, poo-poo, or whatever you call it. He may even be interested in watching you or your husband go (its just plain curiosity on his part, nothing weird, its very normal). Also, the earlier you potty train, the longer it takes. He need to be able to show all of those cues above to really show you that he is ready. Pushing him to do these things before he is ready, will backfire. I have never known a person who is not potty trained, so at some point he will learn. :) Also, I would not recommend rewards. You want him to have intrinsic motivation, that he is proud of himself, not get into the habit of rewarding him with candy or stickers. He will then come to expect more and more and be going "potty" for the wrong reasons. Extrinsic rewards are not necessary. Good Luck!

PS. My son Cody just turned 3 and was really ready to train. We took off the pull-ups went straight to big boy underwear and he was literally trained in a couple of days. He wet himself a couple of times, realized he did not like it and started going on the potty. You will know when your child is ready, don't feel peer pressure from other mothers! You know your child best!

TIP- Structure fluid intake breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, etc. Don't let him have a sippy cup all day. You will never really know when he has to go. Take him to the potty every 2 hours, or when he says he has to go. Don't ask him, just say, "its time to go potty" (of course when you think he is developmentally ready).

Justine - posted on 05/21/2009

Mine wasn't completely trained until he was almost 4 - we inticed him with Big Boy Underwear that he got to pick out. It also helped that his younger sister was still in diapers and he wanted to be a big boy. We had alot of start and stop with him, he did want to and then he wouldn't. It all depends on the child. My daughter, who is 3, is better some days than others. It just takes time. Each kid is different. If possible have him watch a "Big" guy go potty, that helped also with ours.

Roberta - posted on 05/21/2009

I have a 2 year 2months old that is now starting to potty train. I think what is helping that his 5 year sister is old enough to make him want to try more.

Becky - posted on 05/21/2009

I think boys are just slower. They're too busy with other things to concentrate on the potty. My son will be 4 next week and still has no interest!!! He's going to spend much of this summer nude if need be!

Yvette - posted on 05/21/2009

thankyou.

Yvette - posted on 05/21/2009

Thankyou to everyone who has commented so far with very helpful advice and comments. It gives me a better idea and if i am doing everything right. It would seem so.

Melinda - posted on 05/21/2009

I have two boys as well. My oldest, Joshua, is 4, and the youngest, Marcus, is 2 1/2. We started the potty training business for Joshua right at age 2, upon the babysitter's initiation. Joshua was probably 3 before he could wear underware all day without an accident. He still wears a pull-up to bed, hopefully we can end this by the end of the year. I've learned boys are a special breed, and to just pack your patience when it come to potty training.

Sonia - posted on 05/21/2009

My boys are already older but, I can say tht it is an individual thing. He will catch on soon enough. Be patient and encourging and in no time you will be celebrating a new stage. Good luck.

Lindsay - posted on 05/21/2009

My son will be 3 in aug. and still shows little interest. I encourage him to try whenever he sees mommy, daddy, or sissy going and before and after bath. He goes sometimes and sometimes he doesn't. He will get it one of these days and when he really shows interest, I will do the full fledged big boy underwear and everything. I think it takes longer with boys anyway but also every child is different. My daughter was fully trained about a month after her 2nd birthday. Hid time will come. Good luck!

Yvette - posted on 05/21/2009

yes i like the sticker ideas, my boys love stickers. good idea.

Yvette - posted on 05/21/2009

Thankyou the sticker chart sounds like a great idea.

Sue - posted on 05/21/2009

Try bribing them with something they really like,or you can get them a sticker chart for on the back of the toilet door, kids love putting stickers on things, so when their finished they can put the sticker on the chart and when they have 10 stickers on the chart, you can reward them with a Freddo frog etc..Good luck:)

Nicole - posted on 05/21/2009

I have a son who is 3 now and we started training him right before he turned 2. We got him a training toilet that sings when they go and we used a reward of stickers every time he went to the toilet and it really seemed to help. He was trained pretty quickly. Maybe you could try those things and it could help :)

Natalie - posted on 05/21/2009

Your Kindy is right. The worst thing you can do is push him it will just make it harder on the both of you and could possibly start a phobis of the toilet, or a fear of dissappointing you. Toilet training is an individual thing, there is no such thing as "norm" in child development, there is age range, but children do things at their own pace. Your son will pick up the other children going as he gets older, if he wants to go and sit on the toilet then allow him too even if he doesn't do anything. take your tiome...how many children do you see at school in nappies?? He will do it when he is ready and most importantly he will tell you when he is ready.

Genevieve - posted on 05/21/2009

Both of my boys were 2 1/2. i used the reward system with them and they were both done in 3 days.

Amy - posted on 05/21/2009

Any ideas for a 4yr old who just doesn't seem to be getting cocept. I sit him on the potty and nothing until I put the pull up back on him...Help

Amanda - posted on 05/21/2009

I'm having the same problem, my son is 2 as well, and he has his moments one day he will go the next he won't. Most of the time he will tell me after the fact, so I know he knows when he has to go. They say when there ready they will do it.

Dawn - posted on 05/21/2009

My son was just past three when he toilet trained. I thought about it earlier, but he wasn't ready. By waiting until he was ready it only took a week! Other friends' boys have been almost 4. Good luck!